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 Turkey Chipotle Chili.
How to make White Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot
The first time I had crock pot white chicken chili was at a soup and chili party. A friend brought the white chicken chili, and it was the only pot to disappear 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!
Recipe Ingredients
- 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.
- Sweet Yellow Onion – diced
- Canned Diced Green Chiles – Small can of fire-roasted chiles or one diced poblano chile
- 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.
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.
Premaking, Storing, and Reheating White Chicken Chili
- Freezer meal – You can make this recipe into a freezer meal by placing raw ingredients into a freezer ziplock bag, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw (in fridge) and cook when you are ready. Keep the cilantro and sour cream seperate and add that after cooking when shedding the chicken.
- Storing – This recipe after cooking doesn’t freeze well for the cream will seperate after being thawed. Though, it will last 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Reheating – The best way to reheat this is on a pan on the stove top, don’t over cook or the sour cream may seperate. Or you can cook in the microwave, but again don’t overheat!
What do I serve with crock pot white chili?
This chili is lovely as is with no toppings but even better if you pair it with one or more of the following:
- Fritos – the smaller ones work best, not the scoops.
- Monterey Jack cheese – we love lots of shredded cheese!
- Cornbread – we love using Krusteaz Southern Cornbread Mix.
- A Squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro
- Additional sour cream
- Cubed avocado
- Tortilla Chips – crushed corn tortilla chips are a great topping.
Cooking Tips and FAQs for Chicken Chili
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.
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.
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).
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.
Yes, you can if you have it on hand. Cut into cubes and add to the recipe. However, the chicken or turkey won’t be as moist as when using fresh raw chicken.
Add two tablespoons of cornstarch to two tablespoons of water. Add to the cooked chili and cook for 10 minutes longer.
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Equipment Needed:
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)
- ⅛ 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:
Recipe Notes:
- Fritos
- Monterey jack cheese
- Cornbread
- A squeeze of lime juice
- Additional sour cream
- Cubed avocado
- 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.
- In place of the fire-roasted chiles use a diced jalapeno.
- Add a few shakes of hot sauce to your personal bowl.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Wow! Needed to make a chile in my crock pot as I was going to be gone most the day. So easy! Threw everything in my crockpot and set on low. Used cannellini beans and cream cheese instead of sour cream. Didn’t add the corn but added some chopped chipotle chiles…OMGOSH! Made this for our pickleball group. Everyone loved it!!! The little bit of leftovers I had, I ate the next day, over a cornbread muffin and topped with cheese and avocado…delicious!
Best white chicken chili recipe I’ve tried so far!