A creamy and delicious crockpot white chicken chili recipe that’s perfect for a chilly day! Takes just 5 minutes of prep and is great for busy weeknights. Add your favorite toppings and dig in!
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Crockpot White Chili Recipe
This dish combines two of my favorite things: soup and my crockpot. I just love dump and go meals, especially when there’s soup involved. This chili is a favorite, along with my slow cooker enchilada soup , slow cooker turkey chili and crockpot potato soup.
This white chicken chili was a family favorite growing up. I adjusted my mom’s recipe slightly by adding in a cup of salsa verde for a little extra kick. It’s definitely not a spicy soup, but if you want to add a little heat, you could use a medium-hot salsa. If you don’t like the extra spice, use a mild salsa.
The best part about this recipe is that it only takes 5 minutes of prep work. Then the slow cooker does all the rest. Perfect for busy afternoons. That’s why I just love slow cooker recipes…so easy and they help create delicious meals that the whole family loves!
Recipe Ingredients
Some pantry staples mixed with chicken equal a meal that is hearty and comforting.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they shred so easily and the white meat absorbs the flavors well.
- Beans: Most type of bean will work well in this chili, but I like to use mostly white beans, or a mixture of white kidney beans, pinto beans, great northern beans, and light red kidney beans.
- Salsa verde: The brightness of the salsa verde elevates the flavor and gives the chili a little heat.
- Salsa: I like to use a salsa with a lot of flavor and that tastes really fresh.
- Broth: Chicken broth helps cook the chicken and gives a nice backdrop to the chili.
- Corn: I like using white corn because of the color and the sweetness it adds.
- Seasonings: Just a little bit of chili powder, salt, and pepper is all you need to give this soup a nice pop of flavor.
- Sour cream: This makes the chili super creamy.
Favorite Toppings
You can serve the soup as-is or load it up with all your favorite toppings! Any of the below would taste delicious:
- Shredded cheese
- Tortilla strips or tortilla chips
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Sliced radishes
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos
How to Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili
If you can open a can, you can make this chili. It only requires a few ingredients dumped into a crockpot and the patience to wait for them to cook.
- Dump. Add chicken and broth to the crockpot. Season the chicken with salt and chili powder. Then add in beans, corn, salsa verde and salsa.
- Cook. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then place back in crockpot. Add the sour cream and stir. Then cook an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve. Ladle soup into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
To Thicken the Soup
This soup does have a thick and creamy texture, however there are a few ways to thicken it even more if preferred:
- Use cream cheese instead of sour cream. It tends to thicken up a bit more.
- Use less broth. You can start with using half the amount, then add in more as needed.
- Add cornstarch. In a small bowl, mix 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of broth. Then add the mixture to the soup and stir.
Recipe FAQs
I love to use a variety of beans in my chili, however you could definitely just use one kind. The beauty of this recipe is that you can just throw in whatever type of beans are in your pantry, such as great northern beans, white kidney beans, light red kidney beans, or pinto beans.
Absolutely! All it takes is a quick swap of the chicken broth for a vegetable broth and omitting the chicken. I might add a few extra cans of beans to keep the chili hearty, but it should work fine other than that.
You sure can! If you want to speed things up, you can add shredded rotisserie chicken 30 minutes left in cooking time.
Want a little more spice? Use a medium-hot or hot salsa and add a can of green chiles and cayenne pepper to the crockpot for a bit more heat. You can also finely dice a jalapeno or serrano pepper if you really want to make it hot.
Sure. Simply bring the broth, salsa verde, salsa and seasonings to a boil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, beans, and corn and reduce heat to medium low. Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Shred chicken and return to the pot. Stir in sour cream before serving.
Freezing
I love to double the recipe and freeze half of the soup for later. I’d recommend freezing it without the sour cream mixed in, because sometimes dairy can separate once frozen.
Add the soup to a freezer bag or container and store in freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying. Then heat back up on the stove or in the crockpot until warm. Mix in sour cream before serving.
Love crockpot recipes? You’ll also love my green enchilada soup, slow cooker chicken enchilada soup and crockpot lasagna soup.
More Easy Chili Recipes
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Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- 1 (15-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt , plus more to taste
- 4 (15-ounce) cans beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can white corn
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- ¾ cup sour cream , or cream cheese (at room temperature)
- Ground black pepper , to taste
Optional toppings: Tortilla chips, Scoop of sour cream, Avocado, Shredded cheese, Cilantro
Instructions
- In the bottom of a crockpot, add the chicken and broth. Stir in the chili powder and salt. Add the beans, corn, salsa verde, and salsa.
- Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred. Return to the crockpot and add the sour cream or cream cheese. I like to place on top and let it sit about 10 minutes before stirring. Cook an additional 30 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Could I make this in the instant pot with frozen chicken breasts, adding the sour cream afterwards?
I haven’t tested this out, but let me know if you do! I would definitely wait to add the sour cream afterwards.
I did the 4 frozen breasts in 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 tsp chili for 45 minutes, then shredded it. Afterwards, I added the rest of the ingredients except for the sour cream, then used the “saute” function on my instant pot for 20 minutes. I then added 1 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and turned it off. It was awesome! We sprinkled on top: cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guac for those who wanted it. Will DEFINITELY be making this again!! My husband’s diet is high protein, with a moderated amount of carbs and fats, hence the Greek yogurt sub, and this fits the bill perfect. Thank you so much!!
So glad to hear this worked well in the instant pot! Thanks for sharing your feedback! :D
I’ve made it in my instant pot many times! Add sour cream afterwards, turns out perfect and just as yummy as in the crockpot but much faster. 25 minutes high pressure.
This was amazing. I substituted Kite Hill Dairy Free Cream Cheese and it was so good. My family added white sharp cheddar cheese on top of their bowls and they loved it!
So glad to hear your family enjoyed the white chicken chili! One of my families favorites too!
back again to make this soup! one of our families favorites! thanks Jamie! Its a crowd pleaser!
Glad to hear everyone is loving it, Kelsey! It is a favorite at our house too.
I love this chili. It is my go to for a cold evening! So easy and yummy!
So happy to hear that you love it!
One of my favorite soups and so easy 💗
So glad you enjoyed it, Markie :)
Can you substitute something for the salsa
You could use a can of rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
Really good! This was my first time making this recipe and it was easy and turned out great! Next time I will use spicier salsa and maybe throw in some jalapeños for a bit of heat.
I want to make this but I am not understanding all the nutrition info as it’s in grams, I believe. Anyone have any suggestions of how I can understand this? I live in the U.S. if this helps… Thank you!
This has become a family favorite! It is delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that your family loves it! Thank you for leaving a comment and review!
Can you use ground turkey instead of chicken? If so how long should it cook? Also can you make this on the stove top? Don’t have a crock pot.
Thanks
Yes, ground turkey should work and you can do it on the stovetop. I would just brown the ground turkey first and then add in to the pot.