Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe

white chicken chili topped with sliced avocado, shredded jack cheese, sour cream, and lime wedges in white bowl on cutting board trivet

4.92 from 94 votes

Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: cups

Calories: 131kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

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
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)
Once cooked, test the chicken to confirm a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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.

Video

Notes

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.

Stove instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until tender, stirring as needed. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until chicken thighs are cooked through (10–15 minutes). Continue with step #4 above.

Nutrition