Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Grilled chicken adds such a depth of flavor to this creamy slow cooker white chicken chili. Let it simmer all day for a meal that your family will love.

One thing that makes me happy as days get cooler is a good slow cooker chili.  I love throwing the ingredients in at the start of the day and letting the soup simmer all day long.  As the aroma fills the house, I can hardly wait until dinner time!.

This White Grilled Chicken Chili recipe is adapted from my sister-in-law’s recipe. She made her version of this soup for us when we were visiting years ago. It’s easy, comforting and full of flavor.

What is the difference between white chili and regular chili?

Regular chili has a base of chili powder and tomatoes. White chili is more of a either a broth base or a thickened creamy base. Both types of chili have beens, vegetables and meats.

What chicken is best for white chicken chili?

This white chili is extra special because it has grilled chicken in it.  Now, you don’t have to grill the chicken first if you don’t want to. But, I highly recommend taking the time to grill the chicken because it adds such an amazing depth of flavor to this soup.

You can use leftover grilled chicken from a previous meal. Other options are rotisserie chicken and baked or boiled chicken breast.

I generally use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work well, too.

How to Make The Best White Chicken Chili

• Add all of the ingredients above to a slow cooker in the order listed, saving the cream cheese until the end of cooking. 
• Cook on low for 6 hours or on high from 3-4 hours. 
• When the soup has about 30-60 minutes left of simmering, scoop out about ½ cup of the chicken brown. Place the room temperature cream cheese in a bow and add ¼ cup of the broth. Use a hand mixer to mix well. Then add in the other ¼ cup broth and mix again. This will help to thin the cream cheese and help it not to be clumpy when you add it to the soup.
• Add the thinned cream cheese into the soup and mix to combine. Then add the cilantro right before serving.

Stove Top Instructions

Need to cook this on the stovetop? Here’s how to do it:

• Add the soup ingredients to a large pot.
• Place over medium-high heat until the soup starts to simmer (leaving the lid off). Then turn down to medium heat. Allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the onion is tender.
• Then add in the cream cheese as the recipe states below.

Recipe Variations

• Add poblano peppers for a pop of flavor.
• Need more spice? Add a few pinches of cayenne pepper.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

This soup is delicious warmed in the microwave.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

4.75 from 8 votes

Grilled chicken adds such a depth of flavor to this creamy slow cooker white chicken chili. Let it simmer all day for a meal that your family will love!

Servings 6 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

For the soup:

• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 can southwest corn 15.25 ounces
• 1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained* 15.5 ounces
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 15.5 ounces
• 1 medium yellow onion diced, about ½ cup
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 garlic cloves)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds grilled chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

After slow cooking:

• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Optional Toppings

• Jalapeño slices
• cilantro
• sour cream
• shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheese

Instructions

 

• Add all of the ingredients above to a slow cooker in the order listed, saving the cream cheese until the end of cooking. 
• Cook on low for 6 hours or on high from 3-4 hours. 
• When the soup has about 30-60 minutes left of simmering, scoop out about ½ cup of the chicken brown. Place the room temperature cream cheese in a bow and add ¼ cup of the broth. Use a hand mixer to mix well. Then add in the other ¼ cup broth and mix again. This will help to thin the cream cheese and help it not to be clumpy when you add it to the soup.
• Add the thinned cream cheese into the soup and mix to combine. Then add the cilantro right before serving.
• Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, if desired.

Notes

*Any white beans will work, including great northern beans, white kidney beans or cannellini beans.

If you love spice, throw in a couple of fresh jalapeño slices after you mix in the cilantro. 

Add the grilled chicken in at any point in the day. Although you can make this chili without grilling the chicken, we highly recommend grilling it to get an awesome flavor!

Leave out the cream cheese if want the soup just to have a broth base. Or you can add whole milk instead of the cream cheese, if you’d like.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 6 servings, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the soup. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Serving: 319g | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1755mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 442

Keyword chicken soup, chili recipe, crockpot, slow cooker soup

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