Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili is so easy—just toss everything in! With sweet corn, chiles, chicken, and white beans, it’s packed with flavor!
Love slow cooker soups? Try my popular Chicken Chili or Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Soup next!
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
White chicken chili is one of my family’s favorites, and I’m excited to share this easy recipe with you! It takes just 10 minutes to prep—no pre-cooking or chopping is needed. Just toss everything in the crockpot and let it do the work!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Crockpot White Chicken Chili:
- Chicken: Thighs stay tender and shred easily; breasts can dry out if overcooked.
- Green enchilada sauce: Old El Paso® mild works great, or use a spicier one for more heat.
- Chicken stock: Use a high-quality stock like Swanson’s® for better flavor.
- Cream cheese: Full-fat brick melts best; avoid lower-fat or tub versions.
- Beans: Drain and rinse Great Northern beans to reduce sodium.
- Corn: Frozen corn goes right in—no need to thaw.
- Green chiles: Mild for flavor; hotter chiles for more spice. Fire-roasted for more flavor!
- Spices: Oregano, paprika, chili powder, and cumin add a rich flavor.
- Cilantro & lime (optional): Adds a fresh, bright finish to the chili.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili Notes
- Spice levels: For mild chili, use mild enchilada sauce and green chiles. For more heat, use medium or hot versions.
- Shredded chicken: Add the chicken back after whisking in the cream cheese to avoid stringy chicken.
- Thickening: Chili should be thick and hearty. Full-fat cream cheese thickens it, and toppings like sour cream and cheese add more thickness. For extra thick chili, use 1 cup of chicken stock.
- Cooking Time: Cook raw chicken for 3-5 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low, until it shreds easily or hits 165°F.
- Slow Cooker vs. Pressure Cooker: Slow cooker = long and low; pressure cooker = fast and high. Choose based on how much time you have!
How To Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Add Ingredients: Put all the “add first” ingredients in the crockpot and stir.
- Cook: Cover and cook until the chicken shreds easily.
- Shred Chicken: Take out the chicken, shred it, and set it aside.
- Add Cream Cheese: Soften in the microwave, then whisk it into the crockpot until smooth.
- Return Chicken: Stir the shredded chicken back in.
- Serve: Spoon into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Toppings
If I had to pick just three toppings for this White Chicken Chili, they’d be cheese, sour cream, and lime juice. I highly recommend at least those! But here’s a full list of options:
- Cheese: I like to grate Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese over each bowl and let it melt before stirring.
- Sour cream: Light sour cream is my favorite in this chili.
- Lime juice: A few squeezes of lime brighten the chili, plus I serve extra lime wedges on the side.
- Chips: Crushed tortilla strips add a nice crunch.
- Cilantro: If you like cilantro, it adds freshness. If not, use parsley.
- Avocado: A ripe avocado on top adds extra creaminess.
Storage
Crockpot White Chicken Chili Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat slowly over low heat, stirring often. Don’t boil or use high heat, as it can cause the ingredients to separate.
More Slow Cooker Favorite Recipes
- Black Beans made from scratch
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes side dish made simple!
- Beef Ragu served over pasta
- Crockpot Cowboy Casserole with Italian sausage
- Crockpot Chili winner of dozens of chili cook-offs!
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
This creamy, flavor-packed Crockpot White Chicken Chili is the ultimate "set it and forget it" meal! Sweet corn, fire-roasted green chiles, tender chicken, white beans, and a simple seasoning blend make it delicious.
Equipment
- CrockPot 6-quart
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
Add First
- 1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans drained and rinsed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, see note 1
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles mild
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth, see note 2
Add Later
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese see note 3
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro optional
- 1 large lime optional
- Optional toppings for serving see note 4
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 6-quart crockpot with cooking spray. Trim any fat from the chicken and, if using breasts, cut into 2-3 pieces.
- Add all "add first" ingredients to the crockpot. Stir to combine and ensure the chicken is submerged.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-5 hours, until the chicken easily shreds.
- Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it in a bowl. Don't add it back into the crockpot yet.
- Soften the cream cheese in the microwave (about 1 minute) and add it to the crockpot. Use a whisk to briskly mix the softened cream cheese into the chili. Once smooth, return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and stir in cilantro and 1 to 2 tabelspoons lime juice (optional).
- Ladle chili into bowls and top with your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, avocado, or tortilla strips.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Chicken thighs are best—they add more flavor and become tender, shredding easily. Breasts have less flavor and can dry out if overcooked. Be sure the chicken is fully thawed before cooking.
Note 2: Use high-quality broth or stock for the best flavor. Swanson’s® is my favorite. For a thicker chili, use 1 cup of stock; for a regular consistency, use 2 cups.
Note 3: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the best results.
Note 4: Don’t skip the toppings! They really elevate the chili. Sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, avocado, jalapeños, or tortilla strips are all great options.
Instant Pot Directions: Add all “add first” ingredients. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual mode for 15 minutes with an immediate pressure release.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat slowly over low heat, stirring often. Don’t boil or use high heat, as it can cause the ingredients to separate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 871mg | Potassium: 1243mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 892IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this as instructed, except: I didn’t have oregano or cilantro, so I left those out; I used a frozen bag of fire-roasted corn; and instead of cream cheese, I added a dollop of Fage 2% to each bowl when serving. I used only boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It came out DELICIOUS. I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I would 100% serve this to guests, with a nice topping bar of avocado, Fage, cheese, and cilantro, and a side of garlic bread. Five stars!!!
Yay!! I’m sooo happy you enjoyed! And those subs sound amazing! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Loved this recipe, thank you.
Yay! Thanks Lynn! 🙂
This is my favorite white chicken chili recipe! Everyone loves it, from my parents (age 77and 74) to my son (age 7). It’sbecome a regular addition to our dinner routine and something we all look forward to!
Ahh I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much Kendra! 🙂
This has become my absolute favorite crockpot recipe. Absolutely delicious, and reheats so well. Thank you!!
Yay!! I am sooo happy to hear! I love it as leftovers too! Thanks Kaitlin! 🙂
This was delightful. We added a fresh chopped jalapeño directly into the soup, freshly fire roasted 2 corn on the cobs instead of the canned corn, and only used half the amount of cream cheese (I somehow misread the recipe and thought it only called for half) However, I thought it was perfect with just half and I wouldn’t add the whole block next time I make this. Slam dunk recipe.
MMMMMMM that sounds delicious! I love so substitutes! I’m so glad you enjoyed!! Thanks Courtney! 🙂
Made this for dinner and it was a hit with my 3 year old son and my husband! I didn’t have any cream cheese so we just ate it with a little sour cream and cheese as toppings and it was delicious! I am making it again for a potluck at work tomorrow. With the cream cheese this time! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thrilled to hear that! Thanks so much for the comment and review Jane 🙂
Would you add the cilantro to the crockpot? The instructions are unclear. Or would you only use cilantro as a topping.
Would you make this the day of or how would you reheat? TIA
Would you this soup and your Mexican Tortilla soup freeze well? If so, how would you go about doing that?
Unfortunately, I don’t think this soup would freeze well because of the dairy in it. I haven’t ever tried freezing either but I believe the Mexican Tortilla soup would freeze okay.
I have frozen this in small containers to take to work and it reheats surprisingly well. I make a big batch and divide into several containers, stock them in the freezer and pull them out when I need something quick for lunch. It’s delicious!
You can probably make all of it excluding the dairy to freeze then when you put it back in your Crock-Pot to warm up or on the stove add your Dairy back in before you serve
I have frozen this in small containers to take to work and it reheats surprisingly well. I make a big batch and divide into several containers, stock them in the freezer and pull them out when I need something quick for lunch. It’s delicious!
Great recipe! I subbed Greek yogurt for the cream cheese to cut a little fat and it was still creamy and delicious. Definitely making this again!
So happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for the comment Natalie!
This is my favorite white chicken chili; so delicious! I first found the recipe three years ago & continue to make it! It is always a hit at dinner parties & I get asked all the time for the recipe so you know they are telling the truth!!
Yay! That is so fun to hear, thank you so much Kara!
Thanks for posting that cream cheese substitute idea!
This didn’t do it for me. Was very soupy… not like a chili at all. Also lacked flavor. I’ll stick with my stove top white chicken chili recipe.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe!
I added some cornstarch to ours to thicken it up a bit. That helped.
made this for a work chili-cook off and I won!! It was fantastic!
Yay!! So happy to hear that and congrats on the win 🙂
Sarah,
I’m making this for my work’s chili cook off tomorrow!!! Did you make day prior and reheat or the morning of the cook off?
Thanks!!
Mal