This crockpot white chicken chili recipe couldn’t be easier to make with only 15 minutes of prep! It’s hearty, filling, and flavorful, loaded with chicken, beans, green chiles, and corn.
Why this recipe works
Crockpot white chicken chili is the love child of soup and chili. It has the bones of a classic chili, such as meat, beans, spices, and even chiles, but its brothier and not tomato-based. It’s just as hearty and filling, though!
Now, this white chicken chili is insanely easy to prep. It’s practically a throw-and-go aside from having to chop up a few veggies beforehand, which is super quick if you have a vegetable chopper. There’s no need to pre-cook any ingredients here, which I absolutely love in a crockpot recipe.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
You can control the sodium levels of your white chicken chili by using low-sodium beans and broth. Simply add salt to taste.
CHICKEN – We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which makes fall-apart, tender, juicy chicken chili. You can absolutely substitute with boneless, skinless chicken breasts if preferred. I’ve made it both ways and it’s just as good! Alternatively, you can use leftover shredded chicken or even rotisserie chicken, simply add it to the crock towards the end of the cook cycle to warm it through.
BROTH – Regular or low-sodium chicken broth will both work here. It’s entirely up to you.
BEANS – Great Northern, Cannellini, or Navy beans all work great for white chicken chili. Great Northern are the most commonly used, but I like the heartiness that cannellini beans add to this dish. You can mix and match the beans or simply use your favorite. You’ll notice we call for one of the cans of beans to be mashed, this is to help add thickness to the soup.
CHILES – The canned green chiles add a lot of flavor. We use mild, but you can up the spice level by using hot diced green chiles or fire-roasted green chiles.
CORN – We add the frozen corn about 30 minutes before the chili is done cooking. You can substitute with drained canned corn if preferred.
How to Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- In a 6 – 7 quart crockpot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, whole beans, mashed beans, green chilis, onion, celery, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Set cooker to high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- About 30 minutes before the cook cycle ends, stir in the corn, cover, and allow to heat through.
- Remove the chicken from the crock and shred to desired consistency. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot. Serve with optional garnishes such as cilantro, lime, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, cheese, or tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, of course! I have made this white chicken chili with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts, depending on what I have on hand. It’s honestly excellent either way. When I use chicken breasts, I like to slice them in half (so they’re about the size of what a thigh would be) that way, they are easier to shred once they’re done cooking.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Dare I say that this soup is even better the following day? It gives the chicken even more time to soak up the surrounding flavors. This is an excellent make ahead dish to eat throughout the week for lunch or dinner.
Absolutely. It freezes really well! Allow it to fully cool, then transfer it to an airtight container or large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. If you want to freeze individual portions, I highly recommend these silicone freezing cubes. I use them all of the time for things like chili or soup! Otherwise, I like to freeze it flat in a heavy-duty freezer bag to save space. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm on the stovetop.
No, I wouldn’t consider this recipe to be spicy. It has a very mild kick thanks to the green chiles added, but that’s about it. If you want a bit more spice, feel free to add an extra can of chiles or use the spicy variety of green chiles instead.
To make a creamy white chicken chili, you can simply add 4 to 8 ounces of cubed room temperature cream cheese at the end of the cooking time. Give it a good stir until it’s fully incorporated.
Serving Suggestions
Optionally top your white chicken chili with cojita cheese, tortilla strips, sliced jalapeno, shredded Mexican cheese, fresh cilantro, or avocado slices.
If you’re looking for a side, cornbread or dinner rolls are a nice addition, as well as a crisp leafy salad.
More Crockpot Recipes
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Crockpot White Chicken Chili
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 30 ounces white beans two 15-oz cans, drained, *one can mashed
- 4.5 ounces diced green chilis canned
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 3 stalks celery about 1 cup diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup frozen corn
Things You’ll Need
- 6 qt Crockpot 6 – 7 quarts
Before You Begin
- *Crockpot cooking times can vary depending on age, size, and features, so make sure you’re well acquainted with your crockpot’s heating/timing tendencies.
- We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which makes fall-apart, tender, juicy chicken chili. You can absolutely substitute with boneless, skinless chicken breasts if preferred. I’ve made it both ways and it’s just as good! When I use chicken breasts, I like to slice them in half (so they’re about the size of what a thigh would be) that way, they are easier to shred once they’re done cooking.
- Great Northern, Cannellini, or Navy beans all work great for white chicken chili. Great Northern are the most commonly used, but I like the heartiness that cannellini beans add to this dish. You can mix and match the beans or simply use your favorite. You’ll notice we call for one of the cans of beans to be mashed, this is to help add thickness to the soup.
- The canned green chiles add a lot of flavor. We use mild, but you can up the spice level by using hot diced green chiles or fire-roasted green chiles.
Instructions
- In a 6-7 quart crockpot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, whole beans, mashed beans, green chilis, onion, celery, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.1 lb chicken thighs, 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, 30 ounces white beans, 4.5 ounces diced green chilis, 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 3 stalks celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Set cooker to high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- About 30 minutes before the cook cycle ends, stir in the corn, cover, and allow to heat through.1 cup frozen corn
- Remove the chicken from the crock and shred to desired consistency. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot.
- Serve with optional garnishes such as cilantro, lime, avocado, jalapeños, sour cream, cheese, or tortilla chips.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Dare I say that this soup is even better the following day? It gives the chicken even more time to soak up the surrounding flavors. This is an excellent make ahead dish to eat throughout the week for lunch or dinner.
- Freezing – Allow it to fully cool, then transfer it to an airtight container or large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. If you want to freeze individual portions, I highly recommend these silicone freezing cubes. I use them all of the time for things like chili or soup! Otherwise, I like to freeze it flat in a heavy-duty freezer bag to save space. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm on the stovetop.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post was originally published on this blog on Aug 16, 2017. Original recipe was contributed by Traci from The Kitchen Girl.
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Kris says
This soup came out really good!! I used two chicken breasts instead of thighs, cut them in half, and cooked on high for 4 hours. Since it’s just my husband and me, we had plenty leftover for the following day, and personally, I think the soup was even better when reheated! I’ll definitely make this again and freeze some portions for a quick dinner to reheat. Thanks!
Aaron House says
Please clarify. Put whole, raw chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) into crockpot, right? Then, did you shred the meat at the end? Or chunk the raw chicken in the beginning and leave it like that?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes put them in raw and you can chunk it or shred it. Though slow cooked chicken is usually easier to shred than slice.
Rochelle Backman says
Love AMANDA’S COOKIN’ !!!
Amanda Formaro says
<3 :)