Crockpot White Chicken Chili
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This healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe is a little lighter than others yet still so comforting and packed with flavor! It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer-friendly. Beware that most slow cooker chicken chili recipes on the internet woefully overcook the chicken but not this one. We’ve nailed the cook time through multiple stringent tests.
Try our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.
3 Keys to Nailing This Recipe
I need to start with a little bad news. It’s impossible to correctly cook boneless chicken breasts AND raw veggies in the slow cooker at the same time. Either the chicken will get overcooked (think chewy and dry) OR the veggies won’t get done (think crunchy, pungent onions). Trust me on this.
As you make slow cooker white chicken chili, keep these three important tips in mind so all ingredients are cooked perfectly. My recipe below incorporates all three.
- Saute or microwave the aromatics (onion and garlic) at the very beginning to give them a jump start and extra flavor.
- Cook the chicken chili on LOW. Never cook chicken on HIGH or you’re just asking for tough, chewy chicken on the other end.
- Chicken breasts only take 2 1/2 to 3 hours on LOW in the crockpot to reach their safe temp, but in a chili like this, they can cook for up to 4 hours max. I will pinky swear on that fact. Use your meat thermometer and see when it reaches 165°F internally if you don’t believe me.
Now, here’s some good news. My recipe will lead you to perfectly cooked chicken and veggies, and a delicious, nutritious chili!
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Ingredients Needed
Here are the flavor-packed ingredients you’ll need on hand…
- Cannellini or Great Northern beans
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- White or yellow onion
- Green bell peppers
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Chili powder
- Chicken broth
- Diced green chiles (medium or mild)
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
- Fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
- Limes
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
How to Make White Chicken Chili in the Crockpot
Let’s walk through a bird’s eye view of how to make this healthy chili in the crock pot.
Prep the Beans
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Then mash half of them with a potato masher or fork. Add all of the beans to the slow cooker. The smashed beans help to thicken the soup without using any flour.
Saute Veggies & Spices
Saute the onions and peppers until just softened. Season with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder during the last 30-60 seconds of cook time.
Cook in the Crock Pot
Add the peppers and onion mixture, broth, salt, pepper, and chicken breasts to the slow cooker and stir until combined. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally or is no longer pink inside.)
Shred Chicken & Finish
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the cooker, and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts.
Serve
Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and suggested toppings.
What to Serve With White Chicken Chili
This Mexican-inspired meal works well when hosting a group or just on a cozy winter night. Here are some ideas for what to serve with this healthy White Chicken Chili.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, white chicken chili freezes well either before or after cooking it. Read our thorough article about two methods for how to freeze white chicken chili and instructions are in the recipe below.
Check out all of our delicious, easy, and healthy freezer meals recipes and our freezer meal cookbooks.
Can I Make This in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Use our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe to whip this up in the pressure cooker. It’s faster and uses less dishes than our crock pot version.
Recipe FAQs
Our version is healthy! We’ve created a chili that’s filled with high-quality protein and packed with veggies. It’s relatively low in fat and carbs, too. If you’re watching your salt intake, be sure to use low-sodium broth and “no salt” canned ingredients.
Lastly, to kick up the nutritional value, add in some healthy toppings such as diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, diced green or red onion, and fresh cilantro.
Our version is because we use smashed beans to thicken the chili instead of flour. Our recipe is also dairy-free.
In this recipe, we use smashed beans to help thicken the chili. The soup will thicken some as it sits, so give it some time after cooking.
If you’d like it even thicker, you can make a cornstarch slurry to stir into the chili at the end. To do this, mix a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into the soup. I’d suggest starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons of each. Slow cook the soup for 30 minutes after adding it.
You can use a few different types of white beans in white chicken chili–cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or even pinto beans work.
Either refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later. The USDA says that most leftovers if refrigerated properly, are safe to eat within 3-4 days. You can also freeze the chili and it will be safe indefinitely, although it will taste best if eaten within about 3 months.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Thanks to fresh onions, bell peppers, and lime juice, plus a blend of warm spices, this lighter White Chicken Chili recipe in the crockpot comes of out of the cooker tender, creamy, a little spicy, and bright-tasting.Â
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced (sub: 1-1 1/2 cups frozen, diced onions)
- 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chilis (medium or mild), juices and all*
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
- Juice of 2 limes, plus extra lime wedges, for serving
*Two 4-ounce cans will work fine, as well.
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep Beans: Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Then mash half of them with a potato masher or fork. Add all of the beans to the slow cooker.
- Saute Veggies & Spices: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers, and saute until just softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder during the last 30-60 seconds of cook time. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Slow Cook Soup: Add the peppers and onion mixture, broth, green chilis, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and stir until combined. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally or is no longer pink inside.)
- Shred Chicken & Finish: Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the cooker, and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts.Â
- Serve: Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and suggested toppings.
Freeze For Later:Â
- Method 1 (Uncooked): Follow Steps 1-2. Add cooked, cooled veggie mixture, broth, chicken breasts, beans, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a gallon-sized freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze flat.Â
- Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Follow Steps 1-4. Let the fully-cooked soup cool completely. Freeze in a gallon-size freezer bag or in individual portions using SouperCubes or 2-cup Pyrex containers.
Prepare From Frozen:Â
- Method 1 (Uncooked): Note: You will need fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and favorite optional toppings on hand to make this meal. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Follow Steps 3-5.
- Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw using one of these safe methods. Warm up over low heat using the stove, microwave, slow cooker, or Saute function on Instant Pot. Follow Step 5 to serve.
Notes/Tips
- Microwaving Aromatics: Instead of sautéing the vegetables on the stovetop, you can microwave them. Toss the onions and peppers in the oil in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for about 4-5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and seasonings and add to the chili.
- Instant Pot Version: Our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is actually a little bit easier since you can saute the aromatics in the pot itself.
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my full review here.
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