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This Crock Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe is loaded with chicken, corn, beans, and even a splash of beer. Hearty yet nutritious, it’s simple to make and just plain tasty!
Get ready to warm up with a delightful bowl of Crockpot White Chicken Chili. This easy-to-follow recipe combines chicken with a rich blend of ingredients like beans, green chilies, corn, and even a splash of beer, all seasoned with classic Southwestern spices. And the best part is that the crock pot does almost all the work!
What Is White Chicken Chili?
White Chicken Chili is a popular variation of traditional chili that typically features chunks of chicken, white beans, green chilies, and sometimes corn. Unlike traditional red chili, which is made with tomatoes and red chili peppers, White Chicken Chili has a lighter, often creamier base. The flavors are usually enhanced with spices like cumin, chili powder, and garlic, and it might be thickened with cream or blended beans.
Why We Love This Crockpot Chili Recipe
- Flavorful: A blend of chicken, white beans, green chilies, and spices creates a rich taste.
- Easy: With the use of a slow cooker, this chili cooks itself, requiring minimal hands-on time.
- Adaptable: It can be adjusted to suit different tastes or dietary needs.
- Hearty: Packed with protein and nutritious ingredients, it’s a good-for-you meal that fills you up.
- Versatile: Whether it’s a family dinner or a game-day feast, this chili fits the bill.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts, but you can also use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut.
- Chicken broth, low-sodium or regular.
- Beer adds a depth of flavor
- Onion & Garlic
- Great Northern Beans add a creaminess to the chili.
- Green chilies for a touch of heat.
- Sweet corn kernels to add sweetness and texture to the chili.
- Spices like cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper season this chili.
- Garnishes, like lime wedges, avocado, jalapeno, sour cream, and cilantro.
How To Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Who can resist a chili, right? It’s perfect for those cold winter nights, and it is easy to whip up and super tasty, but it’s also good for you and fills you up.
- Combine the ingredients. Place the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker then add the broth, beer, onion, garlic, beans, green chilies, and corn. Stir in the seasonings.
- Cook. Cook for 3.5 to 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low.
- Shred the chicken. Place the chicken on a cutting board for a few minutes then shred.
- Blend the soup. Transfer a couple of the soup to a blend and blend until smooth. Return to the crockpot and stir. Add the chicken back to the crockpot as well.
- Enjoy. Ladle into bowls and top with your desired garnishes.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Check for doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is cooked through. It should read 165°F (75°C) at the thickest part.
- Taste as you go. Always taste and adjust seasonings as needed, especially with salt.
- Make it vegetarian. Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth, adding extra beans or other plant-based proteins.
- Try different beans. Use cannellini beans or chickpeas as a substitute for Great Northern Beans.
- Make a creamier broth. For a creamier chili, whisk in a splash of heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream to the pot before serving.
- Beer: 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.
- Make it alcohol-free. If you prefer not to use beer, replace it with additional chicken broth.
- Add more veggies. Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers or diced tomatoes for more texture and flavor.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve chicken chili with some crusty bread, cornbread, or biscuits for dipping. But if you want to add more, red cabbage slaw pairs very well with the flavors, and jeera rice will turn it into a more substantial meal.
Storing Instructions
- To refrigerate, transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container; seal and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To reheat, add larger portions of chili to a pot and warm it over medium heat on the stovetop or warm individual servings in the microwave.
More Chili Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili
- No Beans Chili
- Turkey Chili With Butternut Squash
- Texas No Beans Chili
- Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers
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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 canned sweet corn kernels,, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder,, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon paprika,, or to taste
- salt and fresh ground black 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
- Check for Doneness: Make sure the chicken is cooked through by using an instant-read meat thermometer. It should read 165°F (75°C) at the thickest part.
- Taste and Adjust: Always taste and adjust seasonings as needed, especially with salt, since the spiciness of chilies and salt content in broth can vary.
- Spice Level: Adjust the heat by using milder or hotter green chilies.
- Alternate Proteins: Consider using chicken thighs instead of breasts or even turkey as a substitute.
- Alcohol-Free: If you prefer not to use beer, replace it with additional chicken broth or water.
- Additional Vegetables: Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers or diced tomatoes.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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 was the most bland soup ever and horrible consistency. My husband who is an absolute garbage disposal couldn’t even finish it.
Thank you so much for trying out my soup recipe and for your honest feedback! I’m sorry you didn’t like it. I tend to be a bit conservative with salt in my recipes to cater to various health and dietary needs, but I would advise to just adjust the salt to your liking next time, or even add some herbs or spices for an extra flavor boost. I really appreciate you giving it a go and sharing your thoughts with me!
The Chili alone doesn’t have much flavor. I even doubled the spices and it was still bland. The actual flavor comes from the toppings you add. It turned out ok with the all the toppings.
It was good but not of chili consistency.
It was delicious! We doubled the recipe and even with the bean purée it was way too soupy. I had to remove several cups to the stove add cornstarch. We also needed to double the spices. We’ll definitely keep this one.
This recipe looks delicious but it is NOT gluten free. Beer has gluten in it.
I just used gluten free beer to make it gluten free.
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.