Creamy, savory, and fully loaded slow cooker white chicken chili is made with tender shredded chicken, green chiles, and white beans in a flavorful creamy chicken broth. It’s a satisfying bowl of comfort food that can be eaten as is or topped with cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, and a squirt of lime juice!
White Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe
This creamy slow cooker white chicken chili is made with tender shredded chicken, green chiles, and buttery cannellini beans in a cream-based broth seasoned to perfection.
It’s all made in the crockpot which helps to cook the meat low and slow until it shreds easily. And as slow cooker recipes go, you can walk away from it for a while!
Come back to it to shred the chicken and thicken the sauce, and dinner is done. Serve it with your favorite toppings like sour cream, cheese, and lime, and a piece of crusty bread!
This savory, slightly spicy, slow cooker white chicken chili is worth adding to your dinner rotation!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Creamy and flavorful – The creamy base is the perfect balance to the heat of the green chilies and red pepper flakes. The herbs and smoky spices, the chicken, the savory broth, all of it is worth licking your bowl clean!
- The chicken cooks right in the crock pot – You certainly can toss in some leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, but even if you don’t, cooking the chicken right in the pot is just as effortless.
- Make it as mild or as spicy as you’d like – Increase the amount of red pepper flakes if you want it extra spicy!
- Something different! – Sure a classic slow cooker chili recipe is always a keeper, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up a little. Your family will enjoy this version just as much!
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts because you’ll get the most meat without having to work around the bone.
- Seasoning – You’ll need ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Cannellini beans – Be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the crockpot.
- Aromatics and chiles – Diced green chiles come in a can, which makes life easier. Dice the onions and mince the garlic for extra flavor.
- Water and broth base – I sometimes use a chicken-flavored broth base. This is a powder that dissolves nicely and can be used in place of bouillon cubes. When mixed with water it becomes a chicken broth and is used to flavor the soup. You can also use chicken stock and skip the water.
- Heavy cream – To add creaminess to the broth.
- All-purpose flour –Towards the end, flour is used to help thicken the broth.
- Optional toppings for serving: Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, sliced avocados, tortilla chips or strips, and lime wedges to finish with a squirt of fresh lime juice.
How to make Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Lay the chicken breasts in the basin of the crockpot. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl and sprinkle them evenly overtop the chicken.
- Step Two: Add in the white beans, chiles, garlic. Pour in the broth and stir.
- Step Three: Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Once the 4 hours is up, remove the chicken to a mixing bowl, and use two forks to pull them apart to shred.
- Step Four: Whisk together the heavy cream and flour and stir it into the slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken back in.
- Step Five: Cover and let it cook for another 30 minutes until it thickens. To serve, ladle it out into serving bowls and top with your favorite toppings!
Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.
What to serve with it
As any bowl of cozy chili does, this too needs a basket of honey cornbread on the table! You could also go with a green chile cornbread casserole since the oven won’t be in use.
- You could use regular or low-sodium chicken broth instead of the broth base if you already have some on hand.
- Adjust the heat levels according to your preferred tastes.
- Thickening the cream broth at the end with flour is completely optional.
- Variations of this recipe also include adding some frozen corn or frozen vegetables of your choice, using cream cheese instead of heavy cream, swapping cannellini beans for great northern beans, and tossing in some cooked bacon for extra yum.
- Use chicken thighs if preferred, just as long as they are boneless so they’re easy to shred.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Cool the chili before you store it. Any excess moisture will dilute the creamy broth. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
How long will creamy slow cooker white chicken chili last in the fridge?
When stored in the refrigerator, it’ll keep for up to 4 days. It makes a great lunch to take to work the next day.
Can I freeze white chicken chili?
You can! Anything cream-based will have a change in consistency once thawed. A way to work around this is, to freeze it before you add the cream. It will keep frozen for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container.
Thaw it, and then continue as directed by adding the cream and heating for 30 minutes.
How to reheat it
Easy breezy, in the microwave!
FAQs
How can I thicken the chili without using flour?
One way is to remove some of the beans, purée them, and then stir them back in. You can also use a cornstarch slurry.
Do I need chili powder for slow cooker white chicken chili?
No! Although we do season it with similar spices like cumin, paprika, and oregano, the flavor profile is quite different, so chili powder is not required.
Can I use leftover chicken?
Sure you can! Don’t add it in too early otherwise, it’ll dry out. Add the chicken in for the last 30 minutes of the cooking time.
I will say that cooking the chicken from the beginning helps to develop the flavors maximizing taste, so if you can, start with raw chicken!
Need more easy crockpot recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Click here for my entire collection of slow cooker recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 30 ounces cannellini beans drained & rinsed
- ½ medium white onion diced
- 8 ounces diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Optional Toppings
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- lime wedges
- cilantro
- tortilla chips
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Lay the trimmed chicken breasts in in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In a small bowl, mix together the seasonings – cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper, salt & pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken.2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add in the rinsed beans, diced onion, green chiles, minced garlic and chicken stock.30 ounces cannellini beans, ½ medium white onion, 8 ounces diced green chiles, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups chicken stock
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and flour.½ cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and stir.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook another 30 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings.shredded Monterey Jack cheese, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, Greek yogurt or sour cream
Notes
- Use 1-2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Great Northern beans can be used in place of cannellini.
- Either use 2 teaspoons of chicken broth base + 2 cups of water, or 2 cups of chicken broth.
- The cream and flour at the end are optional for thickening.
- Optional toppings: lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, etc.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
I made this for the first time over the weekend. I just love it. Excellent served with a dollop of sour cream. Definitely going to make this again.
Thanks, Kathy!
Hi Melissa,
I’m not crazy about canned beans, can I use dried beans instead? If so should I cook or parboil them? I am loving your crockpot recipes.
Lana
I’m glad you’re liking them! You can definitely use dried beans, I would soak them overnight first & then they should be good to go 🙂
This is my go to recipe for white chicken chili!
Perfect as written, and so easy!
Thank you!
yay, you’re welcome!