Hearty and delicious, this slow cooker white chili chicken chili is a creamy bowl of comfort food goodness. Packed with veggies and full of flavor, it’s the best chili recipe I’ve ever had!
I love a good bowl of chili. Traditional chili with ground beef and kidney beans, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili, and Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili are all warm, hearty bowls of goodness.
Great honor and prestige have been awarded to people all across the country for having the best chili recipes – which are often different versions of ground beef and kidney bean chili.
But…
MY slow cooker white chicken chili doesn’t have those ingredients…and it doesn’t even remotely look close to a traditional bowl of chili.
Sometimes a break from tradition can be good because MY white chicken chili recipe is hands down THE BEST chili I’ve ever had IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, and it will beat the pants off traditional chili any day of the week!
I know that’s a lot of smack talk about chili, especially coming from someone who has never even been to a chili cook-off LET ALONE entered one.
But when you go to bed and wake up dreaming of the white chili chicken chili you made for dinner the other night, you know you’ve got something worth sharing.
SLOW COOKER WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE
This white chicken chili with vegetables evolved over time. The first version was from Bread and Wine and was a simple and tasty white chicken chili recipe calling for 4 ingredients: white beans, chicken stock, diced chicken, and salsa.
I added onions and garlic cloves before modifying it to be a crockpot chicken white chili recipe with the addition of corn and green chilies! YUM! That version was SO good, and I didn’t think I could top it. But Mr. Crumbs suggested adding more vegetables.
When your husband – the former picky eater who lived on Hot Pockets, Coke, and Doritos in college – suggests adding more vegetables, you listen…
And what resulted will forever be labeled, in my book, as the best chili on the planet!
My favorite part about this white chicken chili recipe is the array of vegetables – corn, zucchini, celery, and carrots, which add flavor, texture, and yummy nutrition! Some other stand-outs about this crockpot chicken white chili are:
- It’s hearty enough to be considered a comfort food, yet it’s oh-so-healthy!
- So convenient. Just toss all of the ingredients together and GO. The crockpot (I like this one) does the cooking for you.
- Packed with protein. You’ve got chicken, beans, and cream cheese all adding plenty of protein to this yummy chili.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser! Your family and friends will be amazed at the delicious difference that the vegetables make, combined with the beans, chicken, a squeeze of lime, and perhaps even a sprinkle of Monterey Jack cheese. YUM!
WHITE CHILI CHICKEN CHILI INGREDIENTS
- Chicken. I used the leftover chicken from my Whole Oven-Roasted Chicken. Both chicken thigh meat and boneless skinless breast are perfect for this white chili with chicken recipe! You can also cook raw chicken breasts or skinless boneless thighs in the chili from the beginning, then shred it. You could even use leftover turkey for this recipe too!!
- Onions and garlic. My first addition to pump up the flavor.
- Cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper (spices optional). Cumin and oregano give this a deep, smoky flavor, and the crushed red pepper adds an extra kick, but you can omit it if your family doesn’t like spicy things.
- Carrots, celery, zucchini, and corn. This chili white chicken is packed full of nutritious veggies! You can also use a bag of frozen mixed veggies in a pinch, although your assortment might be slightly different.
- Beans. All good chilis must have beans in my book, and this recipe uses great northern beans. Navy beans, cannellini beans, white kidney beans, and pinto beans work too.
- Salsa verde (green salsa) and diced green chiles. If you can’t find salsa verde locally, you can make your own.
- Cream cheese. It makes the sauce SO creamy and it’s what puts this white chili chicken chili over the top in my book!
- Toppings. Crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, avocado, fresh lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro. These ingredients are optional unless you too are addicted to tortilla chips and in that case, toppings are a must.
And if you’re using tortilla chips to bribe your kids to eat beans too, your secret is safe with me.
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WHY DOES THIS WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE HAVE CREAM CHEESE?
I’m sure I’m breaking some sort of chili cook-off rule by adding cream cheese to this white chili with chicken and beans, but it’s a game changer and what puts it over the top in my book. It makes the thick sauce SO creamy!
And before you think chili shouldn’t be creamy, make this recipe. It’ll change your mind forever.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKENCHILI
Once you’ve cooked your beans, this easy white chill with chicken and beans comes together quickly. You can always prep the beans a day ahead as well to save time! Or use canned beans if that’s what you prefer.
Step 1. Mash half of the cooked beans inside a slow cooker. You can simply use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Or if you prefer a creamy chili, use an immersion blender.
Step 2. Add onions, garlic, chicken broth, and salsa verde, and stir.
Step 3. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken.
Step 4. Cover and cook chili on low for 4-6 hours (or cook on high for 2-4 hours).
Step 5. Add shredded chicken about 1 hour before serving. Add a dash of salt and black pepper if needed.
Serve white chickenchili with all of the optional toppings like sour cream, shredded pepper jack cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla chips as desired. YUM!
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze up to 2-3 months.
SERVE WITH CHILI WHITE CHICKEN
What goes with chili white chicken? Along with a sprinkle of cilantro and a dollop of Lime Crema, these are some of my favorite sides:
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
- Garlic Cheese Bread
- White Rice
- Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits
WHITE.CHICKEN CHILI FAQS
What bean can I use for white.chicken chili?
You could use any white bean, but I already buy northern beans for my Northern Beans and Ham Soup and I like the mild, smooth flavor. Navy beans, cannellini beans, and pinto beans are good options also. Harvard Medical School says that consuming beans is a cheap and nutritious way to stay healthy!
How do you thicken white chicken chili?
Rather than adding starch to thicken, this chili is thickened with the smashed beans! Half are whole beans, and the other half are pureed to provide a thicker sauce, so it stands up against tortilla chips for scooping.
You don’t have to puree/squish half the beans if you don’t want to, but you’ll end up with more of a soup instead. Squish the beans. You won’t regret it.
What is the difference between regular salsa and salsa verde?
Salsa verde is green rather than red, and uses tomatillos, garlic, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. It’s delicious and tangy (often fire-roasted) and it gives this chili its oomph! If you can’t find salsa verde locally, you can make your own.
Can chicken chili recipes be frozen?
Yes. But since this slow cooker white chicken chili has cream cheese in it, you can only freeze it for 2-3 months. Any longer and the texture may not be the same since there is a dairy ingredient. But the taste will still be amazing!
Be sure to store in an airtight container before adding to the freezer. I like to put our soup and chili in these containers so we can mix and match leftover soup night!
MORE SIMPLE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RECIPES
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- All-Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Tinga
- Chicken Shawarma
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Hearty and delicious, this slow cooker white chili chicken chili is a creamy bowl of comfort food goodness. Packed with veggies and full of flavor, it’s the best chili recipe I’ve ever had!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked great northern beans, divided
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1–2 cups chicken stock (how to make homemade chicken stock)
- 1 cup salsa verde
- ½ tsp oregano
- (1) 4oz can diced green chilis
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1–2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 celery rib, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used leftover chicken, but you can use raw at the beginning)
- Optional toppings for serving: tortilla chips, sour cream, cheddar cheese, avocado, cilantro, lime
Instructions
- Measure 1 ½ cups cooked beans into the slow cooker and mash until they mostly resemble a puree. You can use a blender or a food processor to do this if you’d like.
- Add onions, garlic, 1 cup of chicken stock, and salsa verde and stir well.
- Add all the remaining ingredients except chicken.
Note: Add the crushed red pepper at this time if you’re using it. I’d suggest omitting if your family is sensitive to spicy foods, as the chilies and salsa provide enough kick on their own. - Cook chili on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally and adding chicken about 1 hour before serving to warm through.
- If the chili is too thick for your liking, add up to 1 cup of chicken stock. Note that the chili will thicken as it cools and will be noticeably thicker the next day.
- Serve with optional tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro as desired.
Notes
- Try my homemade tortilla chips recipe.
- You could use any white bean for this recipe. I used northern beans.
- Freeze white chicken chili for 2-3 months.
- If you’d like to make it thicker, puree or squish some of the beans, which will provide a thicker sauce so it will stand up against tortilla chips for scooping.
Nutrition
- Calories: 446
I love this recipe with the added veggies!
One way to get a longer freezer time may be to double the batch and omit the cream cheese until served… so half can go into freezer w/o dairy
Otherwise… YUM 🤤
I started with the recipe as written and decided to do two things different. We follow a primal and paleo way of eating. We do eat dairy, and we don’t eat beans. And I made an exception to my no grains policy and did include corn.
I adapted it to the instant pot. My four qt slow cooker died and my big oval one is not suited to soups. Every November starting on Daylight Saving End (aka dark cold evenings instantly) Saturday becomes Saturday Soup Day. That tonight! So armed with my instant pot I got to work.
Instead of canned beans I opted to use a bag of frozen cauliflower florets. I cooked them in a cup the chicken broth (avoiding dreaded Burn Notice) and then used my immersion blender to turn it into a pale golden slurry, adding the remainder of the vegetables and seasoning as well as the salsa, but not the cream cheese. I was not sure what would happen to it, to be honest. After using the 10 min Soup / Stew setting, I opened up the pot after releasing the pressure, turned it to warm. I have an Ultra. Other models may need use of sauté set to low. Since it was still very hot it accepted the added cream cheese, which I stirred in. We use gum free cream cheese and it melts really fast. After that was incorporated I plopped in my baby corn and chicken chunks I’d thawed earlier. All told it took about 10 for the cauliflower/broth mix and another 10 for the rest. It’ll probably go faster next time since I was sorta flying blind. I did use the cauliflower time to cut up everything else.
I LOVE this recipe, but i have recently become crockpot-less! How would you do this on stovetop?
Hi Kelsie!
Unfortunately, I haven’t done this recipe on the stove top. However, if you Google ‘white chicken chili,’ I’m sure you can find a similar recipe with a stove top method, but still use these ingredients. Cooking classy might be an option. Hope this helps. Good luck!
This soup was phenomenal! Best flavour I have ever tasted. This will definitely be in our rotation. My husband’s new favourite soup too. I didn’t blend all the beans, but still exceptional. So glad I found this blog. Lots of new recipes.
I am glad to hear that, Melissa! Here is a link to some of our other yummy soups and chilis, https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/16-slow-cooker-soups-and-chilis-for-fall/
Made this with a few tweaks for my texture sensitive family. Subbed a parsnip for zucchini, and cooked all except corn and half beans for a few hours, then pureed all the veggies. An hour before serving, I put in the corn and chicken. It was a hit. My 3 yo, after coaxing to taste, declared it the best soup ever.
I I’ll make this again.
Made this and it is yummy. I put the cream cheese in the crock pot in chunks. I figured it would melt but it is still chunky after cooking. Thoughts on this?
Cream cheese usually melts after a good stir, or with higher heat. If it’s chunky after cooking, I’d bump the heat up to high and stir.
Thanks! Yes high heat and stirring worked. Next time, I would also let the cream cheese come to roommate temperature before putting in. Made this for a ladies party last night. Everyone loved it and a couple of ladies asked for the recipe. I froze some to enjoy later. Thanks again!
have you frozen this?
Yes!
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was AMAZING!!! This will be in our dinner rotation for sure! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re so welcome Crystal!
So glad you liked it Abby!
I made this for dinner yesterday. As I was prepping everything, my husband said “why are you ruining the chili by putting vegetables in it?” However, when it came time to eat it, the chili was a BIG hit! The exact review was “wow, this is wicked awesome!” That’s what I get for marrying someone from Massachusetts 😉
Sounds like it was a winner Nicole! Thanks for sharing this with us!