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Home / Fall Recipes

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

4.77
/5
8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
2,591 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 01/08/2020

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This contest-winning crockpot white chicken chili is made easy in the slow cooker, and has just the right amount of spice to warm up your night! #chickenchili #whitechickenchili #chili #chicken #easyrecipe #dinner #comfortfood #slowcooker #crockpot

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!

This crockpot white chicken chili is easy to make, and has just the right amount of spice to warm up your night!

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

  1. Add chicken to slow cooker
  2. Top with seasonings
  3. Add onion, garlic, beans, chiles, corn, cilantro and chicken broth
  4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
  5. Remove chicken to a plate and shred, then return to slow cooker
  6. Add cream cheese and half and half
  7. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes
  8. Serve and enjoy!

White chicken chili in slow cooker

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.

Bowl of white chicken chili with toppings

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.

Spoonful of creamy chicken chili

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!!

Skillet Jalapeno Cheddar Homemade Cornbread | In true homestyle fashion, this jalapeño cheddar cornbread is baked in a cast iron skillet with bacon drippings for extra flavor!  Soft inside, with a mouthwatering crunch on the outside, this cornbread is the one you've been looking for! | https://www.thechunkychef.com | #cornbread #homemade #jalapenocheddar #castiron #homestyle

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!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili | This creamy white chicken chili is made easy in the slow cooker, and has just the right amount of spice to warm up your night! | http://thechunkychef.com

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

4.77 from 1443 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Calories: 155
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
This creamy white chicken chili is made super easy in your crockpot! Creamy with plenty of spice, it's the perfect companion on a chilly night!

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

** to thicken chili even more, mix 1 Tbsp of cornstarch into 2-3 Tbsp of milk/half and half/chicken broth or water.  Stir until cornstarch dissolves, then stir that mixture into the chili.  Cook until thickened to your liking.

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut chicken breasts into 3 pieces each, then set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  Stir.
  4. Add in chicken, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth and cilantro.  Stir.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

  1. Add chicken breasts to pressure cooker (I personally use a 6 quart Instant Pot).
  2. Add in onion, garlic, chicken broth, beans, green chiles, cilantro, corn, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne powder.  Stir.
  3. Cube cream cheese and place on top of the chili.
  4. 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.**
  5. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate or bowl and shred with 2 forks.
  6. 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.

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This contest-winning crockpot white chicken chili is made easy in the slow cooker, and has just the right amount of spice to warm up your night! #chickenchili #whitechickenchili #chili #chicken #easyrecipe #dinner #comfortfood #slowcooker #crockpot

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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4.77 from 1443 votes (247 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Laurie says

    Posted on 7/16 at 11:46 pm

    We really enjoyed this chili! I did find it bland though when I was taste testing. I ended up pretty much doubling all the seasonings. So good!!

    Reply
    • Charlee Stevens says

      Posted on 8/30 at 5:28 am

      Instead of the seasonings, I use a packet or two of white chicken chili. One packet for mild and two for a bit more spice.

      I didn’t have any half and half on hand so I substituted a can of cream of chicken soup and extra cream cheese.

      Reply
  2. Starr says

    Posted on 7/2 at 7:48 pm

    I really wanted to like this but it tasted very bland, everything was measured out like the recipe.

    Reply
  3. Mark says

    Posted on 6/27 at 2:15 am

    Great Northern Beans be Pinto Beans can they be interchangeable in this croc pot meal

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/27 at 3:29 pm

      Yes, you can use pinto beans in place of the beans listed in the recipe.

      Reply
  4. Karen says

    Posted on 6/25 at 12:04 pm

    I have a 5 qt. Crockpot – will it be big enough for this recipe

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/25 at 8:26 pm

      It should be 🙂

      Reply
  5. Garrett says

    Posted on 6/22 at 7:55 pm

    Made this as the recipe called for except I used whole milk instead of half and half. Absolutely fantastic.

    Reply
  6. Carlee says

    Posted on 6/22 at 12:14 pm

    I don’t have green chiles, is there a substitute I can use?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/22 at 9:27 pm

      You could use canned jalapeno peppers, or diced fresh jalapeno or poblano peppers 🙂

      Reply
  7. Christopher Browning says

    Posted on 6/18 at 9:34 pm

    I don’t use cream cheese but I use heavy cream (1/2 cup). I put the shredded Mexican cheese in there towards the end and the juice of an entire lime. It is excellent.

    Reply
  8. Marcia says

    Posted on 6/13 at 5:47 pm

    Loved it. However I did make it in a Dutch oven. Delicious.

    Reply
  9. Janet Kippenbrock says

    Posted on 6/13 at 12:17 pm

    I need the carb counts on the recipes please

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/14 at 8:28 pm

      Since this isn’t a health-focused website, and I’m not a nutritionist or dietician, I don’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error, and I wouldn’t want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information. If full nutrition information is important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer, or that you seek a nutritionist/dietitian for exact nutritional information.

      Reply
  10. Cindi says

    Posted on 6/13 at 9:12 am

    I don’t have the half and half. What would be a good substitute and how much of it?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/14 at 8:28 pm

      You can use additional whole milk, or evaporated milk 🙂

      Reply
  11. Nicole Sprinkle says

    Posted on 6/10 at 12:25 pm

    This recipe is delicious! It’s one of my go to faves! I did alter it slightly! Instead of using the crockpot, I used rotisserie chicken. I added all the ingredients to a pot! I did substitute the great northern beans for Bushes Great Northern Chili Beans in a mild chili sauce. I also only used one can of green chilies and I used creamed corn instead of whole corn.

    Reply
  12. Christi says

    Posted on 5/19 at 5:13 pm

    This is a family staple and an absolute favorite in our house and SO easy to make!! Thank you for this!!!

    Reply
  13. Candise says

    Posted on 5/11 at 9:44 am

    This is now a staple in my house! Best chicken chili ever. I always amp it up a little bit by adding one finely diced jalapeño. I also swap out one can of northern beans for black beans and it’s super tasty that way!

    Reply
  14. Rebecca says

    Posted on 5/6 at 10:23 pm

    I have 6 children (many picky!) and they all love this meal. It’s such a huge win, j just add extra chicken breast when I make it- I keep everything else the same as we like more meat in it. So delicious!

    Reply
  15. Kathleen M ROWLANDS says

    Posted on 5/1 at 10:12 am

    Is this a slow cooker or crockpot recipe. You mentioned it both ways.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 5/1 at 3:07 pm

      A crockpot is just a name brand of a slow cooker, so the terms mean the same thing 🙂 I used both for search engine optimization to help people find the recipe.

      Reply
  16. Joyce says

    Posted on 4/24 at 8:47 pm

    Looks like a great recipe
    Can it be made without the beans?
    Should I add more chicken to replace the beans
    Planning on making this week

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/24 at 8:55 pm

      I’m sure it can be made without the beans, but I’ve never tested it to say how much extra chicken to add. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  17. Amy T says

    Posted on 4/23 at 12:44 pm

    Great recipe! I actually like it when people comment on their modifications to recipes because I almost always modify. (We are a gluten and dairy-free house.) I used thick refined coconut cream (no coconut flavor) in place of the dairy. This recipe was very good. I made a triple batch from dry beans in the instapot. There were no leftovers. My son had teenage friends over.

    Reply
  18. Dave says

    Posted on 4/22 at 2:51 pm

    Can this be put together the night before and stored in the refrigerator overnight? I should add that I am “cheating” and using rotisserie chicken.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/23 at 8:42 pm

      Yes, you can absolutely do that 🙂

      Reply
  19. Joanne Avery says

    Posted on 4/18 at 9:33 pm

    Used frozen chicken, didn’t have cream cheese or cream- used skim milk. Cooked and delicious in less than 4hrs on high in slow cooker! Great recipe!!
    Thanks!!

    Reply
  20. T says

    Posted on 4/16 at 5:05 pm

    Only because I hate when people give something 5 star rating but did their own modifications am I rating this 4 star. The only thing I modified was seasonings. I did not measure and just seasoned to my liking (which was more than the recipe called for). Otherwise to a T this turned out amazing. When I make meals from recipes I have a saved list for meals I would serve to others. This made the serve to others list. It’s so good.

    Reply
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