This easy Traeger Chicken Chili recipe is full of flavor and so warm and comforting on a cold evening! We smoke the chicken breast before adding it to the soup, giving the whole dish a unique flavor profile. This is a perfect make-ahead meal for easy, healthy lunches, too.

Traeger Chicken Chili

This easy Traeger Chicken Chili recipe is perfect for those cold evenings when you’re craving something warm and satisfying. The unique twist? Smoking the chicken breast before it joins the soup giving the final result an extraordinary flavor that sets this dish apart.

It combines smoked chicken, white beans, and a rich blend of herbs and seasonings in a light broth for one of my favorite soups of the season.

This chili is not just a fantastic dinner choice; it’s also great for preparing ahead for convenient, wholesome lunches. Easy to make and packed with flavor, it will become a favorite in your meal rotation.

Why you’ll love this dish…

Easy to throw together!
Warm, hearty, and delicious.
Makes a perfect make-ahead lunch for your workweek!

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Chicken Chili shopping list

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Chicken breasts
Cumin
Spanglish Asadero all-purpose rub
Chicken stock
White beans
Salt
Granulated garlic
Mexican oregano
Cilantro
Hot sauce
Jalapeño pepper
Lime
White onion

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How to make Chicken Chili on the Traeger

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Preheat

Fire up the smoker or pellet grill and preheat it to 225°F.

Season & Smoke

Season the chicken breasts and smoke until they reach 165°F.

Soup

Put the chicken broth, cumin, Asadero rub and garlic powder into the broth, along with the hot sauce, half of the Jalapeño, and half of the chopped cilantro and Mexican oregano.

Simmer.

Add chicken

Cube the chicken and add it to the soup. Add lime juice and the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy

Serve hot and garnish with cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and avocado.

Easy Smoked Queso

Traeger Chicken Chili FAQ

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Absolutely! This is a great meal prep recipe or dish that you can make and take to a friend who isn’t feeling well, or just had a baby, grandbaby, or big life event that keeps them out of the kitchen!

What’s the best way to store and reheat this recipe?

Store the leftover chili in any airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, max. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming and everything is heated through.

Variations and Substitutions

You can change this up easily by adjusting the seasoning rub you use on the chicken and in the soup. We LOVE the Spanglish line, and the all-purpose rub is our go-to. Another great option would be their verde rub.

You can also add more beans, use a different kind of bean, or omit them completely.

Try our Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos!

Serve this with…

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Yield: 6 servings

Smoked Chicken Chili

Name: Smoked Chicken Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large chicken breasts; 1 teaspoon cumin, divided; 1 tablespoon Spanglish Asadero all purpose rub, divided (or your favorite Mexican-style bbq rub); 4 cups chicken stock; 1 can white beans; 1 teaspoon salt, divided; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided; 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, divided; 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, divided; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; 1 fresh jalapeño pepper; 1 lime; 1 small white onion finely chopped

This delicious, hearty soup is perfect for a chili fall or winter evening. We love this and you can customize it and top it with all of your favorite fixings!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
1 teaspoon cumin, divided
1 tablespoon Spanglish Asadero all purpose rub, divided (or your favorite Mexican-style bbq rub)
4 cups chicken stock
1 can white beans
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, divided
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 fresh jalapeño pepper
1 lime
1 small white onion finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 225°F.
Mix 1/2 of your cumin, the Spanglish Asadero rub, salt, and garlic powder together. Rub onto your chicken breasts.
Place your chicken breasts on your grill for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove and set aside.
While your chicken is smoking, take out a medium-sized pot and pour in the chicken broth.
Add in the rest of the salt, cumin, Asadero rub and garlic powder to the broth, along with the hot sauce, half of the Jalapeño, and half of the chopped cilantro and Mexican oregano.
Stir all the ingredients together, boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer.
When your chicken is done and cooled down enough to handle, cut it into 1/2” cubes and add to the stock pot.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice from one of the halves into the pot.
Lastly, add the can of beans to the pot and then let simmer for ten more minutes.
Finely dice your white onion and the other half of the fresh jalapeño pepper.
Pour a bowl of soup and garnish with some onion, jalapeño, oregano, and chopped cilantro.

Traeger Chicken Chili