If you’re looking for the best White Chicken Chili recipe, this slow cooker version is it. Perfect for busy weeknights, this white bean chicken chili crockpot recipe is warm, hearty, and loaded with flavor. Unlike traditional red chili, this creamy white chili is lighter but still satisfying, making it one of those crockpot recipes easy enough for beginners but delicious enough to impress a crowd.
This recipe is a true dump-and-go dinner: just add your ingredients, set the crockpot, and let it cook low and slow until you’re ready to eat. The result is a rich and creamy chili soup with tender shredded chicken, white beans, corn, mild green chiles, and the perfect blend of spices. Whether you serve it for family dinner or bring it to a potluck, it’s always a hit.
What makes it even better is how customizable it is. Want it extra creamy? Add more cream cheese. Like more heat? Swap in hot diced chiles or a pinch of extra cayenne. This crockpot white chicken chili is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Just like the crock pot chili recipe I made last week, it’s one of those dishes that proves how easy slow cooker meals can be.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Effortless make-ahead meal: Throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, and dinner’s ready by evening.
- Family-friendly: Mild enough for kids but easily spiced up for adults.
- Versatile serving options: Pile on toppings like shredded cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, or lime wedges.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch and freeze portions for busy weeks.
This is truly the kind of easy crockpot dinner recipe that checks all the boxes: comforting, customizable, and stress-free.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts – You can also use chicken thighs for extra flavor.
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin – Gives that warm, smoky base.
- 1 tsp salt – Adjust to taste later.
- ½ tsp black pepper – Freshly ground gives the best flavor.
- ½ tsp chili powder – Adds mild spice and depth.
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper – Optional if you want more heat.
- ½ tsp dried oregano – Balances the chili with earthy flavor.
- ½ tsp ground coriander – Subtle citrusy note, skip if unavailable.
- 4 cups chicken broth – Low-sodium broth is best to control salt.
- 1 large onion, diced – Yellow or white onion works.
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced – Fresh or pre-minced.
- 2 cans (4 oz each) fire roasted mild diced green chiles – For smoky flavor. Swap for hot chiles if you like spicy.
- 1 bay leaf – Adds depth while simmering.
- 2 cans (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed – Creamy white beans. You can sub great northern beans.
- 1 can (15.5 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed – Or use all white beans if you prefer.
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed – Fresh or canned also work.
- 6 oz cream cheese (about ¾ block) – For creaminess. Use a full block or add a splash of half & half for richer texture.
- Fresh cilantro – Optional garnish.
Serving suggestions: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla chips, avocado slices.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
Prepare the slow cooker: Place chicken breasts into the bottom of a 7-qt slow cooker.
Add seasoning: Sprinkle over cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, and coriander.
Build the base: Pour in chicken broth. Add onion, garlic, diced green chiles, and the bay leaf.
- Note: For firmer beans, wait to add them later with the corn. If you like them softer, add now.
Cook: Cover and cook on LOW 6–8 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours, until chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Add beans and corn: In the last 2 hours of cooking, stir in beans and corn.
Thicken the chili: Scoop about 2 cups of chili (including beans) into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the slow cooker.
- Shortcut: Mash cream cheese with some beans and broth in a bowl if you don’t have a blender.
Shred the chicken: Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the pot. Stir until everything is well combined.
Finish: Stir in cream cheese until melted and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips, or a squeeze of lime.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Refrigerator: Store cooled chili in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Freezer: Portion into freezer-safe bags or containers. Lay flat to freeze. Keeps well for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth if it’s too thick.
Variations
- Protein swap: Replace chicken with turkey or even shredded pork for a different but equally delicious twist.
- Extra creamy: Use a full block of cream cheese or stir in heavy cream at the end.
- Spicy kick: Swap mild green chiles for hot or add jalapeños.
- Low-carb: Skip the beans and corn, and load up on extra chicken and peppers.
- Veggie-packed: Add diced zucchini, bell peppers, or spinach in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
FAQs
Do I have to use chicken breasts?
Not at all. While boneless skinless chicken breasts keep this recipe lean and tender, boneless chicken thighs are an excellent option if you prefer more flavor and juiciness. They hold up especially well in long slow-cooking. You can also shortcut the recipe by using leftover rotisserie chicken—just shred it and add it during the last hour of cooking so it doesn’t dry out.
How do I make it thicker?
There are a couple of easy ways to thicken white chicken chili. The most common method is blending a few cups of the chili (including beans and broth) and stirring it back in to create a naturally creamy base. If you want even more thickness, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water, then stir it into the chili. Let it cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes to activate the thickening. You can also add a touch of heavy cream or extra cream cheese for a richer consistency.
What beans work best?
Cannellini beans are the classic choice because they’re creamy and mild, but you can also use great northern beans or even pinto beans for a bit more texture. Some people like to mix two or three types of beans for variety. If you want a smoother chili, stick with cannellini beans only. If you want more bite, add pintos or even navy beans. Canned beans are easiest, but if you prefer dried beans, just make sure to cook them ahead of time
Can I freeze it with cream cheese?
Yes, you can freeze white chicken chili even with cream cheese in it. The dairy may separate slightly once thawed, but this is easy to fix—just give it a good stir while reheating, and it will come back together. For best results, let the chili cool completely before transferring to airtight freezer bags or containers. Lay the bags flat to save freezer space. When reheating, warm slowly over medium heat on the stove and stir often. If it looks too thick, add a splash of chicken broth or milk to loosen it back up.
More Slow Cooker Dinner Ideas
Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
Crockpot Mississippi Little Smokies (The Ultimate Party Appetizer)
Easy Dump and Go Fall Crock Pot Lazy Dinner Recipes
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
This Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is creamy, hearty, and full of flavor. Made with tender shredded chicken, white beans, green chiles, corn, and cream cheese, it’s the perfect dump-and-go crockpot dinner for busy nights. Easy to make, customizable, and always a family favorite!
8
servings15
minutes4
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 pounds 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp 1 1/2 ground cumin
1 tsp 1 salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 black pepper
1/2 tsp 1/2 chili powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp 1/2 dried oregano
1/2 tsp 1/2 ground coriander
4 cups 4 chicken broth
1 large 1 onion, diced
3 cloves 3 garlic, minced
2 cans 2 fire roasted mild diced green chiles (2×4 oz)
1 1 bay leaf
2 cans 2 cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed (2×15.5 oz)
1 can 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15.5oz)
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 frozen corn, thawed
3/4 block 3/4 cream cheese (6 ounces)
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a 7 qt slow cooker pot.
- Season with cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, dried oregano, and coriander.
- Add the chicken broth, onions, garlic, green chiles, and top with one bay leaf. (I like to add the beans in later with the corn but if you like really tender beans you can add them now.)
- Cover with lid and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH, until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender. During the last 2 hours of cooking time, add the beans and thawed corn and continue cooking.
- Ladle about 2 cups of chili (including the beans) into a food processer or blender, and pulse until well combined and thickened. (You can use an immersion blender instead if you have one.) Then pour the blended mixture back into the slow cooker.
- Remove the cooked chicken and transfer to a chopping board. Shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla strips or chips, and sliced avocado. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used a mixture of cannellini and pinto beans however you can use all of the same type of bean if desired. You can also use great northern beans.
- Canned beans are already cooked and they soften quite a bit with the long cook time. I prefer to add the beans in later with the corn so that it keeps shape and isn’t too mushy. If you prefer the softer beans, you can add it in with everything else at the start of cooking.
- I used ¾ block of cream cheese. If you like a creamier chili, you can use a full block of cream cheese or even add in ¼ cup of heavy cream or half and half.
- I blended the cream cheese along with some beans and soup from the slow cooker to help make the chili a little thicker. If you don’t have a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, you can simply place the cream cheese in a bowl with beans and soup then use a fork to mash it all together until creamy. Then add it back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- If you prefer an even thicker chili, you can make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water. Stir the prepared slurry into the chili and cook on HIGH for 15-30 minutes until thickened.
- I used cans of mild diced green chiles but for extra heat you can use hot diced green chiles. You can also add extra cayenne pepper, to desired taste.