There are so many varieties of chili out there, but this creamy white chicken chili will soon be your favorite!ย In fact, many readers have written in to say this chili won 1st place in their chili contests!ย Just dump everything in your slow cooker and let it do the hard work for you!
Recipes like my Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masalaย andย Crockpot Meatloafย are great for when you want a family pleasing meal with minimal effort. We love cooking in the crockpot,ย and this is one of myย Slow Cooker Recipesย youโll definitely want in your recipe box!
WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE
We have officially entered chili season!! ย 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. ย It’s so deliciously savory with just the right amount of spice! ย 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 levelsย โ there are several heat levels for diced green chiles, so be sure youโre getting the one you really want.ย The hot versions can be pretty spicy!
- Go toppings crazy – like most chilis, you can top this recipe with so many delicious things!ย 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.ย 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 upย a carrying caseย 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! ย It won’t break the budget, but works really well.
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERSโ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DONโT FORGET, IF YOUโVE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
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.ย Heat over MED heat and add onions.ย Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.ย Stir.
- Add in chicken, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth and cilantro. ย Stir.
- Increase heat to MED HIGH and bring to a boil.ย Reduce heat to simmer.ย 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
-
Add chicken breasts to pressure cooker (I personally use a 6 quart Instant Pot).
-
Add in onion, garlic, chicken broth, beans, green chiles, cilantro, corn, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne powder.ย 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.ย 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.
Angela Parris says
What would be the adjustments for using a precooked rotisserie chicken?
Amanda says
No adjustments other than the cook time. If I were using pre-cooked chicken, I wouldn’t bother with the slow cooker and just use the stovetop directions listed in the “chef tips” section right below the recipe, omitting step 1 ๐
Caroline says
Hello! I am making this tonight but only have a few chicken thighs and tenders to use. Do you think that will be alright?
Amanda says
It should be okay, although it may not take as long to cook.
Dana says
Sooo easy and sooo good! This was the first recipe I tried from chunky chef and its kept me coming back and haven’t regretted it since. After trying four recipes so far in a short time… I am a huge fan! I am confident that whatever I choose wont leave my taste buds wishing for more flavor.
Kathleen says
Wonderful recipe!
Jacqueline Laurell says
This has become a staple in our house, my boyfriend requests it all the time! I sub in almond milk for half and half, and it turns out great. Sometimes I use Rotel instead of green chiles when I am in a pinch. If you are on weight watchers, it is also pretty low for points!
Deanna says
How many weight watchers points is this worth if made exactly as directed? This is one of my favorite recipes that I keep coming back to. I just started ww and tried to create the recipe to track points and am having technical difficulties!
Amanda says
I’m not on weight watchers, don’t have access to their recipe creator/point tracker, and I know things have changed since I used WW years ago. Sorry I can’t be of any help… I would try reaching out to WW about technical issues with creating a recipe, as I’m sure that’s on their website, and therefore they would have much more knowledge about what’s going on and how to fix it ๐
Elizabeth says
Have made this twice now, cut down a little on the broth since I wanted it โthickerโ but it is so good. Itโs in the regular rotation, especially love loading the toppings.
Gina Wright says
Very good! My husband said itโs one of his favorite things Iโve made. *I didnโt add half and half
Bonita says
Making this tonight!!!! Can’t wait!!!
Alana says
I just made this for the first time, and it turned out great! I doubled the recipe and also added four zucchini’s to have more vegetables. My husband and I thought it was a great add. We did cheese on top, and probably much more cilantro than was called for in the soup itself. I followed the seasonings as the recipe called for. Was a great dinner and I look forward to leftovers!
Carrie says
Turned out great cooking on high for 3:15 and then another 12 after shredding the chicken! Definitely don’t skip the cilantro.
Ms. Thompson says
This came out amazing. I used precooked chicken (the roasted pulled chicken from Costco) and this was so quick and easy. Everyone loved and said it’s a keeper. This is awesome, esp since my 15yo rarely likes anything.
I served with some regular cornbread, hubs requested jalapeรฑo cheese cornbread for next time. Cannot wait.
Molly G says
I. Love. This. Chili. So. Much.
I found this 2 years ago while looking for a pre-made camping meal option…something to just reheat over the fire and eat. It was so delicious that we have made it a dozen times since! Sometimes I use less broth and skip the corn/beans to just make pulled chicken for soft tacos or enchiladas or just a straight up bowl of chicken and cheese. Thank you for the perfect blend of flavors!
Ms. Thompson says
Hi Amanda,
First of all – so glad I found your site! So excited to start trying your recipes.
Next, for the white chicken chilly, what adjustment would you suggest I make if I’m using precooked shredded chicken – I don’t want to risk making it overcooked and rubbery.
Thank you! <3
Amanda says
Hello there, and welcome! If I were making it with pre-cooked chicken, I wouldn’t use the crockpot, as there’s just no need for it to cook that long when you’re not cooking the chicken. I would follow the stovetop directions (in the “chef tips” section right below the recipe) and omit the first step. You won’t need to simmer it as long, maybe 20-25 minutes?
Ms. Thompson says
Perfect. Thank you so much! On the menu for this week and I’ll report back!
Paulette Risher says
This is absolutely terrific! Thank you!
Sandy says
Superb!
Julia says
This is a yummy recipe. Easy to make.
Ellen says
Iโm so happy I found this recipe! I have been looking for a go to white chicken chili recipe for years and this is it. I make it anytime Iโm delivering food to someone who needs it and for gatherings or just for my husband and I. Thank you so much!
Mary Richter says
I only have dried Great Northern Beans. Can I make this using those?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written, with canned beans. Several other readers have tried to used dried beans that they soaked, and it didn’t turn out well, so I’m sure it would need some changes to the recipe.
broadus jenkins says
Hello Amanda, I just happened to stumble across your website and this recipe and I started to salivate just looking at the picture, ๐๐. I also took a peak at some of your other recipes and I must say Iโm gonna have to get a hold of myself because all of your recipes that Iโve looked at look sooo good and I may end up getting in trouble ๐๐๐๐. Anyways I will be making this crockpot chicken chili tomorrow night. What do you think about me substituting the Great northern Beans with Garbanzo Beans ?? Will it alter the flavor ??
Amanda says
Hi there, and welcome! I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain how it would effect the flavor. My guess is not much, but maybe just the texture, as garbanzo beans have a different texture than the great northern beans. I’d love to know how it turns out!
Wendy says
loved this recipe will make it again