Easy Barbecue Pulled Chicken Chili using leftover chicken. Use up your shredded or rotisserie chicken in this quick, easy and delicious BBQ chili recipe!
This BBQ Pulled Chicken Chili Recipe…
You guys.. You’re staring at the face of COMFORT!
This pulled chicken chili recipe is the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, salty and spicy.
It warms the belly, soothes the soul, makes you feel like you’re being swaddled in your favorite cozy blanket.
This chili recipe uses pulled chicken, which you can either whip up specifically for the chili, or you can use leftover shredded or rotisserie chicken.
If you’d like to make pulled chicken yourself, here is how you can do it!
How to Make Pulled Chicken:
Option 1: I cooked my chicken in a crockpot with barbecue sauce on low for 6 hours and then shredded the chicken with a fork. I added the already cooked pulled bbq chicken to the chili.
Option 2: You can boil the chicken until cooked all the way through, shred it with a fork, toss it in a couple tablespoons of bbq sauce and add to the chili.
Option 3: Chop raw chicken breasts and brown the chicken with the onion and instead of having pulled chicken, you can use chopped chicken for the chili
Option 4: Throw everything, including 1 large raw chicken breast, in a crock pot and cook 8 to 10 hours on low. Remove the chicken breast from the crock, shred with a fork then return the shredded chicken to the crock and stir before serving. If you choose this method, add an additional tablespoon or two of barbecue sauce.
Option 5: Marinate a chicken breast in bbq sauce, grill it until cooked all the way through, shred with a fork and add to the chili.
How to Make BBQ Pulled Chicken Chili:
I already had barbecue pulled chicken from a previous recipe on hand, so I prepared this chili on the stovetop.
You can make this recipe using your crock pot by cooking a chicken breast with all of the ingredients and shredding the chicken once cooked all the way through. To do so, add everything, including 1 raw large chicken breast to a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks on a cutting board, add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker, stir, then serve!
BBQ Sauce Options:
Use your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce for this recipe. If you like making homemade BBQ sauce, check out my Maple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce recipe.
Use the amount of BBQ sauce that tastes right to you. I only add 2 tablespoons because I’m already using shredded BBQ chicken which has sauce on it already. Go heavy or light on the sauce depending on your personal taste.
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Barbecue Pulled Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeños seeded and chopped
- 2 cups cooked pulled chicken*
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth add more for thinner chili
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 to 4 Tbsp your favorite bbq sauce I like Trader Joe’s
- Smoked gouda cheese and cilantro for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil to medium and sauté the onion until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and jalapeño and sauté another 3 to 5 minutes, until the jalapeño is fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes (including juices), garbanzo beans, chicken broth, chili powder and bbq sauce.
- Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes.
- Remove cover, add the pulled chicken and return to a full boil for 3 to 5 minutes to allow chili to thicken. Taste the chili for flavor and add more BBQ sauce according to your personal taste.
- Serve with shredded smoked gouda cheese on top and toasted sourdough bread.
Notes
Option 1: I cooked my chicken in a crockpot with barbecue sauce on low for 6 hours and then shredded the chicken with a fork. I added the already cooked pulled bbq chicken to the chili. Option 2: You can boil the chicken until cooked all the way through, shred it with a fork, toss it in a couple tablespoons of bbq sauce and add to the chili. Option 3: Chop raw chicken breasts and brown the chicken with the onion and instead of having pulled chicken, you can use chopped chicken for the chili Option 4: Throw everything, including 1 large chicken breast, in a crock pot and cook all day on low. Remove the chicken breast from the crock, shred with a fork then return the shredded chicken to the crock and stir before serving. If you choose this method, add an additional tablespoon or two of barbecue sauce. Option 5: Marinate a chicken breast in bbq sauce, grill it until cooked all the way through, shred with a fork and add to the chili.
Nutrition
“You know that my rough-day cure-all is a cold porter and a plate of classic fudge brownies. ”
Can we be besties? You are clearly my kind of woman.
These photos are fantastic, and I hope you’ll consider contributing this post to this month’s Shine Supper Club. Our theme is one-pot meals.
OMG this sounds amazing, have pinned it, thanks.
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Ohhh Great.. I liked.
Thanks
Murat
This is perfect – I have leftover pulled bbq chicken in my fridge last night. I made homemade pretzel buns and had bbq pulled chicken sammies, but WAY too much leftover chicken.
Totally going to make this tonight for my lunches this week! Thank you!!!
Jenn, I’m so happy to hear it! This soup was inspired by the same “problem!!” We had extra pulled chicken on hand and were kind of sick of putting it on sandwiches, so I figured a nice smoky chili would do the trick. Let me know how yours turns out!!
Shout it loud girl!! You have combined 3 of my favorite foods ever, which is why we are friends 😀 bbq chicken, chili and smoked cheese, OH MY! I think you’re on to something with soups and stews as the cure for cold weather, warm & hearty but healthy too. Next time I’ll bring the porter.
Yeeeeah! So glad you like it. I ate it for like 4 meals in a row…including breakfast. I think it’s my favorite chili I have made so far and that’s a big step for me because I’m a huge chili lover 🙂 Hope you’re having a great weekend, lady!!