This Crockpot White Chicken Chili offers comfort and satisfaction, courtesy of its creamy texture and healthy ingredients. The slow cooker keeps it breezy and handsfree!
Easy, no-fuss crockpot chicken recipes like this white chicken chili leave you with more time in your day and allow you to eat a delicious, healthy meal in the process.
White chili is also a refreshing change of pace from tomato-based chilis, like the Blue Ribbon Chili in my cookbook and this top-rated Healthy Turkey Chili.
5 Star Review
“Delicious… this chili was easy to make and full of flavor! Healthy too!”
— Maddy —
This a beautiful dump-and-go crockpot chili recipe (like this Crock Pot Chicken and Rice).
Simply add the ingredients to your crockpot, set a timer, and come back after a long workday to an ultra-cozy bowl of delicious crockpot white chicken chili.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
This is the BEST white chicken chili recipe for the crockpot.
Whether served for a quiet weeknight family dinner or for a crowd at your next game day party, it’s easy, healthy, and delicious!
The Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts. Lean, juicy, and tender, family-friendly chicken is the traditional choice for white chili recipes.
- White Beans. Add additional protein and texture to this dish. Great Northern, cannellini, or white kidney beans all work well.
- Chicken Stock. To better control the seasoning, I always opt for reduced-sodium chicken stock for soup and chili recipes (like this Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup).
Tip!
For hearty chili that isn’t soupy, I recommend waiting to add most of the chicken stock until the end.
Start with 2 cups and add more later to reach your desired thickness.
- Garlic + Onion. For zip, zing, and a little bite. When time allows, I like to saute the onion to mellow it out before adding it to the crock pot, but you can dump-and-go if that’s your speed.
- Green Chiles. Keep this white chicken chili family-friendly—providing the flavor of chili peppers without adding a ton of heat. It’s also the key ingredient in Chile Verde Pork.
- Cumin + Oregano. A classic spice duo for chili (as seen in this Whole30 Chili) that amps up the yum factor.
- Cayenne. For a little extra kick (add more to taste).
- Cilantro. For color and liveliness. If you’re one of those cilantro haters, feel free to omit.
- Lime. For a blast of citrus and acidity to balance the rich texture of the chili and wake everything up.
The Directions
- Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except for cilantro and lime).
- Cover and cook the white chicken chili on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside.
- Puree a portion of the chili to thicken it, leaving some of the beans whole. Return the chicken to the crockpot and stir in the cilantro.
- Serve in bowls with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and any other desired toppings. ENJOY!
White Chicken Chili Toppings
The flavor of this chili is mild, so be sure to gussy it up with plenty of toppings. The reigning favorites in our house are:
- Sliced Avocado
- Plain Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
- Shredded Cheese
- Diced Jalapeno
- Crushed Tortilla Chips
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- To Freeze. Place chili in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat. Warm the chili in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming.
Leftover Ideas
Change up how you enjoy white chicken chili leftovers. Try serving reheated chili over crispy Baked French Fries, over tortilla chips and cheese for white chili nachos, or over an Air Fryer Baked Potato or Crock Pot Baked Potato.
More Chili Recipes
- Instant Pot Paleo Chili – This Instant Pot chili recipe is the fastest way to make a Paleo-friendly, rich, hearty, and healthy chili with ground beef and sweet potatoes.
- Green Chili Recipe – If you want a already spicy chili then try this one.
- Vegetarian Chili Recipe – This thick, hearty vegetarian chili is award winning quality! Packed with sweet potato, beans, and veggies, it’s healthy and extra filling.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Crockpot. Needed if you want to prepare this recipe as a slow cooker white chicken chili.
- Stockpot. A stockpot is ideal for making a white chicken chili (stovetop).
- Immersion Blender. Not just for chili, but also for pureed soups like this Curried Carrot Soup.
A Great Immersion Blender
This immersion blender has 12 speeds and an 800-watt motor with a turbo boost. Plus with snap-on attachments, it saves time and money in the kitchen!
Dinner is done. That’s one more thing off the ol’ checklist!
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to drain and rinse my canned beans when making chili to remove some of the extra sodium content. If sodium is not a concern, you may skip this step. If you do skip, you may want to reduce the amount of chicken stock used to prevent the chili from becoming too thin, however.
I have not personally made this recipe in the Instant Pot, however many readers have reported success doing so in the comments. Try adapting using my Instant Pot Chili recipe as a loose guide or experiment on your own. If you attempt this recipe using your Instant Pot, I’d love to hear your results.
Yes! If you prefer chicken thighs over breasts, you may swap an equal amount for the chicken breasts. Note that chicken thighs may need slightly longer to fully cook so keep an eye on them and adjust the recipe accordingly.
The difference between white chili and regular chili is mainly the presence of tomatoes. White chili does not contain tomatoes, and regular chili does contain tomatoes. Also, white chili typically uses chicken instead of beef.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 to 3 breasts)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (see notes if you prefer a thicker chili) (32 ounces)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans reduced-sodium white beans such as white kidney beans, cannellini, or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (4.5-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 large) finely diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime wedges
- For serving diced jalapeno, diced avocado, nonfat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Top with the chicken broth, white beans, green chiles, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, shred and set aside.
- With an immersion blender, puree a portion of the chili to thicken it, leaving some of the beans whole. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can instead transfer a few ladlefuls of the chili to a food processor or blender and pulse roughly, then return back into the chili.)
- Stir in the shredded chicken and cilantro. Portion into bowls and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Add any other desired toppings and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- STOVETOP DIRECTIONS: In a large pot, sauté the onion over medium heat in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients as directed and bring everything to a simmer. Let cook 15-20 or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. Remove the chicken, shred, then finish the recipe as directed.
- SLOW COOKER TIP: Know thy slow cooker! If yours cooks exceptionally quickly, be sure to watch the cooking time carefully and check it early, as chicken breasts more easily dry out in the crockpot. My chicken was ready on high after 2 1/2 hours.
- FOR THICKER CHILI: Start with half the amount of broth (2 cups) and add more at the end to thin the chili to the desired consistency.
- TO STORE: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: White chicken chili may be kept frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat chili in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming.
Nutrition
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The weather is getting chilly. Try one of these other Well Plated soup recipes.
Ok this exceeded my expectations! My teenage boys ate it right up. So simple to throw together on a weekday. Thanks!
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Been wanting to find a recipe for slow cooker white chicken chili for years and I hit an AMAZING one on my first try! I did increase the chicken because we had some precooked that needed to be used (I added in addition to the chicken breasts). I also increased the beans because we love them. Sooooo yummy!
Hi Shannon! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I needed a slow cooker recioe for chicken chilli.This one is easy and uses staples we all have. Plan to add white beans at end of cooking so they do not get mushy when stirring. Thank you. Added 1 cup corn as I saw this idea in anorpther recipe
Hi Dottie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was absolutely delicious. I added a little extra garlic and did 2 chopped Serrano peppers instead of the diced chiles, I also used chicken bouillon for the broth. I also don’t have a blender, it got lost somehow in our last move so I took a potato masher and mashed up half of it.
Adding this to my monthly recipes.
Thank you!
Hi Alyssa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Super delicious with the toppings; Mexican cheese, lots of lime juice, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips, jalapeno, bacon bits and avocado. That’s a lot but, it really makes it wonderful. I’d say two big squirts of lime juice is vital to keep the bean and broth part from being bland. And the jalapeno ends up being pretty tame if your worried about it being too spicy. I will say that it’s a little more soupy than chili-like, IMO. I’m going to try using an extra can of white beans. Only 4 stars because it’s a little soupy and without the toppings, a little bland.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Paula. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
followed this recipe exactly (except started with dry beans that i soaked and cooked) and both my husband & i had diarrhea and some vomiting the next morning. tried it again 24 hours later thinking it was a bug from a friend instead, but this chili turned out to be the culprit. will not make again.
I’m so sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe. I don’t believe the actual recipe made you sick. Sounds like it was an ingredient you used. Maybe something wasn’t fresh?
And you think the recipe is to blame? 😂😂😂 Try improving your food safety handling and/or using non-expired chicken.
Hope you enjoy the chili Susan!
made without the crockpot, made it on the stove
Hope you enjoyed it Paula!
This is the most delicious white chicken chili recipe I have ever made!! I like it creamy, not soupy so I followed your suggestion and only added 2 cups of Chicken Stock…it didn’t need more than that.
I will probably add a little more of the stock when I reheat the leftovers.
Thank you!
Hi Joan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can’t wait to try. Can you tell me the size of each serving so I can accurately count the calories ❤️
Hi Bev! It’s 1/6 of the recipe without toppings. I did not measure it out in cups. Enjoy!