There are so many varieties of chili out there, but this creamy white chicken chili will soon be your favorite! In fact, many readers have written in to say this chili won 1st place in their chili contests! Just dump everything in your slow cooker and let it do the hard work for you!
Recipes like my Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala and Crockpot Meatloaf are great for when you want a family pleasing meal with minimal effort. We love cooking in the crockpot, and this is one of my Slow Cooker Recipes you’ll definitely want in your recipe box!
WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE
We have officially entered chili season!! Until now, our hands-down favorite has always been my Turkey Chili.
While it still holds a special place at our dinner table, this creamy white chicken chili has taken the top spot. It’s so deliciously savory with just the right amount of spice! Plus, it’s almost effortless since it cooks in your slow cooker!
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
- Add chicken to slow cooker
- Top with seasonings
- Add onion, garlic, beans, chiles, corn, cilantro and chicken broth
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
- Remove chicken to a plate and shred, then return to slow cooker
- Add cream cheese and half and half
- Cover and cook on high 15 minutes
- Serve and enjoy!
COOKING TIPS FOR CHICKEN CHILI
This white chicken chili is really so easy that I don’t have many tips!
- Be mindful of heat levels – there are several heat levels for diced green chiles, so be sure you’re getting the one you really want. The hot versions can be pretty spicy!
- Go toppings crazy – like most chilis, you can top this recipe with so many delicious things! Tortilla strips, jalapenos, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, green onions, avocados, etc.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- Protein swap – try making this chili with leftover shredded turkey!
- Extra protein – try adding a can of black beans, just make sure you drain and rinse them, or they can turn your chili an odd color.
- Add heat – for a spicier chili, try using the hot variety of green chiles, and/or add some diced jalapeno to the slow cooker.
- Non-Dairy – you can enjoy this chili without adding the cream cheese and half and half.
A lot of creamy white chicken chili recipes don’t have corn in them, but I added some here because the subtle sweetness goes really well with the heat level from the green chiles.
MAKING CREAMY CHICKEN CHILI AHEAD OF TIME
This recipe is great to make ahead of time, and reheats very well!
FREEZING
This chili freezes beautifully, with some minor adjustments.
Complete the recipe through step 4, then cool completely and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
When reheating, add cream cheese and half and half and serve as desired.
STORAGE
Chicken chili can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
While this chili is perfect for those chilly Fall nights, where you can curl up on the couch with a big bowl and switch on the tv, it’s also really great for game day!
You can feed quite a few people with this chili (especially if you have a big slow cooker like this one, and you can double the recipe), and even pick up a carrying case so you could take this chili tailgating!
Try a big slice of this skillet cornbread alongside this chili… you’ll love it!!
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- PROGRAMMABLE SLOW COOKER – This is the one I have, and I really love it! It won’t break the budget, but works really well.
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
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Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz. chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 15oz cans great Northern beans drained and rinsed
- 2 4oz cans diced green chiles (I do one hot, one mild)
- 1 15oz can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- small handful fresh cilantro chopped
- 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup half and half
TOPPINGS:
- sliced jalapenos
- sliced avocados
- dollop of sour cream
- minced fresh cilantro
- tortilla strips
- shredded Monterey jack or Mexican cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, top with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Top with diced onion, minced garlic, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth and cilantro. Stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken to large mixing bowl, shred, then return to slow cooker.
- Add cream cheese and half and half, stir, then cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, or until chili is creamy and slightly thickened.
- If you want to ensure a smooth blend of the cream cheese, try adding the softened cream cheese to a small mixing bowl, then adding a few ladles of the chili from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth, then stir that mixture into the slow cooker and proceed with adding the half and half and cooking on high for 15 minutes.
- Stir well and serve with desired toppings.
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Chef Tips
STOVETOP DIRECTIONS
- Cut chicken breasts into 3 pieces each, then set aside.
- Add a Tbsp of butter and Tbsp of olive oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot. Heat over MED heat and add onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir.
- Add in chicken, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth and cilantro. Stir.
- Increase heat to MED HIGH and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the chili is thickened to your liking.
- Remove chicken to a bowl to shred, then add it back to the pot. Add in half and half and cream cheese, stir well and let simmer a few minutes. Stir, then serve as per the recipe.
INSTANT POT (PRESSURE COOKER) DIRECTIONS
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Add chicken breasts to pressure cooker (I personally use a 6 quart Instant Pot).
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Add in onion, garlic, chicken broth, beans, green chiles, cilantro, corn, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne powder. Stir.
- Cube cream cheese and place on top of the chili.
- Cover and seal with lid, switch the valve to the "sealing" position and cook for 20 min on manual high pressure. Once it is done cooking, let it naturally depressurize for 10 min then switch the valve to the "venting" position to completely release steam before opening lid.**
- Remove the chicken breasts to a plate or bowl and shred with 2 forks.
- Add half and half. Stir everything together in the pot to melt the cream cheese into the chili and warm the half and half, then return the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Serve garnished as desired.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Darcie Skop says
I’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times now. Always consistently good!
Laura Creen says
This is absolutely delicious! I did add the cornstarch to thicken. I was worried about the hot green chiles but I did one can mild and one hot as suggested…just enough heat! I am doing a low-carb diet and I figured it to be 8 net carbs per cup.
Robin D says
absolutely AMAZING recipe, best new recipe I’ve found in a long time – I’ve also tried it with double the chicken for a chunkier chili and put the cans of beans (white navy and cannelli substituted for northern) in without rinsing – liked it even better!
Danielle Smith says
Hello. This chili looks TO DIE FOR!! However, we are dairy free but want the creaminess that the half and half and cream cheese gives. Do you have any recommendations for what we could replace those with to keep it creamy?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi there 🙂 I do know that Silk, makes a dairy free version of half and half, and I know I’ve seen dairy free cream cheese, but as we’re not dairy free, I don’t have any experience with using those products.
Paula Holzer says
This was the best chili I’ve made and I make a lot of the traditional chili. My husband loved it and he’s not always easy to please with changes. Thank you for sharing your recipe. This is on the top of my list to make often.
Paula
Darla says
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Huge hit! The only adjustments I made was adding a couple more cloves of garlic (we looove garlic). I want to make it again using hominy instead of corn. Thanks for this recipe! It’s going in my favorites!
Becky Atkinson says
I made this tonight and my husband and I just loved it!
It was easy to put together. I did mix a little corn starch with some Half & Half and added to the mixture, which did give it the desired consistency I wanted. I put toppings of avocado, jalapeños, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and homemade baked tortilla strips. It was very filling! Will definitely be making this again
Danijela says
I’ve made this 4 or 5 times. The family loves it. Only complaint is when I followed the recipe exactly, it seemed a bit plain and didn’t have much flavor. I added a white chicken chili seasoning packet and a pepper for a kick to it and it’s definitely 10 times better!!!
Tyson says
Supposing I had some leftover shredded chicken already, do you think it would be best to add it in towards the end of the recipe instead of cooking it again?
The Chunky Chef says
If I had already cooked, shredded chicken, I’d likely just do the stovetop version, and add the chicken the last 5-10 minutes of simmering, so it heats through. If you wanted to still do the slow cooker version, I’d add the chicken when you add the half and half and cream cheese.
Joseph Guardi says
Really good used leftover chicken and did it on stove. Easy peasy
Dawn says
This chili has GREAT FLAVOR. We could not get past the overall consistency and texture of the shredded chicken though. My husband described it as “slop” when he looked in the crock pot (ouch!). However, that’s not to say we didn’t eat it. A few cups scooped into a 9″ x 9″ casserole, topped with cheese, baked for about 20-25 minutes, drizzled with picante sauce, and served with tortilla chips for scooping makes a VERY TASTY DIP for game day. It also made a great filling for ENCHILADAS. So yeah we’re eating it; just not as chili. If I were to make this again, I’d just do it on the stove-top with more substantial chunks of cubed chicken instead of shredded. : )
Lois says
Ok, so I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years but back in the day I loved white chicken chili. I made this today for my husband, a die hard carnivore, he LOVED it! I can’t ever taste test meals with meat. So it’s always risky🙄I added a can of drained fire roasted tomatoes and some Salsa Verde, otherwise followed your recipe exactly. It’s a hit! Thank you P.S. Crockpot version
Delaine Tobin says
We love this white chicken chili. Its very flavorful. I just love putting avacado an fritos on top yummy!!
Cali says
If I want to make this dairy free but still want the creamy texture, would you recommend using coconut cream instead of half and half and then omitting the cream cheese?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it personally, but I know a few readers have tried, and enjoyed it 🙂
Tabatha Rhodes says
Flavors were delicious but mine turned out very soupy.
Holly Elkins says
Turned out great, but the calories is much higher than noted above. I made it in my crockpot and yes, I followed the recipe to a T except I used a cup of corn instead of a full can and entered the beans as cooked and drained, not the entire can with liquid. Mine ended up being 313 calories instead of 155. But I do like it and will make it again. Hopefully I can find hot green chiles. Seems to be a shortage right now.
Hanna says
Do I add the beans and corn before starting the instant pot or put in afterwards(with half and half)?
The Chunky Chef says
You add them as listed in step 2 of the Instant Pot directions, which is before starting the Instant Pot 🙂
Susan Pietras says
This is a wonderful recipe — so creamy, I couldn’t stop eating it — Believe I ate it for three days straight 🙂 I followed recipe, but not having all the spices, simply bought an envelope of chili seasoning — worked great. Also, I did use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast we prefer the dark meat of the chicken and it was so tender. Thanks for the best white chili I ever had.
Maranda says
Quite possibly the best chili I’ve ever made! I used garlic powder and dried cilantro for cooking, but we garnished it with lots of fresh cilantro. I think I’ll spice it up a bit with some fresh jalapenos and a bit more cayenne next time, since we like things hot. My husband had 3 servings, and he was disappointed there wasn’t any left. I’ll double this the next time, or make a batch in the pressure cooker and the crockpot at the same time. Then I could freeze some of it for those days when I don’t feel like cooking.
Liv says
Omitted the green chili’s because I didn’t have any and used onion powder instead of onion and it was delicious!! I’ve made this in the crockpot 5-6 times now and it always turns out great! My family likes it with tortilla chips and cheese on top! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jeanne D says
Oh my gosh! This is so easy to make and is d e l i c i o u s! There is none left over when I make this. Next time I will double the recipe to we can enjoy it at least one more night.