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.
Nancy says
I’ve made this several times and it is a winner!! So easy to make and it makes a fairly large amount. Delicious! I did use only one can of the green chilis since I found two cans to be too spicy for my family.
Pat says
Just love this recipe. Is this gluten-free or how can I make this gluten free? Asking for a friend who loves it too but has a daughter who needs to be gluten free.
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoy it! Our household isn’t gluten free, so I don’t know enough about it to safely advise you. My advice would be to show her this recipe and let her make the decision and substitutions needed ๐
Kristen says
The only thing I see that isnt gluten free would be the tortilla chips!
I’m looking for gluten and soy free recipes that are actually good and my whole family will like since they dont have restrictive diets. I’m going to try this recipe next week.
Mary says
My whole family loves this chili. I did make a few changes. I only used 1 can of beans, added 3 bell peppers (chopped), used a little more chicken broth and added the whole cube of cream cheese. The fresh cilantro and lime juice really help bring out the flavor too.
Tessa says
Hands down the best white chicken chili! I add a can of hot jalapeรฑo and chipotle powder to add more of a kick!! Amazing recipe
Christina says
Hello! This is one of my favorite recipes and I planned on making it this evening on our snow day. However, I forgot to thaw the chicken. Can I use frozen?? Thank you so much!
The Chunky Chef says
I know other readers have, but due to liability reasons, I canโt recommend using frozen chicken in a slow cooker, since the USDA does not recommend it.
Kensey says
What is a serving size? I used this in my calorie app and it’s quite different that your calories you mentioned. Just want to be sure. I’ve made this so many times. So good!!!
The Chunky Chef says
Glad you enjoy it!! I don’t measure my serving sizes exactly, since this isn’t a diet website, but I would estimate about a cup and a half. However, I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used, so I would stick to whichever calorie app you usually use.
MS says
How would you modify the recipe to use pre-cooked, shredded chicken?
The Chunky Chef says
For cooked shredded chicken, I would honestly do the stovetop version, omitting the steps about cutting the chicken and adding the chicken to cook through in the chili. I would say youโd only need to simmer the chili for 15 minutes or so, until everything is warmed through ๐ Or you can use the crockpot version, and it will only need a couple of hours for the flavors to come together.
Frank Piasecki says
Made your white chili AMAZING wife and I loved it
Debbie says
So easy and delicious!
Julianne says
This is a great recipe !! We loved it ! Much better than beef chili!
Grace says
This is my go to Chili! I’ve made this multiple times and it’s a fan favorite every time!!
Bebe says
Great recipe! I made it even simpler by using a bag of precooked chicken. Made it less fattening by omitting cream cheese. Delicious!
Sandy says
Excellent! We roasted chicken first and then followed the recipe. Our family loved it and we also made it for a another family in need. Look forward to making it again!
Lois Demers says
Best white chicken chili recipe I’ve ever tried, I used thighs instead of breasts, they shredded beautifully. I didn’t have regular cream cheese, but I had garlic herb, wow the flavor! This is a keeper for sure!
Jamie says
Absolutely delicious!! I’ve made this about 5 times in the crockpot in the past year and am in love with it. I don’t add the cilantro in the beginning, but at the end of the cook time. Thank you for this recipe as everyone I make it for really likes it.
Kristi says
This was absolutely perfect!! I added twice the salt, but the only change I made. Will make this my go-to white chicken chili!!
Gaboia says
I made this tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Only thing I didnโt add were onions because my wife wonโt eat them. It was perfect for this cold rainy January day and I will be making it again.
Stephanie says
I couldn’t find low fat cream cheese. Would regular cream cheese work?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure will ๐
April says
For slow cooker, do we cook the chicken first or add raw chicken?
The Chunky Chef says
Add it raw, it cooks in the slow cooker ๐
Guido says
The first three times I made this it was great. The fourth time the whole thing tasted very sour. Any ideas on what I did wrong?
The Chunky Chef says
Did you change any of the ingredients the last time? Made sure the dairy was fresh?
Barb says
Love it when I find another favorite recipe and this soup is great. Flavorful and filling. An easy soup in the crockpot. I didnโt change a thing of the ingredients.