Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe

This Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe is perfect to make for dinner tonight!

Chili is perfect for a cold night when all you want to do is warm up your body and soul. This chili recipe is clean and easy to make in your slow cooker!

An overhead view looking down into a white bowl filled with Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

How Spicy Is This White Chicken Chili?

The spice is very mild. You can up the spiciness by adding jalapeno peppers if you want. You can also use cayenne pepper if you prefer that.

What To Serve With CrockPot White Chicken Chili

This is great served with one of the following on the side:

Why Is My White Chicken Chili Runny?

Any time you make chili like this, it will tend to be on the runnier/brothy side because you don’t use the usual chili ingredients that thicken things up. If you enjoy that, great! If not, read on…

A side view of a white bowl filled with Crockpot White Chicken Chili and garnished with lime, cilantro, avocado and jalapeno peppers.

How Do You Make White Chicken Chili Thicker?

You have a couple of options if you want to thicken this chili.

  1. You can add starch during the cooking process.
  2. You can reserve some of the beans for blending (or use extra beans just for this purpose).
  3. You can drain/rinse the beans so there is less overall liquid in the finished chili.

If you use starch, you’ll want to make a slurry with cool water or broth first. Use about 2 tbsp. of starch to 1 tbsp. of water. Whisk it until smooth, then stir it into the pot.

If you want to use beans to thicken this, I recommend using extra beans. Blend them with a tiny bit of broth until they are smooth. Then add it to the chili.

You can also use a combo of blended beans and starch slurry to get this super thick. The addition of yogurt will help as well.

If you opt to drain the beans, know that the broth itself will still be on the thinner side. So you may want to do any combination of the above suggestions.

Making White Chicken Chili Creamy

To make this chili creamy, simply stir in 2 cups of plain yogurt after cooking. This can be regular yogurt, Greek yogurt, or non-dairy yogurt. I used the Kite Hill brand of almond milk yogurt. (Not paid to promote them).

A close up of a bowl of Crockpot White Chicken Chili garnished with lime, cilantro, avocado slices and jalapeno pepper slices.

Recipe Variations

  • Try adding some corn to this.
  • Try adding sour cream if you want this to be truly rich and creamy.
  • Some folks may like to add a splash of heavy cream.

What If I Don’t Have Rotel?

This is a relatively simple fix. All you have to do is use a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes as well as one or two, 4 oz. cans of green chilies.

How To Garnish Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Opt for one or more of the following to top things off. I highly recommend using all of them in generous amounts!

  • Green chiles
  • Lime juice
  • Avocados
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips – We like to crush ours.

About The Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Great Northern beans – low sodium if canned. You can use any type of white beans, like cannellini beans.

Rotel – I used the organic variety that has a very clean ingredient list. However, if you cannot find this, (not all Rotel is clean) you can use the suggestion above.

Red onions – diced.

Large garlic cloves – minced.

Chili powder

Ground cumin

Chicken broth (or stock) – reduced sodium, no sugar added.

Salt and black pepper – to taste.

Yogurt – Optional if you want this to be creamy. You can also try sour cream or cream cheese if you prefer that.

How To Make Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Ingredients for Crockpot White Chicken Chili sitting on a black background.

Prep all your soup ingredients.

Cut up chicken thighs in a crock.

Place the chicken in the crock.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe ingredients added to a crock for cooking.
Stirring together all the Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe ingredients in a crock.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the crock.

A slow cooker display panel shows that it is set to high temperature for six hours.

Stir well. Cook the chili for 6-8 hours on low in a slow cooker, or on high pressure for 25 minutes if using an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker.

Prepped garnishes laying on a wood cutting board. Chunks and slices of lime, jalapeno pepper and avocado.

While the chili cooks, prep all the garnishes as needed.

Adding yogurt to Crockpot White Chicken Chili after cooking.
The finished chili in a crock after having yogurt stirred into it.

When the chili is done cooking, remove the crock from the appliance and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Then stir in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Note that adding the garnishes adds tons of flavor, so you won’t need to go overboard with the salt and pepper.

A ladle scoops up some Crockpot White Chicken Chili from a crock.

Ladle some chili into a bowl.

Squeezing fresh lime juice over a bowl of Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

Garnish as you like and serve.

Storage

Store this in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing

This freezes better without the yogurt added (if you use it). Pack it well and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheat in a microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

Recipe Supplies

For this recipe, you’ll need a slow cooker, an Instant Pot, or a Ninja Foodi. If you need one, you can click any image here to be taken to that product on Amazon. (Affiliate links)

Slow cooker sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)
Instant Pot sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)
Ninja Foodi sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

More Healthy Chili Recipes

White Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe Card + Video
Copyright Information For The Gracious Pantry

An overhead view looking down into a white bowl filled with Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

White Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe

This wonderful chili is perfect for a cold night when all you want to do is warm up your body and soul. The recipe is clean eating and easy to make in your slow cooker!
4 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 19 servings
Calories: 243kcal

CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!

Equipment

  • 1 Slow Cooker (at least 5 quarts – Or use an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi)

Ingredients

Soup Ingredients

  • lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 medium red onion (diced – approximately 1½ cups of diced onion)
  • 8 large garlic cloves (pressed or minced)
  • 30 oz. Rotel (no sugar added. If you can't find it, see alternative suggestion in post above)
  • 60 oz. Great Northern beans (This is 4 (15 oz.) cans, no sugar added, do not drain.)
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 4 cups chicken broth (no sugar or dextrose added, low sodium is best)
  • 2 cups plain yogurt (see notes in post above)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes

  • 2 medium limes (or 1 lime per person)
  • 2 medium avocados (or ½ an avocado per person)
  • 2 large jalapeno peppers (sliced or diced, with or without seeds)
  • 1 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Prep all your soup ingredients.
    Ingredients for Crockpot White Chicken Chili sitting on a black background.
  • Place the chicken in the crock.
    Cut up chicken thighs in a crock.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients to the crock. Stir well.
    Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe ingredients added to a crock for cooking.
  • Cook the chili for 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high. In a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
    A slow cooker display panel shows that it is set to high temperature for six hours.
  • While the chili cooks, prep all the garnishes as needed.
    Prepped garnishes laying on a wood cutting board. Chunks and slices of lime, jalapeno pepper and avocado.
  • When the chili is done cooking, remove the crock from the appliance and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Then stir in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Note that adding the garnishes adds tons of flavor, so you won't need to go overboard with the salt and pepper.
    Adding yogurt to Crockpot White Chicken Chili after cooking.
  • Ladle some chili into a bowl.
    A ladle scoops up some Crockpot White Chicken Chili from a crock.
  • Garnish as you like and serve.
    Squeezing fresh lime juice over a bowl of Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3mg

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 5/17/12.
Recipe updated on 3/24/23.

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74 Comments

  1. Patty Creech says:

    Can you eat a side dish with the chili and if so what would be a good one? What amount would you eat?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Sure! A salad would be great.

  2. I am using uncooked ground turkey….does it matter? Thank you!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      It’s fine, just be sure it’s completely cooked. You may have to cook a bit longer. Keep an eye on it.

  3. So the chicken is raw going into the cooker, but not diced or otherwise cut up??

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Correct.

  4. Made this the other night with 1/2 Rotissari Chicken pulled from the bone. It was wonderful! I only cooked it on low about 2 hours to blend the flavors since the chicken was cooked. I did leave out the green chilis (forgot to get them at the store!) but it turned out perfectly for my mild loving family.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Cassie – Fabulous! So glad everyone enjoyed it! 😀

  5. This turned out wonderfully. I used dry beans in place of canned. I had all the ingredients on hand, I love when that happens! Topped with lime, cilantro, cheese and jalapeno. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Smack80 – My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

  6. I made this a few nights ago and was a bit disappointed. The flavor was great, but it looked more like chili than white. Most white chicken chilis have their own distinct look to them, much like the one in the picture. Mine looked like regular chili except chicken instead of beef. I followed the recipe exactly, but did I miss something?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Erienne – That’s really odd! I’m not sure what could have changed the color. Are you sure you didn’t change anything at all? I’m glad you found it tasty though!

  7. Yes the only thing I left out was the chilies as husband cannot have a whole lot of spice right now. I have tried several recipes here though and love them all! Tonight we had the mushroom rice casserole. So good and so easy!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Erienne – I’m completely stumped. I’m sorry, I wish I had an answer for you! 🙁

  8. Hi! This looks delicious! My husband has some food allergies…dairy being one. Do you think I can leave out the cheese, and had it on the side as a garnish?
    Thanks,
    Heather

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Heather – Sure! That should work fine. 🙂

  9. Rachael Engen says:

    How long do you recommend cooking it in the crockpot on low if the chicken is precooked?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Rachael – I’m not sure you would want to use pre-cooked chicken in a slow cooker. The meat will dry out by the time everything else gets cooked. You could check it after 2-3 hours, but again, not sure how that would turn out.

  10. I had the same problem as Erienne. The 1/4 cup chili powder is what changes the color. Is there some sort of white chili powder that is supposed to be used instead of regular chili powder?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      KC – Not that I know of.

  11. I leave out the tomatoes and the chili powder. Tastes just as great and it will give you a nice white chili look.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Deborah – Great! 🙂

  12. Those of you who got the red chili color, did you drain and rinse your white beans? I did, and I bet anything that contributed to the stronger red chili look rather than white chili. Next time I will try not draining or rinsing them.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Tiffany – Why would that contribute? Was the juice red?

  13. I noticed the serving size is 11….how many cups (or part of a cup) is a serving?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      K – It should be 11 cups.

  14. Awesome! Thank you! Your recipes are so incredibly helpful!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      K – Thanks so much! I’m so happy to be helpful! 🙂

  15. Where is the nutrition info on this recipe?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Jill – I no longer provide that information because I couldn’t provide accurate numbers. But you can easily plug the recipe into an online calculator. I highly recommend MyFitnessPal.com. They make is super east to import recipes.

  16. Kimberly Kotnour says:

    I’m making this chili tonight. Can you please tell me the amount of calories and sugar grams.

    Thanks,
    Kim

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kimberly – You would have to enter the recipe into a recipe calculator. I like the one at MyFitnessPal.com. They make it easy to import a recipe.

  17. Treacelee says:

    could you please show me a photo of a can of great northern beans as I am not sure if I can buy them here Thanks

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Treaclee – Any white bean can be used. Cannellini beans or even navy beans will work as well.

  18. Did you drain the juice from your tomatoes before adding them?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Angela – No, use the juice. 🙂

  19. Cyndie Misner says:

    I am making the White Chicken Chili recipe this week. The ingredients list 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese but the instructions say add the one cup of Mexican cheese. Which gives a better chili flavor or can I use either?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Cyndie – Sorry about that! Either one will work. Just depends on the flavor you want. Mexican cheese blends would be lighter in flavor, while the cheddar would obviously give a stronger cheddar flavor. I prefer the Mexican blend, but either way.

  20. I love this recipe and have been making for years. But, I made it tonight and checked the recipe to refresh my memory. I’m sure there was more than a tablespoon of chili powder and cumin. The taste was definitely off. Can you let me know what the correct amount should be?

    1. Carolyn – Yes, I updated the recipe. Here is the original:
      1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, raw
      1 (16 oz.) can diced no salt added tomatoes, fire roasted or regular, OR 1 lbs. fresh, chopped
      4 (16 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, low sodium and/or organic
      1 (4 oz.) can fire roasted green chiles
      2 medium onions, diced
      6 cloves of garlic, minced
      1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
      ¼ cup chili powder
      2 tsp. cumin
      1 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken stock
      1 cup 2% cheddar, grated
      Salt and pepper to taste