Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili


94 Comments


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

Change up your chili game with this creamy and flavorful Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili recipe. Made from scratch with plenty of spiciness and decadence, this will be the best chicken chili you will ever make!

I make chili at least once a week and try to rotate my recipes. If I’m not making this chili recipe, I’m making Steakhouse Chili, Jalapeno Popper Chili, or Slow Cooker Turkey Chili.

overhead of slow cooker white chicken chili.
Save Recipe
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

How to make White Chicken Chili in the Crockpot

The first time I had crock pot white chicken chili was at a soup and chili party. A friend brought the chili, and it was the only pot that disappeared completely! I had to get my hands on that recipe, and now I can’t stop making it.

The creamy white chicken chili contains shredded chicken, white beans, corn, and more. When it comes to cooking, you’ll love the dump-and-go method. Whether you’re looking to win a chili cookoff or win your family’s approval, this will be a chili recipe to keep on hand. Another recipe with similar flavors is my Chicken Chile Relleno Soup!

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for slow cooker white chicken chili on a table.
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
  • White Beans – any type of white canned bean works well, I like cannellini beans for they are larger than most beans. If you can’t find these beans, find canned great northern beans.
  • Corn – small can of drained yellow corn or two cups of frozen corn.
  • Seasonings – cumin, chili powder, oregano and garlic powder (and salt and pepper)
  • Chicken Broth – can use four cups water and two chicken bouillon cubes if needed. If you prefer you can use chicken stock. If you have leftover crockpot chicken stock, use that!
  • Sweet Yellow Onion – diced
  • Canned Diced Green Chiles – Small can of fire-roasted chiles or one diced poblano chile pepper.
  • Sour Cream – add at the end of the cooking time to add creaminess to the chili
  • Cilantro – this is also added at the end of the cooking time. If you do not like cilantro you can leave this out.
  • {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the photo}

Variations

  • You can use a turkey breast if desired. In fact, it will make for a wonderfully flavored chili! You can even use cooked ground turkey. In addition to leftover turkey, you can also use rotisserie chicken.
  • In place of the fire-roasted chiles, use a diced jalapeno or a poblano pepper. Add a few shakes of hot sauce to your personal bowl.
  • Don’t love sour cream? Try one of these variations:
    • One block of cream cheese – add at the end, place in soup, and let melt for a few minutes. Stir into chili.
    • Cream of chicken soup – One can of cream of chicken soup, add at the beginning of the recipe.
    • Skip it! – Leave out the creamy part of this recipe if you want a healthier chili.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1 – Add the chicken breasts, drained canned beans, drained corn, seasonings, onion, green chilies, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Stir. Wait to add sour cream and cilantro.

Step 2 – Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Step 3 – Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Add back to the slow cooker. Add the sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Step 4 – Stir and serve the hearty chili with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

scooping out some slow cooker white chicken chili.

How to Serve Crock Pot White Chili

  • White chicken chili can be served with a host of toppings such as: shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, Colby Jack, lime wedges for a fresh squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro, additional sour cream, and cubed avocado.
  • It also pairs great with the smaller Fritos (not the scoops) or crushed-up tortilla chips.
  • Great sides are warmed flour tortillas, or cornbread with butter and honey (we love the Krusteaz brand).
  • To make the recipe stretch into more servings consider serving over white rice!
two bowls of slow cooker white chicken chili.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this in an instant pot?

Yes, instant pot white chicken chili is one of our favorites! To turn this slow cooker version into an instant pot recipe: seal the lid on the instant pot. Move the valve to the sealing position. Cook on manual pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Shred the chicken and add the sour cream and cilantro after the cooking time is complete. (Check your manual for safety instructions).

What is the best way to store leftovers?

This recipe, after cooking, doesn’t freeze well, for the cream will separate after being thawed. Though, it will last 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The best way to reheat this is on a pan on the stovetop, don’t overcook, or the sour cream may separate. Or you can cook in the microwave, but again don’t overheat!

Can I make this into a freezer meal?

You can make this recipe into a freezer meal by placing raw ingredients into a freezer Ziplock bag(not the sour cream, though) and freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw (in the fridge) and cook when you are ready. Keep the cilantro and sour cream separate and add that after cooking when shedding the chicken.

overhead of serving of slow cooker white chicken chili in a bowl.
scooping out some slow cooker white chicken chili.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

4.52 from 39 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Crockpot White Chicken Chili is not your standard chili with this recipe! Chicken in a creamy white sauce with white beans and corn and plenty of flavor!

Ingredients 
 

  • 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, (chicken thighs work great in this recipe too)
  • 30 oz. Cannellini Beans, (two 15-oz. cans) drained (can use great northern beans)
  • 8.75 oz. can whole kernel corn, (drained well) or two cups of frozen corn
  • 30 oz. chicken broth OR chicken stock, (two 15-oz. cans) or 4 cups water and 2 chicken boullion cubes
  • 4 oz. can fire roasted green chiles, or 1 diced poblano pepper
  • 1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 cup sour cream, (ADD AT THE END OF THE COOKING TIME)
  • cup minced cilantro, (ADD AT THE END OF THE COOKING TIME)

Instructions 

  • Add the chicken, beans, corn, chicken broth, green chiles, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. WAIT TO ADD THE SOUR CREAM AND CILANTRO. Stir.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
  • When the cooking time is done, shred the chicken with two forks.
  • Add the sour cream and cilantro. Stir.
  • Serve and enjoy!

How to Video

Sarah’s Notes

How can I thicken chicken chili?
Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the cooked chili and cook for 10 minutes longer.
What should I serve this with?
This chili is wonderful as is but also great paired with one or more of the following:
  • Fritos
  • Monterey jack cheese
  • Cornbread or warmed flour tortillas
  • A squeeze of lime juice
  • Additional sour cream
  • Cubed avocado
  • Chopped cilantro
What can I use instead of sour cream?
  • 1 block of cream cheese – add at the end, place in soup and let melt for a few minutes. Stir into chili.
  • Cream of chicken soup – 1 can, add at the beginning of the recipe.
  • Leave out the creamy part of this recipe if you want a healthier chili.
Can I use a rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey?
Yes, you can if you have it on hand. Cut into cubes and add to the recipe. Though the chicken or turkey won’t be as moist as when using fresh raw chicken.
How can I make this spicy?
  • In place of the fire-roasted chiles use a diced jalapeno.
  • Add a few shakes of hot sauce to your personal bowl.
Can I use an Instant Pot?
Yes, this is an easy recipe to convert to an instant pot. Seal the lid on the instant pot. Move the valve to the sealing position. Cook on manual pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Shred the chicken and add the sour cream and cilantro after the cooking time is complete. (Check your manual for safety instructions).
Can I make this into a freezer meal?
You can make this recipe into a freezer meal by placing raw ingredients into a freezer Ziplock bag and freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw (in the fridge) and cook when you are ready. Keep the cilantro and sour cream separate and add that after cooking when shedding the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1084mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Other recipes you may like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




94 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe.

  2. Suzanne says:

    5 stars
    Made this today and it is DELICIOUS! I used cream cheese, rather than the sour cream, only because I forgot to buy some. I probably would have added both. I did add a little heavy cream, in order to make it even creamier. I wish I would have bought some diced onions, because in my rush to get this in the crock pot before rushing out the door for work, I didn’t have enough time to dice my onion, so I just cut it in wedges so I’d still get the flavor. So now I have these large slices of onion in my chili. Something I will do when I make it again is to increase the amount of my seasonings.
    Right now I’m considering have a 3rd bowl.
    Thank you for the recipe!

  3. Sam says:

    2 stars
    Delicious but the calorie estimate is WAYYYYYYYYYYY off. I think itโ€™s unreasonable to assign a total serving size to a recipe and not have any measurements to what a serving is and then apply seemingly a random number to a โ€œservingโ€. Your serving of this is around 1,000 calories – nowhere near 287.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Not many websites measure their servings unless it’s a diet website. This chili has nothing very fattening in it besides the sour cream. So yes, I do believe the calorie count is correct.

    2. Chelsie says:

      The entire crockpot is only 2,000 calories (roughly). Her calorie count is far more accurate than what you provided, even if youโ€™re estimating portion sizes. Internet recipe builders that include calorie counters are free, as is kindness.

  4. Stephen says:

    What is the serving size to get the estimated Calories you have listed?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I do not measure, I apologize. These are just estimates.

  5. keith Booth says:

    5 stars
    Hi Sarah love your recipes thank you, may I ask the following,
    My wife and I don’t like horse radish, or chili, or anything spicy, I know you put the variation on the menus’ but can you put forward anything that would blend with the meals you put out, take care. Keith

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Yes! I do have a variety of new things coming out soon!

  6. Marty says:

    5 stars
    This is a keeper! Best white chili i ever had. Thank you very much.

  7. Lisa says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! We did tweak it..
    We used the recipe exactly and the added a block of cream cheese in the beginning as it took 4 hours to melt it was cold. Also added a can of cream of chicken soup with cream cheese. And had 5 chicken breasts. It was very delicious and wasnโ€™t too โ€œsoupyโ€
    Still added in sour cream and cilantro at the end!
    Highly recommend โค๏ธ

  8. Trying To eat says:

    So is the chicken supposed to be already cooked or no?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      No, raw boneless skinless chicken breasts.

  9. Mary says:

    4 stars
    I donโ€™t understand the negative comments. Iโ€™ve made this twice now and we really like the way it tastes. Both times Iโ€™ve served it with corn bread. Easy, and tasty!

  10. Hollie Walker says:

    4 stars
    I thought this recipe had a good base to work with. Like many of the other comments I decided to change a few things. I thought the chili was too runny. More soup like than chili so I made a simple rue of some butter and flour to thicken it up. I had a little bit of cream cheese left in the fridge that I also threw in as well as a bit of heavy cream to add more body. I basically just added whatever I had on hand to add some thickness. Flavor was good just needed to be thicker. I also substituted green chilies for a half can of diced jalapenos because my boyfriend and I LOVE spicy food.