White Chicken Chili – Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

White Chicken Chili is a comfort food staple.

It cooks in the slow cooker all day, filling your house with the best aromas. Plus, that means practically no cooking for you.

Tender shredded chicken with white beans, corn, and diced green chiles simmered in a creamy broth. Topped with shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Served with tortilla chips, or a side of warm Gluten-Free Cornbread.

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What Is White Chicken Chili?

White Chicken Chili has similar flavors to traditional beef chili. However, it’s made with chicken broth, cream cheese, and heavy cream instead of tomato sauce. This makes the broth of the chili white instead of red.

This chili is less heavy than traditional beef chili without comprising any flavor. It’s really a thing of its ownI in my household, we tend to alternate between this recipe and my Turkey Chili.

What Makes White Chicken Chili So Good?

• Boneless chicken breasts. Bonus: This recipe only needs 1 lb. of chicken, which makes this a super affordable meal and great for making meat stretch further. While you may be tempted to add more chicken; don’t. Once shredded, the amount of chicken is more than enough. Adding more chicken than 1 lb. will absorb all of the broth and become more like shredded chicken than chili. Been there, done that.
• Onion.
• Chicken broth.
• Great Northern beans.
• Cannellini beans.
• Diced green chiles.
• Corn.
• Fresh cilantro.
• Cream cheese.
• Half & half.
• Spices like cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper.
• Toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips.

How to Make:

• Trim chicken of excess fat, then add to the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the seasonings (cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, seasoned salt, and salt and pepper.)

• Add in diced onion, cans of beans, corn, green chiles, chicken broth, and a handful of fresh chopped cilantro. Stir.

• Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
• Once ready, shred the chicken. Tip: You can remove the chicken from the crockpot to a plate to do this, or shred it right in the cooker.
• Set the slow cooker to HIGH and add in the cream cheese and half and half. Stir, then cover and cook for 15 minutes until the cream cheese has completely melted. The chili should be slightly thickened and look creamy. Tip: You can stir the chili, flattening any remaining lumps of cream cheese against the side of the slow cooker, to ensure a smooth texture.
• Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro. Pair with tortilla chips, cornbread, etc.

Notes:

• Important: Do not add more than 1 lb. of chicken. It may look like too little to you, but it spreads exponentially once shredded. It’s the perfect ratio of chicken unless the rest of the ingredients are equally doubled. If you add too much chicken, you will throw the ratio off the soup and it will become more like shredded chicken than chili. Been there, done that.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and eat within 3 days.
• This chili also makes for a great meal prep lunch! You can either heat it at work, or take it hot in a thermos. My husband is a carpenter’s apprentice – he often works in cold, drafty places with no electricity. A hot thermos has become life over here in the Winter.
• I used organic canned corn and organic corn tortilla chips.
• I served this with a basket full of my Gluten Free Cornbread.