Creamy Southwest Chicken is sure to please everyone! Not only is the recipe made so easily in the slow cooker, but it’s packed with a spiced creamy and lime-y flavor! Dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30 approved.
**(10/10/18) This recipe has been updated with new photos and Instant Pot directions!**
Happy Sunday Friends!! I am in a better mood these days with the sun finally starting to shine, and we finally enjoyed a few evenings this week eating out on our deck. I love to fire up my grill this time of year, but sometimes with our busy schedule, I revert back to my slow cooker.
It’s perfect as we get into the summer months because it can heat my food without heating the house! We spent an evening at the baseball fields the other day, and came home to a perfectly cooked dinner that was ready to be devoured.
I’ve combined a blend of super yummy spices. Before placing the chicken in the slow cooker, I seared it on my skillet to give it that crispy look (not necessary if you are using chicken breast). I do like this extra step because it seals the spices to the chicken. Just make sure you don’t cook the chicken!
You want it crispy on the outside, but still raw on the inside. This should only take a few minutes. Inside the slow cooker, the chicken is cooked with broth and lime juice. I also threw in some sliced red peppers.
You are probably wondering about the creamy sauce? Once the chicken has cooked for 4-6 hours, I added in 1/2 cup coconut cream (full fat coconut milk is also okay).
We follow a mostly dairy free diet, and I find that coconut milk makes a great substitute for heavy cream or half and half. If not following a dairy-free diet, you can use half and half or cream for this recipe. Serve over vegetable noodles (zoodles), rice, or even a pasta.
The whole family will enjoy this one!
Looking for more Whole30 recipes? Check out my 50 Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes!
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Slow Cooker Creamy Southwest Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch*
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup coconut cream or coconut milk full fat
- Fresh cilantro to garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker:
- Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat. Use a non-stick spray or olive oil to lightly grease the pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together all spices. Rub each chicken breast or thigh on both sides with rub. Place each piece of chicken on to the pan, and sear for 1-2 minutes per side (inside will be raw).
- Bring chicken to the slow cooker, top with chicken broth and lime juice. Place peppers on top of chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is very tender. Mix together arrowroot with water, and add to the chicken broth mixture, if your mixture is extra runny feel free to add in another tbsp of arrowroot. Also add in coconut cream or milk. Cook on low for another 15-20 minutes until mixture is thickened and creamy.
- Serve hot on top of vegetable noodles, rice, potatoes, or pasta.
For the Instant Pot:
- Select the saute function on your Instant Pot and let your pot get hot.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the spices. Rub the chicken with the spice mixture. Reserve any extra spices.
- Coat the bottom of your Instant Pot with oil, and add chicken. Cook chicken on each side for only a minute or 2, to seal in the spices. Select cancel.
- Place chicken broth, lime juice, any leftover spices, and peppers on top of the chicken. Secure the lid.
- Select manual, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Once cooking is complete, use a quick release using a towel to cover the vent to prevent a mess. Make sure to completely let out the steam.
- Open the lid, pour in coconut cream or milk. Mix together the water and arrowroot starch, and add to thicken the sauce. If you want an even thicker sauce, add in another tbsp of arrowroot.
- Salt to taste, add in any additional lime juice for more flavor.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice, cauliflower rice, vegetable noodles, or pasta.
Recipe Notes
*arrowroot starch is a thickening agent that can be found in most health food sections of your grocery store.
**Use only the full fat coconut cream or milk (can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store). If not following a dairy-free diet, half and half can be substituted.
****After making this a few more times, and listening to a few other reader comments, I adjusted the chicken broth down to 1 cup. You can also add in additional arrowroot to thicken.
Christie says
August 2, 2016 at 1:33 amOh my word that looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
Lisa says
August 14, 2016 at 10:58 pmWhen do you add in the peppers?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 15, 2016 at 1:17 amWhoops! Thanks for the catch! You add them at the beginning on top of the chicken.
April says
December 1, 2016 at 7:11 pmIn the recipe part, it still doesn’t say when to add the peppers. I’m guessing step three?
PS Looks delicious!!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
December 1, 2016 at 8:04 pmYes, April. On top of the chicken after you add in broth and lime juice. I just changed the recipe, thank you!!
Venessa says
August 29, 2016 at 4:12 pmI’m allergic to coconut. I want to also limit my dairy intake so what else can I use that’s a healthy option? Almond milk?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
August 29, 2016 at 6:09 pmHi Vanessa! You can omit the “creamy” part all together, it still tastes wonderful. If you want that creamy touch, I would do an unsweetened creamy nut milk. Almond is fine, cashew might be better.
Mandii says
September 10, 2016 at 12:33 amI tried this tonight. I couldn’t get it to thicken at the end 😩 I tried cornstarch because I couldn’t find the Arrowroot. I mixed the cornstarch with a little cold water and then added it to the slow cooker.
Wendi says
September 25, 2016 at 3:30 pmI had the same problem, maybe less chicken broth next time. Did you ever receive a response on how to fix this?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
September 25, 2016 at 3:53 pmYou can cut the chicken broth to 1 cup. The arrowroot should thicken with just 1 tbsp, I’ve made it several times without problems. You can also double the amount of arrowroot to 2 tbsp if you want it thicker!
Kristy says
September 27, 2016 at 12:55 pmI’m hoping to try this recipe, which looks delicious. My husband is being such a trooper as we are doing paleo.chicken together, but he really doesnt love coconut. Does this recipe have a strong coconut flavor? Thanks for posting!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
September 27, 2016 at 4:56 pmHi Kristy, the coconut flavor is almost non-existent. You can even cut some of the coconut milk to only 1/3 or 1/4 cup.
Lisa Cooks says
March 4, 2017 at 10:44 pmI made it and it was so good! Thank you!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
March 5, 2017 at 12:07 amGreat! Glad you enjoyed it Lisa!
Alora says
March 18, 2017 at 7:22 amIs the arrowroot starch 100% necessary?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
March 18, 2017 at 4:56 pmHi Alora,
Without it the recipe will be very soup-y. You can use any thickener to make it more of a sauce rather than so runny. Hope that helps.
katthy says
April 25, 2017 at 1:21 amHoley Moley!!! Ok, this is hands down the best crock pot chicken thigh recipe I’ve ever made. I served it over regular egg noodles. I could’ve eaten the whole pot. Even my 92 yr old mom loved it. And the 17 yr old dog gobbled it up too!
heather says
May 14, 2017 at 7:22 pmjust wanted to be sure… coconut milk in a can right? 1/2 cup or 1/2 can of coconut milk?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
May 14, 2017 at 8:23 pm1/2 cup of canned coconut milk
Beth says
May 19, 2017 at 2:37 pmI made this last night in the Instant Pot. My husband said it was the best chicken recipe.
Danielle says
June 5, 2017 at 9:59 amI made this yesterday and the flavors were delicious, but it didn’t turn out as well as I thought it would. My chicken fell apart in the crockpot. The skin separated from the thighs and didn’t hold the sear like I thought it would based on the pictures. It also started shredding. I cooked it for the full 6 hours. Did I cook it too long? The chicken was nicely seared when I put it in. I also had a hard time thickening in the sauce even though I tripled the starch. Any advice? It was still delicious so I’ll definitely be making it again just want to get it right next time. Thanks!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 5, 2017 at 1:06 pmThanks for writing Danielle! So a few things. I actually prefer this to be extra saucy because I will serve over cauliflower rice for me, and pasta for my kids. I also like the chicken to shred as I think it makes everything easier. If you want it to be less saucy, you can cut the chicken broth to as little as 1/3 cup (not in instant pot, you will need at least 3/4 cup). You can also cut the cooking time to 4 hours so that it remains in tact. Also, using chicken breasts will also be easier for the chicken to not shred. Hope that helps!
Liz says
June 16, 2017 at 8:22 pmI made this tonight and it was sooo good!! Even my picky husband said it was delicious!! I’m definitely putting it in a regular rotation!
Nicole says
June 24, 2017 at 4:48 amIm going to make this tonight, I am learning portion control so my question is recipe shows 4 serving so its one chicken thigh per person based on the pictire? Also could you double the recipe in the slow cooker?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 24, 2017 at 7:18 amHi Nicole, it depends on the size of your chicken, but it would generally mean 1 chicken thigh or breast per serving. The chicken may also be very tender and shred, so a serving would be approximately 1 cup.
phlix says
June 28, 2017 at 8:21 amHi am going to make this tonight did you use skinless thighs ?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
June 28, 2017 at 3:09 pmHi, yes, skinless thighs! Just made it myself for tonight’s dinner 🙂
Carmen says
July 27, 2017 at 10:19 pmThis was fantastic! My partner and I are doing intermittent fasting and I found this after searching for a healthy slow cooker chicken recipe. We could barely wait till dinner time to devour this over sautéed cauliflower rice with onions. Thanks for the recipe!
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
July 29, 2017 at 10:34 pmSo glad you loved it Carmen! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Lisa says
August 1, 2017 at 6:41 pmI was SO disappointed in this recipe. It looked really yummy and simple. It was WAY too spicy and I like spice.
Malinda says
August 12, 2017 at 4:49 pmHas anyone tried this with bone in skin on?
Courtney says
September 1, 2017 at 5:53 pmHow could I modify this to be frozen and crockpot dump ready? Is it doable?
amy@wholesomelicious.com says
September 2, 2017 at 8:33 amHi Courtney, I think it would definitely work, just omit the coconut milk! Add at the very end. I would then cook on low for 6 hours.
Ann says
August 26, 2017 at 9:40 amDo you have any nutritional info? How many carbs?
Lauren says
October 15, 2017 at 4:24 pmMade this for slow cooker Sunday, served it on top of southwest cauliflower “rice”, so tasty!
January Tiberius says
November 20, 2017 at 10:19 pmI was an executive chef in Austin, Texas and would be proud to call this my own!!! I didn’t change the recipe at all and think it has a great balance of flavors and just the right amount of heat from the cayenne and zing from the lime. I think the reason your folks are having trouble with the sauce is that it needs to come to a full boil in order to thicken. So, I’d suggest taking out a cup or more of the sauce and thicken it in a separate pan with the arrowroot and then add it back to the crockpot. I also think the red peppers could go in an hour before the chicken is done so they are more crisp-tender. Am curious to try this again using Smoked Paprika just to see if it “works.” I had no problem with my chicken breasts shredding, but cooked them for only 4 hours on low.
Amy says
November 20, 2017 at 10:22 pmThank you for your comments, January!! Great suggestion, I think I will add that to the notes 🙂
Dara says
December 28, 2017 at 11:10 pmWould it be possible to cook rice in the instant pot all at the same time??
Amy says
December 29, 2017 at 8:20 amHi Dara,
I can’t say for sure because I’ve never tried. But, I think it should work!
Liz says
January 6, 2018 at 11:17 pmi made this recipe and loved it. The next night I followed the same steps, but doubled the recipe. The chicken was overcooked and there seemed to be way too muck liquid. Do you have any suggestions on changes to make when doubling the recipe?
Amy says
January 7, 2018 at 8:42 amDid you use an IP or slow cooker? You can definitely cut down on the broth when you double the recipe (especially if using a slow cooker, but even cut down with the IP too). I am not sure why the chicken would be overcooked.
Mark C says
January 12, 2018 at 3:31 amHi!
What if I don’t have a crockpot or Instant pot… can I make it in the oven?
Thank you. 🙂
Amy says
January 12, 2018 at 8:44 amI would cook it on the stovetop instead, searing your chicken with spices. Then add liquid. I would also cut the amount of broth way down (maybe only 1/4-1/3 cup). Hope that helps!
Mark C says
January 12, 2018 at 3:18 pmI’ll give it a go tonight… thanks for the speedy reply. 🙂
Brenda says
January 26, 2018 at 11:08 pmmade this tonite (while my son made it “with” me via FaceTime 2 hours away!) We both loved the flavor of the dish but my chicken was tough. I cut it into slices and put it back into the sauce for a few minutes, but it wasn’t tender like I expected it to be. I’ve read a QR removes a lot of the moisture from the meat, and can make it tough. Any suggestions?
Jennifer says
January 27, 2018 at 4:06 pmCan this recipe be doubled?
Amy says
January 27, 2018 at 6:22 pmYes! You won’t need to double the liquid, just chicken and spices.
Emily says
February 20, 2018 at 4:25 pmHi there! Just stumbled upon this recipe and can’t wait to try it! I’m not sure if I am a big lime flavour person, is the lime taste over powering do you find!? Would it make a big difference if I didn’t use as much lime juice? Thank you! 🙂
Amy says
February 20, 2018 at 9:35 pmI would definitely cut back the lime if you don’t like lime. I do think this recipe needs an acid balance, so maybe make without and see how you like it first!
Emily W says
February 26, 2018 at 10:51 amHello! I am wondering if I could dice my chicken into smaller pieces rather than cooking the breasts as a whole (I was thinking on serving it as a stir fry over rice)? If so, would I just sear the diced chicken pieces as well for a minute or two, then put the pieces into the slow cooker raw? Thank you! 🙂
Amy says
February 27, 2018 at 6:36 pmYou can go ahead and do raw! Hope that helps 🙂
Catherine says
April 12, 2018 at 5:29 pmGreat recipe! Do you have any nutrition information for this per serving?
Thank you!!
Amy says
April 13, 2018 at 1:16 pmHi Catherine! I just updated the nutrition facts, you can see them under the notes section in the recipe box.
Terri says
April 22, 2018 at 1:51 pmI just bought an Instant Pot and was going to try this. Is that correct to only cook it 7 minutes on manual, high pressure?
Amy says
April 22, 2018 at 5:42 pmYes!
Eliza Butler says
May 8, 2018 at 6:41 amWe made this last night and it was delicious! Even my young children loved it!
Eliza Butler says
May 8, 2018 at 6:43 amWe made this yesterday and it will be in our meal rotation! My husband and 3 children all loved it!
Amy says
May 9, 2018 at 3:32 pmYay! Glad you loved it!
June says
October 6, 2018 at 10:14 amMy husband and I both loved this! Great flavor, a little kick, and it heats up well. I served it with arborio rice, which I thought was perfect. It was more watery and soupy than I wanted, but I loved it anyway. I will experiment with how to make it creamier.
Katherine says
March 10, 2019 at 7:59 pmI am on weight Watchers, any idea how many points this would be? I have made it and it is yummy, I don’t have to eat the sauce, I suppose. I prefer it with thighs, but plan tho make it with breast next time, for less fat. I do add onion as well, could probably add other veggies, too.
Amy says
March 10, 2019 at 9:48 pmI’m sorry, I don’t! Could you input the nutrition facts in a calculator by using the numbers below the recipe?
Marissa Eichman says
March 17, 2019 at 11:39 amWhat can I use besides arrowroot? My grocery store doesn’t have it
Amy says
March 17, 2019 at 1:30 pmTapioca starch for a GF, Paleo variation, or corn starch (non-paleo, GF).
Al says
July 25, 2019 at 3:58 pmLove this and have made it multiple times! Delicious!