Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
Set-It-and-Forget-It White Chicken Chili
A cozy, hands-off slow-cooker chili that balances gentle heat, creamy beans, and tender chicken with very little fuss.
This is the kind of dinner that proves slow cooking can be both simple and sophisticated. The broth stays pale and bright thanks to cannellini beans and chicken broth, but every spoonful is warming—cumin and a touch of chili powder give the bowl depth while diced green chiles add a friendly, mild kick.
A few small steps up front make a big difference: soften the onion and briefly cook the garlic in a skillet to unlock their sweetness before everything goes into the slow cooker. Toss in boneless skinless chicken breasts, drained cannellini beans, spices, and broth, then let the cooker do the work for 4 hours on Low (or 2½ on High).
When the chicken is meltingly tender, stir in the cream cheese so it melts into the broth and gives the chili a silky finish; you can shred or chop the cooked breasts inside the pot, depending on whether you want chunky pieces or an all-simmered texture. The result is creamy without being heavy—a great bridge between a soup and a stew.
This recipe is forgiving and agenda-friendly: it holds well for leftovers (reheat gently), and it’s easy to customize at service—lime, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, or a sprinkle of cheddar all play nicely. Perfect for chilly weeknights or when you need one pot to feed a crew with minimal babysitting.
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