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.
Renee G says
Do you think I can use cream corn instead of whole kernel corn ?
The Chunky Chef says
You can, it might be a tad sweet, but you could counteract that with the spices.
Maureen says
Can this be used with chicken thighs? If so, please advise on cook time in IP. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested using thighs with this in the Instant Pot, but I would venture to say the time would be the same.
Keri says
I accidentally added the half and half with the chicken broth at the beginning before cooking. Will this be a problem?
The Chunky Chef says
It *might* curdle a little bit, although this would be more of a problem with milk rather than half and half due to it’s higher fat content. All slow cookers cook slightly differently, so I just can’t say for certain.
Amanda says
This is a favorite and in regular rotation at our house, especially in fall/winter. But it’s 115 F here right now and I’m still making for dinner tonight!!
Cindy Moser says
I found this recipe to be very satisfying and would rate it excellent. I did change some things that I think makes it even better. I used a roasted chicken from Costco and chopped it up into bite size pieces. I also used my own chicken bone broth rather than store bought and cooked dried northern beans from scratch. I cooked the one onion in the beans and the 2 cloves of garlic as well in the beans. I also seasoned the beans with some salt pork. I only used one 4oz can of chilies and one 7 oz. can of niblet corn. All the spices were the same. Because all my ingredients were already cooked I used a stove top cooking methods rather than the 8 hr. crock pot recipe. I did leave out the half and half because after adding the cream cheese at the end it was rich and thick enough for me. Cream would have made it over the top rich, but that’s my taste. Served with a side of corn bread and dinner is served.
Dyanne Liga says
This is *The Best white chicken chili I’ve ever had, and I can’t remember the last time I made a recipe that didn’t need adjustment / help. SO easy and spot on!
Thank you!!!!!
DL
Melissa says
I should have read the comments before I made this. The taste was very delicious, exactly what I was wanting! But it did turn out more like soup than that thick chili consistency I was expecting. I did add corn starch but it didn’t seem to help. Other people said they used less broth so I will definitely be making it again with this adjustment.
Jennifer Monroe says
It was a little soupy but I added some shredded cheese and mixed it on until melted and it thickened it perfectly
Jaimie says
I want to use what I have on hand and only have 1 pound of chicken breast tenders. Should I add these at the beginning and cook the full 8 hours or cook for half the time? TIA
The Chunky Chef says
I would only cook about 3-4 hours.
MJ says
Delicious recipe! Followed it pretty much as is except that I only used about 8-10 oz of chicken broth since 24 oz just seemed an awful lot to me for chili. I figured I would just add more half and half at the end if more moisture was needed but I didn’t have to. It was the perfect chili consistency. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for posting.
Andrea Stroble says
I made this exact recipe for my boyfriend and it was AMAZING. I thickened with the smallest amount of corn starch but it probably didn’t even do anything…. wasn’t needed. Topped with cheddar cheese and sliced green onions for crunch and it was to die for. Highly recommend!
Edric says
Turned out quite nicely. The liquids do all the work by adding a punch to the chicken.
Hungry gal says
This was delicious. I modified slightly on the amount of chicken stock but this recipe was so good. Topped with sour cream and green onions.
Victoria says
Am I able to dump all the ingredients into the bowl of my slow cooker the night before and refrigerate it And then cook it the next morning or will it mess with the texture of stuff?
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t think it would effect the texture, but you may have to add some extra cook time, since your insert and the food will be cold to start with. I’d use a thermometer to make sure the chicken gets to 165°F internal temperature.
Mandy says
Love this recipe ! Question, I know it says this feeds 6, what is the portion size?
The Chunky Chef says
Glad to hear you love the recipe! I haven’t measured the serving size exactly, but between a cup – cup and a half.
Carol A Hein says
My husband LOVES this recipe! I didn’t use a crockpot just cooked the chicken, shredded then added all the other ingredients. Delicious!
Chris says
I have made this recipe numerous times and everyone loves it! I always save time by boiling my chicken and shredding it then adding it with all of the ingredients into the crockpot. I add elbow macaroni at the end to make it a little more filling and use Mexican blend shredded cheese.
Diana says
Can I use chipotle chili pepper powder & cayenne pepper powder mix ?
And could I just use chipotle chili powder if so how much?
I’m making this today .
Also I’m cooking it in oven before hand wondering if I could keep it warm in oven through afternoon til dinner time ?
The Chunky Chef says
It’s a very forgiving recipe, so I think you’d be okay with either of those two spices. If using just chipotle chili powder, use the same amount as the regular chili powder. Yes you can keep it warm 🙂
Sherry says
Forgot to drain and rinse beans.. will this affect this recipe much?
The Chunky Chef says
Might be a bit more starchy and liquidy, but shouldn’t ruin it 🙂
Jo Anne Roberts says
Can anybody tell me if this recipe can be canned?
Alice says
I enjoyed this recipe tasted great and fulfilling easy to follow and during this time at home i needed something different i didn’t put the jalapeno on all of it family don’t receive hot stuff well
Kim says
My friends call dibs on leftovers when I make this! Perfect!!!!!
Jodi says
Planning on cooking this tonight, but am wondering if you include the liquid from the cans of chiles, or if you drain them first? I am assuming “yes” since the recipe indicates that the beans and corn should be drained, but does not indicate so for the chiles. Thank you.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes I usually include the juices, but you can do whichever you prefer 🙂
Cat says
Hello! Can you please advise the setting and time if I’m using frozen chicken breasts? Also, about how many I would use for the recipe proportions?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi there 🙂 I’ve not tested this recipe using frozen chicken before, so I can’t say with any certainty. I’ve also always followed the USDA recommendations to not use frozen meat in a slow cooker, as it can potentially spent too much time at an unsafe temperature.
Spencer says
I make this regularly w frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot! Do everything the same, just up the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend cooking frozen chicken in a slow cooker.
Kelley says
Absolutely love this recipe! I made it before reading the comments and found out it is a bit thinner than a typical chili consistency. No biggie, mixes a couple spoons of corn starch and a bit of water to thicken and it was perfect! The only other change I made to the recipe was only using one can of chilies. Other than that was fabulous as written! Thank you for my new favorite meal!
Allyson Scheck says
We are planning on making this today but substituting the chicken for our leftover (already cooked) turkey breast. Should we adjust the cooking time for the crockpot?
The Chunky Chef says
I think you’d just need a few hours for the ingredients to mesh well and heat through 🙂
Rachel says
This was easy and delicious! I paired it with your jalapeno cheddar cornbread and it was a hit 🙂