You asked for more healthy crock pot recipes and I’m so happy to deliver with CrockPot White Chicken Chili! Not only is this easy white chicken chili low in fat yet high in protein and fiber, but it’s gluten free and dairy free too.
Best of all, this recipe falls into the “add nearly everything into the slow cooker then push on” category — aka the very best kind!
It’s not an exaggeration to say that my entire family loves this dish. Don’t tell my Signature Chili, but it might be my favorite chili recipe on IGE. Each bowl is slightly thick and velvety, and full of familiar yet craveable flavors.
Good anytime of year – just don’t forget the cornbread!
Watch How to Make It!
What’s Inside
Lean, boneless skinless chicken breasts join fridge and pantry staples including canned white beans and green chiles, flavorful broth, and both dried and fresh herbs and spices to create a healthy bowl of white chili that’s made for you right in the crock pot. I think there’s a common misconception that chicken breasts take forever to slow cook, but all you need is four hours on low. It should shred with just the tap of a fork.
How Do You Thicken White Chicken Chili?
I love this crockpot chicken chili because the broth is slightly thick and luxurious. To thicken it, all you have to do is combine a splash of milk with gluten free flour (or regular flour if you don’t need to eat GF) then drizzle the mixture into the crock pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Nearly no work yet you get that fabulous, velvety texture which thickens a bit further after adding crushed tortilla chips and/or shredded cheese to each bowl.
Make or Prep Ahead – 3 Ways!
Not only is CrockPot White Chicken Chili a relatively quick cooking slow cooker recipe, but it’s easy to make or prep ahead of time. Here are my favorite ways to make or prep the recipe ahead of time so dinner is a breeze:
- Make freezer packs. Add all the ingredients into a gallon freezer bag then remove as much air as possible and freeze flat. 24-48 hours before slow cooking, place the bag in the fridge to thaw then dump into the crock pot and cook according to the directions. I stocked the freezer with a bunch of these before going on maternity leave with Cameron.
- Prep the night before. Add all the ingredients into the removable crock portion of your Crock Pot then place in the refrigerator overnight. Let the pot sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes then pop it into the base and cook according to recipe instructions..
- Cook ahead of time. Slow cook the recipe then cool completely and transfer to a large storage container. Scoop into bowls later in the week then reheat in the microwave. Voila – nearly instant supper!
How Spicy is It?
As written, this dish isn’t too spicy for my little kids, all currently 8 and under, though you could definitely up the ante by adding more fresh jalapenos into the mix, topping your bowl with fresh or pickled jalapeno slices, adding a dash or 17 of green Tabasco sauce, or topping each bowl with shredded Pepper Jack cheese.
How to Make CrockPot White Chicken Chili
Start by adding chicken breasts, canned great northern beans, canned diced green chiles, fresh jalapenos that have been seeded and minced, garlic, shallot or onion, plus seasonings including salt, pepper, cumin, and dried oregano into a 6-quart Crock Pot. Next add fresh lime juice plus chicken broth then stir, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.
After four hours, shred the chicken and place into the refrigerator. Whisk together milk (any kind) and flour (gluten free, if you need it!) in a small dish then pour into the chili and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. This will give the chili just a touch of velvety thickness.
Stir the chicken back into the soup then scoop the CrockPot White Chicken Chili into bowls and serve with your favorite chili toppers. I hope you love this easy crockpot chicken chili recipe – enjoy!
What to Serve with CrockPot White Chicken Chili
- Cornbread
- Sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Fresh lime wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Crock Pot Mojo Pork
- Crock Pot Cheeseburger French Fries
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
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CrockPot White Chicken Chili
Description
CrockPot White Chicken Chili is an easy, healthy, and hearty slow cooker chicken chili recipe that's full of familiar yet craveable flavors.
Ingredients
- 1lb chicken breasts (~2 large chicken breasts)
- 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 4oz can chopped green chiles
- 1 - 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded then minced (use 1 made for a mild chili)
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- big pinch dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken broth
- juice of 1/2 small lime
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind
- 1 Tablespoon flour (gluten free all-purpose if you need it!)
- Toppings: green Tabasco sauce, verde sauce, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream
Directions
- Add first 12 ingredients — chicken breasts through lime juice — into a 6-quart crock pot then stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or until chicken shreds easily.
- Remove chicken then shred and place in the refrigerator. Whisk flour and milk together in a small dish then drizzle into chili and stir to combine. Cover then cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir shredded chicken back into chili then scoop into bowls and serve with toppings.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
To prep ahead of time:
- Make freezer packs. Add all the ingredients for the CrockPot White Chicken Chili into a gallon freezer bag then remove as much air as possible and freeze flat. 24-48 hours before slow cooking, place the bag in the fridge to thaw then dump into the crockpot and cook according to the directions. I stocked the freezer with a bunch of these for maternity leave!
- Prep the night before. Add all the ingredients into the removable crock portion of your CrockPot then place in the refrigerator overnight. Let the CrockPot sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes then pop it into the base and cook according to directions.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Sue 09.19.2023
Made this today and I loved it! I didn’t have any jalapeños on hand, so I used cayenne pepper to get that kick. The chicken is really tender. Thank you for sharing.
Kristin 09.20.2023
I’m so glad you loved it, Sue – great spice hack, too!!
AA 09.11.2023
You have so much affiliated pop ups on this site makes it impossible to follow recipe on phone!
Carol 09.02.2023
Made this for the first time today. Absolutely delicious, I added an extra can of beans. This will be a repeat meal for Fall and Winter.
Kristin 09.07.2023
Ahh, awesome, Carol! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it!!
joyce 08.30.2023
I am going to make this for the first time ever, but I don’t like white meat chicken/turkey, I am going to use thighs instead, love all of your recipes, simple and delicious and eye appealing.
Kristin 08.30.2023
I’ve made this with thighs before and it’s fantastic – I hope you love it, Joyce!
Christina 08.27.2023
This was soooo yummy! I made this today and it was amazing! Thank you for an excellent recipe!!!
Kristin 08.28.2023
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Christina! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Ashley 07.05.2023
Excellent recipe! I threw everything in my instant pot for 10 minutes and let it natural release for 5. Put it on sauté while I shredded the chicken. I didn’t have milk, so I used half and half. It was thick, creamy and satisfying! Super fast meal with easy ingredients to have on hand. This is going into the rotation for sure! Thanks!
Kristin 07.18.2023
That sounds so delicious, Ashley! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Pegi 04.06.2023
Can I make this recipe in a four and a half quart crock pot?
Kristin 04.10.2023
Yep, that’s just fine!
Rachel 03.30.2023
Good recipe, I wanted to make this without a bunch of cream and cheese. However adding a mix of milk and flower at the end does nothing to thicken up this dish. I had to make a separate roux and add it so make this dish otherwise it was a watery soup.
Kristin 07.18.2023
Hi Rachel! This isn’t a chowder-like soup, it’s a chili. I hope that helps explain why it wasn’t like a broccoli cheddar soup style dish in the end for you!
Kristin 03.15.2023
Hi, would it be okay to use thin chicken tenders instead of breasts?
Kristin 07.18.2023
That should be fine! I’d start checking on the chicken after 2 hours on low!
Kristie 02.23.2023
I love this recipe and have made it several times! How long would you set the slow cooker for if you were making a double batch? Thanks so much in advance!
Kristin 03.02.2023
I think 5 hours on low should be fine!
Heather 02.20.2023
As with everything you post…this came out AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing!❤️
Kristin 02.21.2023
I’m thrilled to hear it, Heather!! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Amy 02.19.2023
So delicious, easy, light and full of flavor!
Kristin 02.20.2023
I’m so glad you loved it, Amy! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Connie Gallagher 02.15.2023
This recipe was delicious. I made it yesterday and my husband and I loved it. It was perfect just the way your recipe said. I will make this again. We garnished it with avocado, cheddar cheese and sour cream! Thanks
Kristin 02.17.2023
Thank you so much for your comment and feedback, Connie! I’m so glad this recipe was a winner for you and your husband – toppings choices all sounds delicious!
Sarah 02.08.2023
I don’t see how anyone is able to make this as written. 2 cups of broth barely coats the bottom of my crockpot. What am I missing here?
Kristin 02.10.2023
Hi Sarah! What size crock pot do you have? Is it larger than 6 quart?
Cindy 02.02.2023
Absolutely outstanding. Will be a regular part of our month menus from now on. Thank you.
Kristin 02.07.2023
I’m thrilled you loved it, Cindy!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Stephanie 01.29.2023
This looks gorgeous.
Kristin 01.30.2023
Thanks Stephanie!!
Deborah 01.08.2023
Delish! My kids don’t agree on anything to eat, but they do agree on this. This last time I cut costs by using dried beans (soak overnight) and value-pack meat, and added a small can of corn 30 minutes before serving to stretch the meal out.
Kristin 01.09.2023
LOVE to hear that, Deborah!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Kara VDW 10.18.2022
What kind of gf flour would you recommend? Brown rice?
Kristin 10.21.2022
You can use whatever you have in the pantry – I usually use Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 baking flour!
Colleen 10.18.2022
I made this to take to a girls night, where a few of the gals are gluten free. What a hit! Everyone wanted the recipe, and loved to be able to add their own toppings….I had cilantro, green onions, cheese and taco chips. The only thing I did differently was using corn starch instead of gluten free flour as a thickening agent cuz I did not have it.
Kristin 10.21.2022
SO happy to hear that, Colleen! Sounds like a super fun night. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Lauren S. 10.09.2022
I agree with another review, mine did not thicken either. I had to add pureed beans and sour cream to thicken it.
Kristin 10.10.2022
Hi Lauren! This isn’t supposed to be a creamy chili. If you’d like more of a creamy consistency, I recommend my Green Enchilada Soup! https://iowagirleats.com/green-chicken-enchilada-soup/