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.
The store was out of green enchilada sauce, can I substitute with red? They were also out of fire roasted corn, I assume the corn I froze this summer will do? Thanks!
I’d recommend trying this chicken chili with the red enchilada sauce 🙂
Can I use chicken that isn’t fully thawed?
the whole family loved this meal
So glad to hear that! Thanks Deanna 🙂
Wonderfuly simple recipe the whole family loves! The seccond time preparing this we made these Modifications:
– Added 3 cloves pressed garlic.
– Substitute fresh oregano from garden.
– Couldn’t find fire roasted corn, drained and rinsed 11oz can corn kernels and broiled in oven untill slightly browned with some charred edges.
I’m so happy you guys loved this dish! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and modifications and for your comment! 🙂
Is there a way to do this on the stovetop? Thanks!
Also wondering this!
Yes, it will work great on the stovetop!
Add everything but the cream cheese and toppings/garnishes to a large stockpot and bring to a boil.
Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees) (this will vary depending on the size of the chicken and if using thighs or breasts)
Once chicken is cooked, turn heat to low and take out the chicken and shred in a separate bowl with 2 forks. Meanwhile, add soft cream cheese and whisk that into the soup. Once cream cheese is melted and smooth (incorporated into the soup), add the shredded chicken back in; garnish and enjoy!
Substituted ground chicken which I browned first. It was AMAZING! Great recipe!
Thank you Don! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Made this and my husband and I loved it. Also made it last year for one of the Christmas holiday dinners and my family was spooning the crockpot clean. I actually did freeze half when I made it for my husband and I. About a month and a half later just took it out and put it in a pot on the stove and it was still delicious. In fact when my husband got a taste of it again, he said you have to make this again soon. Thank you!!!
I am so happy to hear how much you guys loved this! Thanks for the tip on freezing and for your comment! 🙂
What could I substitute the cream cheese with thats dairy free?
So good!!!!! Hubby approves too and he is a traditional red chili kind of guy. I used cilantro/lime seasoned chicken breasts from grocery store, added some diced green and red pepper for color and added a can of cream corn to thicken a little. This is a keeper for sure, thank you!!
YAYY!! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂 I’m soo happy to hear you guys loved this! And thanks for the awesome sub tips! 🙂
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! Always a hit. Do you know if this could be cooked with an instant pot?
So glad to hear that!! Thanks Jill! I’m sure this would work in the instant pot; I haven’t personally tried it to give you specific timing, so hopefully someone else can chime in to your question here!