Description
This Crockpot White Chicken Chili is a creamy, flavorful slow-cooked soup featuring tender chicken breasts, a blend of spices, beans, corn, and cream cheese. Perfect for cozy meals, it combines warming seasonings with a smooth texture and a fresh cilantro garnish for a comforting and hearty dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Spices
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Vegetables and Beans
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (4 oz) cans fire roasted mild diced green chiles
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
Dairy and Garnishes
- 6 ounces (¾ block) cream cheese
- Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare slow cooker base: Lay the chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, and coriander evenly over the chicken.
- Add liquids and vegetables: Pour in the chicken broth, then add diced onions, minced garlic, and fire roasted diced green chiles. Place the bay leaf on top. You may add the beans now if you prefer them very soft, otherwise wait until later.
- Slow cook the chili: Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours until the chicken is very tender and falls apart easily.
- Add beans and corn: During the last 2 hours of cooking, add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, pinto beans, and thawed corn. Allow everything to simmer together for the remaining time.
- Thicken the chili: Scoop about 2 cups of the chili (including beans) and the cream cheese into a blender or food processor, and blend briefly until smooth and thickened. Alternatively, use an immersion blender. Pour this mixture back into the crockpot and stir to combine.
- Shred chicken and combine: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir thoroughly to mix.
- Final seasoning and serving: Taste the chili and adjust seasoning if needed. Add fresh cilantro for garnish if desired. Serve warm with optional toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla strips or chips, and sliced avocado. Enjoy your hearty white chicken chili!
Notes
- Adding beans later keeps their texture firmer; adding them earlier results in very soft beans.
- The cream cheese helps create a creamy texture and thickens the chili.
- This recipe can be adjusted for varying spice levels by modifying the chili powder and cayenne amount.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Using an immersion blender streamlines the thickening step without needing to transfer chili to a separate blender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
