Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
A Slow-Simmered Bowl of Creamy White Chicken Comfort
This slow-cooker white chicken chili turns simple pantry ingredients into a silky, savory stew that’s perfect for hands-off weeknight dinners.
Think creamy, spoonable broth studded with tender pieces of chicken and soft cannellini beans — that’s the heart of this white chicken chili. Mild green chiles bring a gentle heat and bright, slightly tangy notes while a warm trio of cumin, chili powder, and oregano grounds the flavor. When the cream cheese melts into the simmered broth it nuzzles into the beans and broth, giving a velvety mouthfeel without masking the aromatics from the sautéed onion and garlic.
A little upfront work makes the slow cooker sing: trim and pat the chicken, sauté the onion until soft, add the garlic until fragrant, then transfer everything to the crock with the rinsed beans, diced chiles, low-sodium chicken broth and spices. Cover and let the Ember Pot-style slow simmer do the rest — 4 hours on Low or about 2½ hours on High yields chicken that’s cooked through and deeply flavored with minimal babysitting.
This recipe is built for busy routines. Prep is about 15 minutes, the cooker handles the long, gentle heat, and the finished chili sits and melds beautifully, so it’s ideal for making ahead. Leftovers refrigerate well and reheat easily for lunches or an effortless second dinner, and the balanced seasoning means it stays satisfying even after a few days.
From Ember Pot and slow-simmer specialist Cam Torres, this is the sort of dependable, comforting dish you’ll reach for when you want something hearty without fuss — creamy, aromatic, and approachable enough to become a weeknight staple.
Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Trim excess fat from the chicken breasts and pat them dry; peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook until softened (about 4–5 minutes), then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer the sautéed onion and garlic to the slow cooker, add the whole chicken breasts, drained and rinsed cannellini beans, diced green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours (or High for 2.5 hours) until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred it with two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to distribute.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir into the hot chili until fully melted and incorporated; add the lime juice and taste, adjusting salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in chopped cilantro, let the chili rest 5 minutes to meld flavors, then serve hot with optional toppings like extra cilantro, lime wedges, or a dollop of plain yogurt.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the chicken breasts and pat them dry; peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook until softened (about 4–5 minutes), then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer the sautéed onion and garlic to the slow cooker, add the whole chicken breasts, drained and rinsed cannellini beans, diced green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours (or High for 2.5 hours) until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred it with two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to distribute.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir into the hot chili until fully melted and incorporated; add the lime juice and taste, adjusting salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in chopped cilantro, let the chili rest 5 minutes to meld flavors, then serve hot with optional toppings like extra cilantro, lime wedges, or a dollop of plain yogurt.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 33.2
- Saturated Fat
- 4.2
- Sodium
- 700
- Fiber
- 9
- Unsaturated Fat
- 11
- Protein
- 58.1
- Fat
- 15.2
- Cholesterol
- 148
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 524
- Sugar
- 3.8