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Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Slow Cooker Mexican chicken corn chowder with a creamy, cheesy broth made in the crockpot and finished with heavy cream. Shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and green chiles simmer until tender, then topped with sour cream, cheddar, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts raw
corn
  • 2 can (15 oz) corn, drained
black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
green chiles
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
chicken broth
  • 4 cup chicken broth
cream cheese
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream added at end
ground cumin
  • 2 tsp cumin
chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
toppings
  • 1 sour cream for topping
  • 1 shredded cheddar for topping
  • 1 cilantro for topping
  • 1 jalapeños for topping
  • 1 lime for topping
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Assemble and cook
  1. Place the chicken breasts, corn, black beans, diced green chiles, diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika into the slow cooker. Stir briefly to distribute the spices through the broth.
  2. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. Cook until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Shred and make creamy
  1. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine it evenly with the corn and beans.
  2. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. This should thicken the chowder into a creamy broth.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream and mix until fully incorporated. Keep stirring just until the soup looks uniformly creamy.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust so the flavors pop against the creamy base.
  2. Serve hot with sour cream, shredded cheddar, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime on top. Add toppings at the table so everyone can customize the heat and tang.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, make sure the cream cheese is fully melted before adding the heavy cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until hot. Freezing is not ideal because dairy-based chowder can thin and separate when thawed, but you can freeze if needed and stir well after reheating. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and half-and-half in place of heavy cream.