Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
The first night it drops below sixty here, something in me flips a switch. I stop wanting salad. I start wanting a bowl of something warm I can hold with both hands while the kids argue about whose turn it is to pick the show.
This slow cooker white chicken chili is the one I lean on from the first cool week in September straight through basketball season. You dump everything in before you leave the house, you come home to the best smelling kitchen in the neighborhood, and the only real work is shredding the chicken with two forks while somebody else sets the table. That is the whole job.
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Why you will love this one
It is creamy without being heavy, and there is no roux, no cream of anything soup, and no standing at the stove whisking while everyone asks how much longer. The thickness comes from mashing a cup of the beans against the side of the crock, which is a trick my mom taught me and I have never gone back.
It also feeds a crowd for almost nothing. Two cans of beans, some chicken, a little cream cheese, and you have dinner for six with leftovers for lunch. On a Sunday when the Chiefs are on and people keep wandering into the kitchen, I set the crock on warm and let everyone serve themselves. I use a basic 6 quart programmable slow cooker and it has never once let me down.
What you need
Nothing fancy, and most of it is already in your pantry.
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs if that is what you have
- 2 cans (15 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) white corn, drained, or 1.5 cups frozen
- 2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
- 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or heavy cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
For toppings: shredded Monterey Jack, crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, extra lime, and more cilantro.
How to make it
- Add the chicken, beans, corn, green chiles, onion, garlic, broth, and all the spices to the slow cooker. Give it one good stir and put the lid on.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken pulls apart with no effort.
- Lift the chicken onto a plate, shred it with two forks, and slide it back in.
- Mash about a cup of the beans against the side of the crock with the back of a spoon. This is what thickens it, no flour required.
- Scatter the cubed cream cheese over the top, cover, and walk away for 15 minutes. Then stir until it melts in completely.
- Stir in the sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste it and add more salt if it needs it. It usually does.
- Ladle into bowls and let everybody build their own with toppings.
Tips, swaps, and make ahead notes
Do not skip softening the cream cheese. I have thrown it in cold and straight from the fridge more than once and ended up fishing out little white lumps for ten minutes. Cube it and leave it on the counter while the chili finishes.
If you like heat, use hot green chiles instead of mild and keep the cayenne. My husband adds pickled jalapenos to his bowl and I pretend not to watch.
For a dairy free version, skip the cream cheese and sour cream and stir in half a can of full fat coconut milk at the end. It is different, but it is still very good.
Make ahead: you can chop the onion and measure the spices into a jar the night before, then dump everything in half asleep the next morning. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months. I portion mine into silicone freezer trays so I can pull out one serving on a night when cooking is not happening. Reheat with a splash of broth to loosen it back up.
Quick recipe details
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 6 to 7 hours on LOW, or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH
- Servings: 6 generous bowls
- Storage: 4 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer
- Serve with: crusty bread, cornbread, or a pile of tortilla chips in a big stoneware soup bowl
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
Method
- Add the chicken, beans, corn, green chiles, onion, garlic, broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a 6 quart slow cooker. Give it one good stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
- Lift the chicken out onto a plate and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot.
- Mash about a cup of the beans against the side of the crock with the back of a spoon. This is the trick that makes it thick without any flour.
- Scatter the cubed cream cheese over the top, cover, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Stir until it disappears into the broth.
- Stir in the sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and add more salt if it needs it. It usually does.
- Ladle into bowls and pile on the toppings. Shredded Monterey Jack, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, and extra lime are the standards at my house.
Notes
The takeaway
Some recipes are impressive. This one is just dependable, which honestly I have come to value more. It shows up on the weeks when I have nothing left, it stretches to feed whoever walks in, and nobody has ever pushed it around the bowl.
If you make it, tell me what you put on top. I am always looking for a new topping situation, and my chip bowl has room.
So glad you are here.
xo, Pam
