Ree Drummond’s Favorite High-Protein Dump Dinner

Dump-and-go meals are an easy way to prep and forget dinner until it’s ready to serve. Whether it’s braised beef or a hearty stew, dump dinner recipes require minimal active time and turn out especially comforting.

Ree Drummond has a favorite dump dinner that she loves to make in her slow cooker: Tex-Mex Chicken Soup. She recently shared how to make the recipe on Instagram.

“My favorite slow cooker recipes are ones where you literally throw in the ingredients, turn it on, and walk away,” The Pioneer Woman star says, noting that this soup is “incredibly easy.” And not only is it simple, but it’s packed with flavor and nutrition.

The base of this soup is chicken, and Drummond mentions that she adds three whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the slow cooker completely raw. Here’s why.

“Controversial opinion: Searing and browning ahead of time defeats the whole purpose of a slow cooker,” she writes in the caption. It is entirely safe to add raw meat to your slow cooker with other ingredients as the temperature will get high enough to kill any bacteria. However, we don’t recommend washing your chicken beforehand as it can spread bacteria instead of removing it.

Back to the soup, chicken and black beans as main ingredients in this soup means that it’s packed with protein. This will help keep you satiated for the rest of the evening (or until your next meal if you’re making ahead for lunch). And protein is great for muscle growth, bone health and for keeping your energy levels up.

We love that this recipe highlights veggies, including onions, tomatoes, red bell peppers and yellow bell peppers. The vegetables and beans in the soup provide a great source of fiber. Fiber can help you stay full for longer, and the nutrient also can help improve your gut health, heart health and lower your risk of certain cancers.

Seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, tomato paste and chipotle peppers, the cozy dinner cooks for 5 hours on high. Once cooked, Drummond takes out the chicken, shreds it up and mixes it back into the soup. To serve, she scoops the soup into bowls and tops each one off with fresh avocado, cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and cilantro.

“I’m telling you, you’re going to be obsessed with this soup—I sure am!” she exclaims at the end of the video. This colorful dinner is a nutrient-filled choice, and it’s bound to be a family favorite. While this slow-cooker soup will make your house smell delicious, if you’re running on minimal time, our highly-rated High-Protein Tex-Mex Soup is perfect for you. It offers the same healthy, tasty ingredients as Drummond’s, and you can make it in just 15 minutes.