This easy Crock Pot White Chicken Chili recipe is packed with all the Southwestern flavors that we love, and it is beyond delicious! Healthy and chock full of chicken, corn, beans, plus beer, for good measure.
It’s time for cheelee! Ain’t that the way you say it? Chee-lee? Or is it Chill-Y?
CROCK POT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
Who doesn’t love chili? Especially during these chilly winter nights. Besides being simple to make and incredibly delicious, I love how healthy and hearty it can be.
Meanwhile, if you hadn’t noticed, I manufacture a million ways to ensure that I get to use my slow cooker at least thrice a week. Not only does it help with my dinner-time sanity, but it also gives me delicious material to share with you!
WHAT IS WHITE CHICKEN CHILI?
White chili is made using beans, chicken, broth, and green chili peppers. The dish appears white when cooked and is more of a soup rather than a thickened stew. A white cheese, such as Monterey Jack, or sour cream are often added when served.
CHILI INGREDIENTS
The ingredients for this Crock Pot White Chicken Chili recipe make it simple to have a healthy meal without all the fuss.
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken broth
- Beer
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Great Northern Beans
- Green Chiles
- Corn
- Seasonings
Chili Toppings (optional, but HIGHLY recommended)
- Avocado
- Jalapenos
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
This recipe is simple simple simple. Sooooo simple. It’s almost, like, throwing it all in the pot and walking away for hours! Which is, um, exactly the way it is! No chicken browning, no onion sautéeing – it all goes in the crock pot at the same time. Come back a few hours later, shred thy chicken and dig in.
- First, we start by placing the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Next, we add chicken broth, beer, onion, garlic, beans, green chilies, and corn.
- Then, stir in cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours ON HIGH, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Or cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until chicken is done.
- When done cooking, remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred; set aside.
- Transfer about 1 cup of the soup into a blender and process until blended; stir it back into the soup until thoroughly combined.
- Stir shredded chicken back into the soup.
- Finally, ladle chili into bowls and garnish with avocado, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve.
Super easy. Unassuming. And, of course, delicious! And, you should serve it with this Light Skillet Cornbread! YUMMMY!
HOW TO STORE CHILI
- White Chicken Chili can be stored in an airtight container and kept in your fridge for up to 4 days. This makes it perfect for meal prepping for the week.
CAN I FREEZE CHILI?
- Yes, you can also freeze white chicken chili. Simply cool the soup and then place it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
COOKING TIPS FOR WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
If you want a great white chicken chili, you’ll definitely want to follow a few of my tips:
- Beer type: I use whatever I have on hand, but Dos Equis is great! Modelo Negra is a good choice, as well as Guinness or Samuel Adams, perhaps.
- Heat Levels: There are several heat levels for diced green chiles, so be sure you’re getting the one you really want. The hot versions can be pretty spicy.
- Toppings: like most chilis, you can top this recipe with tortilla strips, avocados, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, green onions, and jalapenos.
Should chili be thick or soupy?
- Chili should be thicker and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there’s just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot. For this reason, I like to ladle out a cup of the cooked chili and process it in a blender until completely blended. Then, just take the blended chili and stir it back into the pot with the rest of the chili.
If you want a thicker chili, you can also make a cornstarch slurry:
Cornstarch Slurry
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl; mix until thoroughly combined.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the warm chili and heat over medium to medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
MORE CHILI RECIPES
ENJOY!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup Dos Equis beer
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15-ounces, each) low sodium Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1 can (4.5 ounces) green chilies
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- lime wedges, for serving
- 1 avocado, sliced or diced, for garnish
- jalapenos slices, for garnish, optional
- sour cream, for garnish, optional
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken on the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Add chicken broth, beer, onion, garlic, beans, green chilies, and corn.
- Stir in cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours ON HIGH, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Or cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until chicken is done.
- Remove chicken breasts from the pot and place on a cutting board; let cool for a few minutes.
- Shred chicken and set aside.
- Transfer about 1 cup of the soup into a blender and process until blended; stir it back into the soup until thoroughly combined.
- Stir shredded chicken back into the soup.
- Ladle chili into bowls; serve with lime wedges and garnish with avocado, jalapeno slices, sour cream, and cilantro.
- Serve.
Notes
- WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 1 (DOES NOT include toppings)
- NET CARBS: 10 g
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This recipe looks delicious but it is NOT gluten free. Beer has gluten in it.
Fantastic! I added a can of diced tomatoes so it wasn’t really white, plus a can of garbanzo beans, but it was SO good! Make sure you use all the toppings. I LOVE IT!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
I didn’t have beer on hand but had everything else and OMG hubby loved this soup, he same it was the BEST soup I’ve ever made. I did add a little chopped cilantro, some oregano & chili powder. SO GOOD! Thank you for the recipe will definitely be a soup we add to our menu for this fall/winter. Oh and I cooked it in my instant pot instead and sautéd the onions, garlic & cilantro with all the seasonings first then added everything else and pressure cooked it for 20 minutes, the chicken was super tender. LOVE LOVE LOVED it! Thank you again!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
What is the serving size to go with the nutritional value?
I make white chicken chili frequently but have never thought of adding beer – brilliant! I find that the best way to thicken it at the end is to add several corn tortillas chopped into about 1 inch square pieces. The tortillas add a wonderful corny taste. I also serve it with the crispy tortilla strips.
I often just mash/pulverize some of the beans intended for the soup. Gives it a creamy texture and no extra ingredients added!
I am new to your site, but I couldn’t help but read this. I’ve become disabled & no longer cook, which I really miss. I have recently moved into a small, senior citizens facility & will give this recipe to the cook. She’s always looking for something new & easy. She cooks for about 50 of us. I’ll let her adapt the amounts.
I made this yesterday and we ate however much we wanted but now for lunch I’m looking to get a serving size for the 160 calories. Maybe 1 cup? Or do you think more?
Very tasty! And so simple. Added more spice cuz we like things spicy but otherwise followed to a T. I did shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker cuz it fell apart. It’s a little thin but packed with flavor!
So sorry if this has already been asked and answered – can this be made in an Instant Pot?
Hi!
Yes, this can be cooked in the IP. Place everything in the IP, put the chicken breasts on top and pour in the chicken broth. Secure the lid on your pressure cooker in its sealing position. Select the manual setting and set the cooking time for 15 minutes at high pressure. The pot will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking program begins. When done, do a quick release, remove the chicken, shred it, and then stir it back into the IP with the rest of the soup. Then, serve.
This is amazing!!! I had to make some tweaks (we don’t drink beer) and added some chipotle (as we love it!) I also threw in some mushrooms and chopped bell pepper.
Our slow cooker seems to be bionic! 2 hrs on high and it was ready. We are a two person household so have lots of lovely leftovers, I just had some and it tasted even better today! I also think the leftover sauce could be drunk as a broth it is that good.
Hi- what did you do to substitute the beer? We do not drink either.
Hi!
You can use non-alcoholic beer, or a general substitute like, water, chicken broth, or apple juice. Even ginger ale will work.
Thank you for sharing! Plan to make this tonight. I may use Guiness instead of Dos Equis, probably slightly less than a cup though because of the stronger flavor.
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Hi there,
Can this be made in an instant pot?
Looks pretty good but I would DEFINITELY not use Guinness beer- it is TOTALLY different from Dos Equis. Gross.
Also the amount of spices called for seem paltry- 1/4 tsp chili powder for an entire slow cooker meal? I plan to at least double them.
Thank you Katerina for sharing with us this simple yet amazing recipe for the Crock Pot White Chicken Chili . I tried the recipe at home and I should say it sure is packed with all the Southwestern flavors. My family loved it and have asked for it to be made again, which happens rarely. All appreciations to you for giving us a healthy and pot filled with chicken, corn, beans and a portion of beer.
I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you! 🙂
Delicious, thanks so much!
Thank YOU! 🙂
Wow this looks so delicious! It would be perfect for some of the colder nights up here!
I love soup season for recipes just like this! Looks so flavorful; definitely too good to pass up!
This is such an amazingly comforting meal!
Thank you SO much, Toni! 🙂
Very flavorful and delicious! My family loved your recipe!
Thank you! I am very happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
This Crock Pot White Chicken Chili looks incredibly delicious!
Thank you, Erin! 🙂
I cant get enough of this such a perfect meal!
Yum! I actually like white chicken chili more than a more standard type of chili. This is a great recipe.
Thank you so much, Krissy! 🙂
This is seriously the most delicious dinner!! We are all obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
I am SO happy you enjoyed it!! Thank YOU!! 🙂
I tried this soup because it looked like an easy way to feed a crowd, I will be making it again and again because it tastes AMAZING!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU, Wilhelmina!!:)
What kind of beer?
I just use whatever I have on hand, but a dark beer goes best in chili. Modelo Negra is a good choice, as well as Guinness or Samuel Adams, perhaps.
Unbelievably, relentlessly bland.
This looks delicious, but quick question! When it says 4 chicken breast halves, does that mean 4 pieces of chicken? Or two breasts cut in half? Thank you!
Hi Cat!! I meant two whole breasts cut in half, but honestly, I should have just said 1-pound of chicken breasts… and I think I’ll just go ahead and change it to that right now! hehe 🙂 I hope that helps – let me know! Have a great day ahead.
Can the check be frozen chicken?
Hi Natalie! I personally have never tried it, but I wouldn’t use frozen chicken because it will release more liquid than needed.
Was not a fan, was looking for chilli but this was like soup. Trying to figure out a way to make it thicker on the spot with what I have so I’m not stuck with a crockpot full of soup!
If you want a thicker consistency, just take out a few heaping spoonfuls of the cooked beans, mash them, and then add them back to the pot; stir until mixture starts to thicken. You can also mix together equal parts cornstarch with cold water, then add that to the soup and stir until it starts to thicken.
This looked SOOOO good! I had to add it to our list of chili recipes! Thanks!!
Just the other day when making my regular chili, thought about trying the white bean chicken. Now i can give it a try. Thank you
I can’t wait to try this recipe! …But… I have to do gluten free in my household, so would it work as well without the beer or is there something I could use in its place?
Hi Gloria!
You can just replace the beer with any other liquid – I’d go with more chicken broth. 🙂
I love beer in stew (even favor it over wine), but I’ve never thought to try it in chili. I’m looking forward to making it this weekend.
What kind of beer did you use??
Hi Olivia! I’m pretty sure it was an MGD. 😀
White chili is my fave, I’d absolutely inhale this!
I’m with you about lists. I always think that I don’t need them but then I forget to pick the kids up from school or take them to soccer. Its nuts how much I relay on them. I also need to use my slow cooker more. I never use it. Think I will use it next week with this recipe. Looks amazing. And love that you use kidney beans!! 🙂 Pinned!
This is the food that I like , very good recipe
I was invited to my Grandson’s home, his friend Ansley made this recipe, immediately said I want this Receipt. She uses 4oz cream cheese and 1/4 cup half & half in recipe with sour cream as a side. Gives a delicious taste.
OMG, Three’s Company! I’d love to escape for a day with a cheesy TV marathon and a bowl of this chili!
You’ve outdone yourself Kate, this looks incredible!!
Tried this recipe yesterday and it was very good! Will definitely make again! Shared with my neighbor and can’t wait to see what he thinks?! Gave him sour cream and shredded cheese on the side, told him avacado was suggested but didn’t use as it’s hard to keep fresh! He gave me an individual serving of guacamole, will be throwing that in tonight!!