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Creamy white chicken chili is made with shredded chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, and cream cheese. This flavor-loaded Southwest chili recipe includes Crockpot and stovetop instructions.
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Have you heard? This white bean chicken chili recipe, along with my three bean chili recipe, was published in Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook released September 2022. Fans of The Office know actor Brian as Kevin Malone – and who could ever forget his famous chili scene?! I'm so honored to have my chili recipes included in the project.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The combination of simple, budget-friendly ingredients make this chili unbelievably flavorful and comforting.
- Conveniently make white chicken chili in the Crockpot or on the stovetop.
- The recipe prep time is only 10 minutes and there's no cutting raw chicken, which makes for easy cleanup.
- White beans, boneless chicken, and Southwest seasonings make white chili a unique and delicious change from classic beef chili.
- You'll see how to thicken white chicken chili without adding unnecessary ingredients.
- Serve white chicken chili at family dinners or game day gatherings.
Key ingredients
Ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: I find that chicken thighs work best for this recipe because they stay juicy and tender, especially with the long and slow-cooking Crockpot method. If you prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts, check the footnotes for specific timing to prevent them from drying out.
- Chicken Broth: Use chicken broth for a richer flavor, or swap it with vegetable broth for a lighter option.
- White Beans: Any variety of white beans works here! Great Northern, navy, or cannellini beans are all excellent choices. Canned beans save time, but you can also use pre-cooked dried beans if you prefer.
- Onions: Any type of onion—yellow, white, or red—works well. Choose what you have on hand or what you enjoy most.
- Corn: Use frozen, fresh, or canned corn based on what’s convenient for you. Just be sure to drain canned corn or thaw frozen corn before adding it.
- Canned Diced Green Chiles: These provide a signature Southwest flavor and mild heat. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can reduce the amount or leave them out.
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor, but if you don’t have any, granulated garlic or garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Cumin, Chili Powder, And Oregano: These classic Southwest spices are essential for building the chili’s depth and flavor. Don’t skip them!
- Cream Cheese: Adding cream cheese gives the chili a creamy texture and rich flavor that makes it truly “white.” If you prefer a dairy-free option, you can leave it out.
How to make white chicken chili in the Crockpot
I love how simple this recipe is—essentially toss everything into the slow cooker, set it, and walk away. It’s the perfect hands-off meal for busy days and here's just how easy it is!!
Start by placing chicken, white beans, onions, corn, green chiles, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and chicken broth in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and set the slow cooker on HIGH for 2-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.
At the end of the cooking cycle, confirm that the chicken has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F on a meat thermometer. Then transfer it out of the slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces.
Add the shredded chicken back to the chili. Add cream cheese to the chili and stir until well-combined.
Pro tip: To make white chili thicker without adding other ingredients, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans right inside the Crockpot until the chili thickens to your liking.
What to serve with white chicken chili
Serve white chili with toppings like cilantro, avocado, sour cream or lime crema, fresh lime, jalapeños, and Cotija cheese or other variety. Of course, a hunk of cornbread or this savory beer bread recipe will add another level of comfort to chili. Cilantro lime rice or a healthy green salad with avocado ranch dressing would also make delicious sides.
Recipe variations
- Swap canned beans for dried beans: Soak 1 pound of dried beans for 8 hours, drain, rinse, and cook, ensuring the beans stay covered with liquid. Use the longer cook time for best results.
- Adjust the spice: This dish is medium-level spicy. You can add more or fewer green chiles to customize the heat level.
- Reduct the salt: Use reduced-sodium broth and beans, or omit salt during cooking and season to taste after cooking.
- Add color contrast: Replace some white beans with black beans for a pop of color.
- Use rotisserie chicken: Add rotisserie or shredded chicken near the end of cooking to prevent overcooking it.
- Swap thighs for boneless chicken breasts: Add them during the final 60 minutes on LOW or 20–30 minutes on HIGH. Check for an internal temperature of 165°F. Then shred and add back to the chili.
- Omit dairy if needed: Skip the cream cheese for a lighter, dairy-free chili.
Boneless chicken thighs or breasts
You can use chicken thighs or breasts for this recipe, but the cook time differs. I prefer chicken thighs for the Crockpot method because they stay juicy even with long cooking times. Chicken breasts, being leaner, can dry out in a slow cooker due to their lower fat and connective tissue content. If using chicken breasts, check the recipe footnotes for timing tips to keep them tender and juicy.
Storage instructions
Allow chili to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe packaging. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days (or longer if vacuum sealed). Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
More easy dinner favorites
- Turkey Chili Recipe
- Lentil Chili
- Ham and Beans
- Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Crockpot Corned Beef
- Kale and White Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
📖 Recipe
Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe
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Video
When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, or boneless breast
- 3 (15-ounce cans) White Beans (drained), (same as 4 ½ cups cooked beans)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 (4-ounce cans) Diced Green Chiles, keep the juice
- ½ medium Onion, diced
- 1 cup Corn (canned, fresh, or frozen)
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1-3 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder (not chile powder)
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese, or sour cream
Instructions
Crockpot instructions (see footnotes for stove instructions)
- Place CHICKEN THIGHS, WHITE BEANS, CHICKEN BROTH, GREEN CHILIS, ONION, CORN, GARLIC, CUMIN, CHILI POWDER, OREGANO, SALT, and BLACK PEPPER in the slow cooker.* See footnote about using chicken breasts
- Cover the slow cooker and set on HIGH for 2-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours. (Slow cooker times may vary)
- Transfer chicken out of the cooker, shred, and stir back into the chili.
- Stir CREAM CHEESE into the chili until well-combined.
- (optional) To make the chili creamy, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans right in the pot until the chili has thickened to your liking.
Serving and storage
- Serve warm with your choice of toppings. Ideas include: cilantro, lime, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, shredded cheese.
- To store, cool chili completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- can opener if using canned beans
- 6 quart slow cooker or 4-quart soup pot
Alicia Hoffman says
This recipe is just what I'm craving mid-winter! If I use a lb. of dry beans, should I cook them first, or will they cook following the directions given? Thanks, Traci!
Traci says
Hi Alicia, I’m so glad you’re excited to make this! Yes, you can soak 1 pound of dried beans for 8 hours, drain, rinse, and follow the recipe accordingly. You may need to add some extra cooking liquid since soaked beans absorb more liquid than canned, and use the longer cook time for the best results. Enjoy! xoxo
Debbie Hughes says
Warm and great recipe
Traci says
Yay!! So glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for the feedback. xoxoxo
Tanya says
I am 56 and never had white chicken chili. Today, I made your recipe and, oh my gosh, delicious!! Freak lt is good! Thank you!!
Traci says
Woot!! I love knowing this!! First time for everything and it's never too late. I'm so glad this one caught your eye. Thank you for going for it and for taking the time to leave this feedback. Enjoy! xoxo
Shannon says
The one tablespoon organo was to much for our taste. It took over the entire taste of the chili, and with that much organo spice it was no longer white. I added the cream cheese at the last to help improve the looks but didn't help.
Traci says
Aww darn, I have never received this feedback before–and I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It’s possible that different brands of oregano can vary in strength. I’ll add a note to the recipe. Thanks again! xoxo
Samantha says
Made this last night for a large group on Halloween. Everyone RAVED over this soup. Best part- it was SO DANG EASY to prepare! Thank you!
Traci says
Awwww I absolutely LOVE knowing that this was Halloween party food! And so easy for you!! Exactly how I intended it. Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback. xoxo
Tia says
Best white chicken chili on the web!! Made this 2 nights ago and we had forgotten how seriously friggin delicious it is. Your cornbread recipe is a must too!
Will serve both for Super Bowl. I can’t think of an easier, more satisfying way to feed game day guests. Thank you KG!
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad you've rekindled your love for this one. It's so simple – we make it regularly and LOVE the flavor too. Thanks for sharing your feedback. Great idea for Super Bowl entree! Enjoy!
Lindsey says
Love this recipe! Made this several times now, and I just omit the corn. Delish!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying the recipe! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. Cheers!
Lindsey says
Outstanding recipe! I omitted corn by accident and it was still delicious! Love that it isn’t super spicy yet very flavorful. Will make again for sure!!!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying it. Totally works without corn for sure. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Travis Bruce says
Well I’m an idiot. I threw the cream cheese in the crock pot at the beginning, so, of course it separated. However, I was able to rescue it with some heated half and half and lowering the temp of the crock pot.
Overall, very tasty. I reduced the beans by one can, and increased the green chile by one can. I also threw some cheddar Jack in there at the end to help thicken it. I also added a 1/4 tsp of cayenne because we eat spicy in this house!
Overall, a solid, simple recipe. Just don’t add your cream cheese/sour cream at the start. 😜
Traci says
Glad you worked it out and enjoyed! This chili is very customizable and it sounds like you made it your own. I do have a thickening trick listed in the recipe, but nothing wrong with adding cheese to thicken it LOL. Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂 Enjoy!
Susan says
I’ve been making this recipe for awhile now and it’s always a winner. The church I attended yesterday was having an ‘after-service’ dinner and chili cook-off. So I took this recipe (as is but minus salt) in my crockpot and ended up winning 🥇 first place! Thank YOU for your wonderful recipes!
Mackenzie says
I've been making this recipe for years, always a fan favorite. It's about time I print the page out and add it to my binder.
Three things: I add an extra cup of chicken broth, I mash an entire can of beans to help with thickening the chili, and I always skip the cream cheese. The scoop of sour cream/greek yogurt in each serving is enough to make this dish creamy.
Traci says
Hiya! Yep, the bean-mashing works like a charm. I'm glad you love white chicken chili as much as we do 🙂 Thanks for sharing your process!