Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Cider Chili (2024)

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by Lori Yates October 24, 201326 comments

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This Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Cider Chili is a simple soup with a surprising depth of flavor from fall herbs and apple cider.

I have to confess that I’m not the biggest chili fan. My mom only made it occasionally when I was growing up (I liked her lasagna with cottage cheese recipemuch more!), and when she did, I mostly just ate the “broth” and left all of the “stuff” in the bowl.

I wasn’t much of a picky eater as a kid, but for some reason, traditional beef and bean chili just didn’t appeal to me. And still doesn’t.

However, in recent years I’ve really warmed up (pun intended) to chicken and white bean chili. This Slow Cooker Autumn Chicken & Apple Cider Chili has been on repeat at my house lately.

Apple cider in chili may seem a little strange, but just go with me here.

When I’ve served this crock pot cider chili recipe to family and friends, nobody has known that the secret ingredient is apple cider until I mentioned it, but I think the cider, along with the fall herbs, added a unique depth of flavor to a basic chicken chili.

The ingredients for this Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Cider Chili Recipe are easy to find:

rotisserie chicken
Great Northern beans
celery
garlic
bay leaf
onion
chicken stock
apple cider
sage
thyme
chili powder
salt and pepper
paprika
cayenne
apples

Can I use apple juice for Chicken Apple Cider Chili?

Yes! I’ve made this with apple juice in place of apple cider, and it works well. The juice adds the same sweet apple flavor that the cider would.

Can I make this chili recipe without beans?

You certainly can, although the beans add most of the body to the chili. Without the beans, this will be more like a chicken soup.

If I wasn’t using beans in this chili, I may add a couple of cans of diced tomatoes or possibly even some cooked lentils to make it a little more filling.

Can I make Apple Cider Chicken Chili with turkey instead of chicken?

Yes! One roasted turkey breast, chopped up into bite-sized pieces is a great substitute for the rotisserie chicken in this recipe.

Autumn Chicken & Apple Cider Chili

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

This Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Cider Chili is a simple soup with a surprising depth of flavor from fall herbs and apple cider.

Ingredients

Meat from 1 roasted/rotisserie chicken
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple cider
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Chopped apples, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In slow cooker, stir together chicken, beans, celery, garlic, bay leaf, onion, stock, cider, sage, thyme, chili powder, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours.
If desired, serve chili topped with chopped apples.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 209Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 15g

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know what you think! Rate the recipe above, leave a comment below, and/or share a photo to Instagram using the tag #foxeslovelemons.

More Great Slow Cooker Recipes:

Vegetable Beef Soup Slow Cooker – my mom’s recipe!
– one of my favs for fall and winter!
Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls– one of the most popular recipes on this blog!
– I legit make this one all the time.
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup– the #1 MOST POPULAR RECIPE on Foxes Love Lemons.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala from Budget Bytes
Crock Pot Goulash from Spend with Pennies

Chicken Dairy Free Fall Gluten Free Low Fat Main Dishes Slow Cooker Soups

posted by Lori Yates on October 24, 2013 (updated October 25, 2023)

26 comments Leave a comment »

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26 comments on “Slow Cooker Chicken Apple Cider Chili”

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Ree — November 3, 2022 @ 9:40 pm Reply
Love this recipe and have made it many times! We like to double the seasoning amounts and add a little bit more cider. Turns out rich and delicious! (Wouldn’t recommend doubling spices for small kids though, makes it a little spicy.)
- Lori Yates — November 7, 2022 @ 9:53 am Reply
  Such a great tip, Ree! I’m so glad you liked it.
Kristen — September 20, 2018 @ 8:39 pm Reply
I made this yesterday, and it was delicious! I was worried it would be too spicy, but it wasn’t. I needed to add more chicken broth, though. There wasn’t enough liquid. Followed it up with apple cider floats for a perfect no fuss fall dinner date with my husband. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
- Lori Yates — September 21, 2018 @ 10:03 am Reply
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  So glad to hear your dinner date was a success, Kristen. I’m super jealous of apple cider floats!
Britt — September 2, 2018 @ 7:46 pm Reply
Could you cook the Apples in it instead of it being a garnish?
- Lori Yates — September 4, 2018 @ 9:27 am Reply
  Sure! The apples will be a mushy, but if that doesn’t bother you, go for it 🙂
Drew — December 13, 2017 @ 8:20 pm Reply
Would this be fine without the beans? Any adjustments need to be made?
- Lori Yates — December 14, 2017 @ 9:56 am Reply
  Hi Drew – I haven’t tried this without beans, so I’m honestly not sure. If you do end up trying it without beans, please let me know how it turns out!
Lisa — November 2, 2017 @ 3:54 pm Reply
Hi Lori,
Do you happen to have the nutritional information for this recipe? I really only need the calories and carbohydrates per serving.
Thank you, Lisa
- Lori Yates — November 3, 2017 @ 10:07 am Reply
  Hi Lisa – I’m sorry, but at this time, I don’t offer nutritional information for my recipes.
Mason — October 5, 2017 @ 11:25 am Reply
Great recipe Lori! I had a question and wanted your thoughts on it.
Do you think one could substitute turkey for the chicken? Or would the flavor profile not be the same?
Thanks!
- Lori Yates — October 5, 2017 @ 12:03 pm Reply
  Sure Mason, I think turkey would be great in here!
Alison — September 26, 2017 @ 11:36 am Reply
Hi Lori, I see I’m the first to ask this, and maybe it’s a Canada vs. USA thing 🙂 but when you say apple cider, do you mean the “raw” juice (often unpasteurized) that you get at an apple orchard, or the alcoholic beverage? I could see it being either but I’d like to get it right!
- Lori Yates — September 26, 2017 @ 12:04 pm Reply
  Hi Alison. Great question! I mean raw, unpasteurized juice, which I guess we call cider here in Michigan. But no, it’s not the alcoholic beverage (which we call hard cider), although I imagine that would be pretty tasty here, too. Hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
  - Katie — May 7, 2018 @ 9:33 pm
    So it’s just plain 100% apple juice? I was a bit confused as well, but definitely want to make this! 🙂
  - Lori Yates — May 8, 2018 @ 9:44 am
    Hi Katie! This recipe can be made using either apple cider (unpasteurized apple juice) or 100% apple juice.
roberta — September 14, 2017 @ 9:37 am Reply
hi love this!! Ive made the beans with chicken chicken bullion cubes garlic and hot pepper flakes.yum.
- Lori Yates — September 14, 2017 @ 10:41 am Reply
  So glad you liked it, Roberta!
Connie — October 14, 2016 @ 8:22 am Reply
Morning, I’m wondering why you suggest “meat from 2 cooked chickens”…if its in the crockpot all day, couldn’t I use raw chicken breasts and then just separate them prior to serving and shred them ??
- Lori Yates — October 14, 2016 @ 12:19 pm Reply
  Hi Connie! I think because this was my first time using the Wonderbag, I played it safe by using already-cooked chicken. If you are using a traditional crockpot, you could absolutely use raw chicken breasts. Enjoy!
Jane — December 18, 2015 @ 8:57 am Reply
Just came upon your post in pinterest and was intrigued. I know the post was a couple of years old, but unfortunately both the wonderbag itself as well as the wonderbag cookbook are sold out on Amazon (“Currently unavailable.
We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”) Sad as I would have purchases a few for Christmas gifts and one for myself. Still plan to try the chili though!
- Lori Yates — December 18, 2015 @ 4:12 pm Reply
  Sorry to hear the Wonderbag is sold out on Amazon, Jane. Looks like it’s still available on the Wonderbag website, if you’re interested in ordering from there, but not sure if it’ll be in time for Christmas 🙁 http://wonderbagworld.com/wonderbag.html
Gina Malone — October 17, 2015 @ 1:26 pm Reply
I made this chili recipe this week and we all loved it! Everyone thought putting apples in chili was crazy, but great! I blogged about this recipe as well and added a couple of links to your page! 🙂
- Lori Yates — October 20, 2015 @ 10:31 am Reply
  Hahaha, thanks Gina! I thought it was crazy, myself, putting apples in chili, but I’m so glad I did!
Stacy — January 7, 2014 @ 7:52 pm Reply
That chili sounds delicious, Lori! I love the substitution of the cider. Just the thing for a cold rainy tailgate party. And the Wonderbag sounds truly wondrous!
I’ve sent your link to a friend who has connections with a school in Uganda. So much of their money is spent on cooking fuel as they serve the children one hot meal a day, and I would love to donate a Wonderbag if she thinks they would use it.
- Lori | Foxes Love Lemons — January 7, 2014 @ 9:19 pm Reply
  Oh, that’s such a nice thing to do, Stacy. Please keep me updated on how it all turns out.