The simple recipe summary

This crockpot chicken takes about ten minutes of actual work. Everything goes in raw and all at once, you give it one stir, and the lid goes on for the afternoon. That’s it. What you ladle out hours later is a hearty, chili-like soup that tastes like it simmered on the stove all day, with none of the babysitting.

A bowl of vegetable soup with rice, beans, corn, tomato, and sliced avocado, garnished with cilantro, sits next to lime wedges and additional chopped cilantro on a marble surface. this recipe

What makes it work 

Boneless chicken thighs: Breast meat is thicker so it gets stringy and doesn’t shred as well. Thighs are fall-apart after the cook time and break into smaller, bite-sized chunks which makes them easier to shred and eat. Dump them in with the beans and broth and walk away, and you have a simple chicken thigh dinner recipe that’s hearty and filling.

It’s thick & hearty by default: Four cups of broth, two cans of beans, and a long simmer give this soup a thick, almost stew-ish body. If we want a thinner consistency, we simply add in two more cups of broth. Either version is a complete meal, filling and family-friendly.

Individual spices, no taco packet: Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano mixed together in a small bowl before they go in. The taste comes out better than any seasoning packet, and we control the ingredients.

Acid and herbs go in last: Stirring them in after the chicken is shredded back keeps the full fresh flavor in each spoonful.

How to make black bean soup with chicken (step-by-step)

Chopped white onion and minced garlic on a wooden cutting board placed on a white marble surface.
Chop onion and garlic and gather remaining ingredients.
A hand pours spices into a slow cooker containing black beans, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, and green chilies.
Add all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the corn, cilantro, and lime.
A hand stirs raw chicken, diced tomatoes, black beans, chopped onions, and broth in a slow cooker with a wooden spoon.
Stir to mix and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
A hand uses tongs to lift cooked chicken from a slow cooker filled with broth, tomatoes, and seasoning.
After cooking, shred the chicken with tongs or forks.
A hand pours a bowl of corn into a slow cooker filled with broth and chopped herbs on top.
Add in the lime juice, cilantro, and frozen corn.
A hand stirs a ladle of chunky soup with vegetables, beans, and herbs in a black slow cooker on a white surface.
Stir to mix and let the corn warm up for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes from our kitchen

  • Cornbread is the perfect side. A warm skillet of cornbread, or a few cut squares from a pan, turns this from a bowl of soup into a full comfort food meal.
  • Build a small topping bar. Avocado is great as written in the recipe. A dollop of cream cheese or a small handful of shredded cheese melts into the hot bowl. A fresh lime wedge and extra cilantro leaves belong on every serving.
  • More heat if you want it. A dash of hot sauce at the table, a pinch of cayenne in the seasoning mix, or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes at the end. It’s easy to add some heat to any individual serving.
  • Serve it over a base for a heartier plate. A scoop of cooked rice or pasta in the bowl before the soup goes in stretches the meal further. The starch soaks up the broth and rounds out the bowl well. Our favorite is over rice.
A bowl of chicken, rice, black bean, corn, and tomato soup topped with avocado slices and chopped cilantro, with a spoon and a napkin beside the bowl.

Similar flavor, different meal

If you want to keep the soup rotation going on a weeknight, our Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup is another crockpot chicken soup with a different bean and spice profile, and our Chicken Fajita Soup swaps in peppers and onions for a fajita-style bowl. For a sister recipe, White Chicken Chili uses white beans and a creamier base. If you want the same flavor in a different format, Crockpot Mexican Chicken is the shredded version we use on taco night.

A bowl of chicken, rice, black bean, corn, and tomato soup topped with avocado slices and chopped cilantro, with a spoon and a napkin beside the bowl.
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Crockpot Chicken and Black Bean Soup with Corn

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Boneless chicken thighs, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a from-scratch seasoning blend cook down together in the slow cooker until the chicken shreds apart with a fork. Frozen corn, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice stir in at the end. About four hours of mostly hands-off cooking for a six-serving Tex-Mex dinner.
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Ingredients

For the slow cooker:

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, (or 2 tsp jarred minced garlic)
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 cans 15 oz each black beans, drained
  • 1 can 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can 4 oz diced green chiles
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Stir in at the end:

  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
  • Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tbsp, plus lime wedges for serving
  • 1 avocado, sliced, for serving
  • cooked rice, (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Chop onion and garlic as noted and gather all remaining slow cooker ingredients.
    1 medium yellow onion, diced, 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Add the diced onion, garlic, chicken thighs, drained black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over the top. Stir once to combine.
    2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 cans 15 oz each black beans, drained, 1 can 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1 can 4 oz diced green chiles, 1 medium yellow onion, diced, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken thighs shred apart easily with a fork.
  • Shred the chicken in the slow cooker with tongs or forks. Stir in the frozen corn (no need to thaw), chopped cilantro, and lime juice.
    2 cups frozen corn, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, Juice of 1 lime
  • Taste and adjust salt. Cover and let sit on warm for 5 minutes so the corn heats through. Ladle into bowls and top with sliced avocado, more cilantro, and a wedge of lime.
    1 avocado

Last Step:

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Notes

  • Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit.  See our full nutrition information disclosure here.  
Calories: 307kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 6g, Fiber: 10g
Course: Main Course, Soup
Author: Justin Winn
Cuisine: Mexican
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