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Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

The easiest, most delicious crock pot white chicken chili you’ll ever make! Slow cooked in a crock pot, this healthy chili recipe is packed with flavor while still healthful and light.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili - an easy and healthful slow cooker recipe | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #dinner #recipe #crockpot

Welcome to the first annual white chicken chili cook off!

Did you bring your cornbread?

Just kidding, I wouldn’t spring something as important as a chili cook off upon you without proper notice, but I will announce: this is the first white chili I ever did make.

It’s also the best meal I’ve eaten since I made that Thanksgiving feast a month ago.

You know when something is too good to be true and you’re waiting for something to rear its ugly head because it couldn’t possibly be that amazing?

Seriously, I’ve been waiting for the ball to drop and for the chili demons to spring out of my bowl and declare savage law on all the chilis. No chili demon sightings yet. Will keep you posted.

My professional assessment of the classic red v. white chili?

You’re wondering if I have a preference, aren’t you? I just can’t even go there, as I feel the two are neck and neck on every judgement spectrums.

Comfort level, flavor barometer, fun factor…they’re all just so close. Yet they taste entirely different. Almost to the point where you can’t compare.

Almost to the point where we’re talking about two different sports altogether, but, like two different sports that require the same ball, uniform and playing field, but just have different rules. Make sense?

Are we done with the red v. white discussion? Lettuce continue.

In my opinion, a good chili, whether it be classic or white, is basically a fine art piece.

There are so many stimuli we can stimulate, and the end result is a culmination of creative prowess and imagination.

Do we add subtle, nearly undetectable nuances like a splash of booze and a pinch of cinnamon or a tablespoon of cocoa powder?

Do we make it bold using fatty meats or even sausage?

Keep it basic with an all-the-beans approach?

Do we go simple, but save the effort for the end and elaborately serve with a million toppers?

Real life questions for real life masterpieces.

You know how I like to eat my chili? I like to mix in a little whole milk plain yogurt, and bake Jack cheese on top in the oven (at 400 degrees F) so that it becomes golden crispy.

Then I give ‘er a dollop of plain yogurt on top, along with a sprinkle of green onion.

You can go with any combination of your favorite toppings here, and of course, when in doubt, just add bacon.

How to Make Crock Pot White Chicken Chili:

This recipe is a super easy three-step process:

  1. Sauté the onion until it begins turning brown
  2. Add every last ingredient to your crock pot and set on low for 6 to 8 hours (Note: I had my crock pot on low for a whopping 10 hours and the chicken became so tender and succulent, I barely could understand my own emotions once the chili hit my face trap).
  3. Shred the chicken

Step 1 – lettuce discuss. If you’re in a mega hurry, you really don’t need to saute the onion, but I can’t emphasize enough how much I love the flavor of nearly caramelized onion in chili.

It makes the whole thing rich in flavor, and only requires about 10 to 15 minutes of extra time.

If you have that time in your budget, do the sauté, and if not, just skip Step 1 and add the raw onion to the crock along with everything else.

Let’s ponder step 3.

After I shred the chicken, I put it back in the crock pot for as long as possible before serving so that it becomes ultra flavorful.

If I have the patience, this means allowing the chili to slow cook all day, shredding the chicken in the afternoon/evening, then letting it sit all night.

Can you even imagine?  This is actually the approach I took and lemme just tell you: no regrets.

Soup, stew, and chili is always better in the days following preparation, so for this reason, I tend to hold off on actually consuming it until day 2. Though, day 1 is fantastic, too.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili - an easy and healthful slow cooker recipe | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #dinner #recipe #crockpot

You should make this white chicken chili.

Just be sure you don’t forget the cornbread!

More Healthy Chili Recipes:

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili - an easy and healthful slow cooker recipe | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #dinner #recipe #crockpot

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Yield: 3 to 4 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

White chicken chili is easy to make in the slow cooker and results in super tender chicken!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high and add the onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
  2. Transfer the onion-garlic-jalapeno mixture to your slow cooker (I used this 6-quart slow cooker), along with the rest of the ingredients for the chili. Stir well and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  3. Use a fork to fish out the chicken breasts and place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then place it back in the crock pot. If time allows, let the chicken soak in the chili for at least 1 hour (overnight is better) for maximum flavor.
  4. Serve heaping bowls of chili with your favorite toppings.

Notes

*I used 1 can of cannelini beans, and 1 can of Great Northern Beans

Nutrition Information
Yield 3 Serving Size 1 of 3
Amount Per Serving Calories 381Total Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 37gFiber 11gSugar 2gProtein 41g

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Kelly

Sunday 31st of October 2021

Looks great! How would you modify the recipe if you were to make it in the instant pot?

Don

Sunday 8th of April 2018

Hi Julia, This recipe showed up in the MyFitness Pal blog (http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-chicken-chili/). I made the recipe today and while doing so I entered it into the MyFitness Pal app on my phone. The calories came out to 485!! I scanned the bar codes for the ingredients that had them. Then I went to the myfitnesspal.com website and entered it manually (their URL importer couldn't find the ingredients from your website). This time the calories were 360 per serving but that's still still more than 100 calories higher than shown at the blog. Am I missing something?

Thanks, Don

Ellie

Saturday 3rd of December 2016

Making my second batch in 2 weeks. First batch I doubled for a soup & salad work potluck...this one for the home front and chilly temps in Vegas!! Love LOve LOVE it!!!

Julia

Tuesday 6th of December 2016

Waaaaahooooo! I'm so happy to hear it, Ellie! I can't believe it's taken me this long to make white chicken chili, and now I'm making up for lost time, ha! Happy you're enjoying it as well! ;) xo

Kristie

Sunday 27th of November 2016

Looks delicious! What does the * next to the beans denote (in the ingredient list)? I assume the beans should be drained and rinsed, although the recipe doesn't say either way. And is there liquid that needs to be drained from the canned chilis?

Julia

Monday 28th of November 2016

Hi Kristie, the * was to denote you can use any white bean of choice. Yes, please drain and rinse the beans, but leave the liquid in the chilis. My apologies for not specifying these things when I published the recipe - I went ahead and made the adjustments! Enjoy!

marcie

Monday 14th of November 2016

I brought my cornbread...you better believe it -- I love white chicken chili! I love all chili naturally, but this is such a nice way to change things up. I could eat bowls of this every day!

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