A delicious, hearty, filling chili straight from the crockpot. When you're running low on time, try this cozy, perfect-for-winter Crockpot White Chicken Chili.
What is White Chicken Chili?
White Chicken Chili varies from a traditional chili in a couple of ways. The first, and most obvious, is that the protein utilized is chicken vs. ground beef. In addition, it is a creamy dish due to the cream cheese.
Also, it typically doesn't use as much chili powder, kidney beans, or tomatoes. Instead, the ingredients include green chiles, cannellini beans, and lime juice. I love white chicken chili, and this cozy, delicious, creamy recipe is no exception!
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
This easy white chicken chili is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It is creamy, hearty, and really hits the spot on a cold winter night. There is no hard work hidden in this recipe. All you have to do is add the ingredients to the crock pot, and set a timer.
Something about me is I absolutely love a dish with limitless topping options. It is one of my favorite ways to make a recipe your own. This is definitely one of those recipes. Set up a topping bar and invite your friends and family for a night in this frigid winter. Some of my favorite toppings for this dish include fresh lime juice, tortilla strips, avocado, and sour cream.
This chili season, whip out this high-protein, healthy recipe and be ready to impress your guests. This is also a great option for meal prep. Not only will it last in your fridge all week, it takes little to no effort or management to make this delicious recipe. It is the best crockpot chicken chili, and the flavors are filling and yummy. This is a creamy, cozy fish for those cold nights in.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili ingredients
To make this delicious white chili, gather these simple ingredients and you'll be ready to go!
- chicken breast
- onion
- bell pepper
- garlic
- green chiles
- great northern beans
- low-sodium chicken broth
- Neufchâtel cheese
- green salsa
- chili powder
- cumin
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
- instant rice
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, fresh lime juice, dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, green onion
How to make Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Here is what goes into make this creamy chicken chili:
- Gather all ingredients.
- Add the chicken, garlic, diced onion, peppers, green chiles, beans, salsa, spices, and cups of chicken broth to a crockpot.
- Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, until chicken is cooked (and internal temp is 165 degrees).
- When the chicken is cooked, take out and shred. Then add back to the crockpot.
- Add the instant rice and block of Neufchâtel cheese. Stir and let cook for about 20 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with cheese, tortilla chips, lime wedges, and avocado, or some of your other favorite toppings.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili substitution ideas
There are lots of substitution ideas from this creamy white chicken chili:
- Chicken: You could use a rotisserie chicken or chicken thighs to get the shredded chicken you'll need for this recipe.
- Great northern beans: Use pinto beans or black beans.
- Neufchatel cheese: Cream cheese, heavy cream, even cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese would melt nicely. If you're dairy free, full-fat coconut milk would make an excellent substitution and adds a delicious coconut flavor.
How long does chili last in the fridge?
This easy crockpot white chicken chili will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure you store the leftover chili in an airtight container and you'll be good to go!
To reheat, you can place the chili in a pot and reheat on the stove. This doesn't take long at all and is my preferred method of reheating. Another way is to place the chili in a microwave safe container and warm it up in a microwave. Make sure to stir in between each minute in the microwave.
How to meal prep this recipe
Chili (and soup in general) is a great food for meal prep. You can divide the dish into individual airtight containers for an easy grab n' go. Alternatively, if you've got room, you can keep this in a fridge inside the pot you cooked it in!
Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight freezer bag and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. This chili is a great choice for a freezer meal to deliver to someone in need.
What goes well with White Chicken Chili
White chicken chili is one of those great recipes with flavors that go well with so many different sides. To round out this meal, I suggest adding some sort of vegetable or side salad.
Some of my favorite vegetable sides are broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. In addition, some garlic bread or fresh fruit would taste delicious alongside this chili.
How healthy is crockpot white chicken chili
Healthy is a subjective term, specific to each individual, their body, and their health and fitness goals. Let's look at a few of these ingredients as a whole and see what they have to offer your body.
Chicken is obviously full of protein, which helps build muscle and keeps you full for longer. Bell peppers are full of Vitamin C, which supports your immune system. They also are full of fiber and Vitamin A. Red peppers are the most nutrient dense. Great Northern Beans are also full of protein, fiber, and Calcium. Fiber is necessary for healthy digestion and can help cut cholesterol in your gut.
Other delicious crockpot recipe ideas
If you're loving the ease of this crockpot recipe, try these others right here at Jordo's World. Make sure to leave a review and let me know what you think!
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- crockpot
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breast raw(24 oz)
- 1 onion raw & diced (150 g)
- 1 large bell pepper raw & diced (150 g)
- 4 cloves garlic raw & minced (28 g)
- 2 cans green chiles 8 oz total
- 2 cans great northern beans drained & rinsed (30 oz total)
- 1 box low-sodium chicken broth 32 oz
- 1 block Neufchâtel cheese 8 oz
- 1 jar green salsa 16 oz, mild or medium depending on heat preference
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup instant rice dry
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese tortilla chips, avocado
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Add the chicken, garlic, onion, peppers, green chiles, beans, salsa, spices, and chicken broth to a crockpot.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, until chicken is cooked (and internal temp is 165 degrees).
- When the chicken is cooked, take out and shred. Then add back to the crockpot.
- Add the instant rice and block of Neufchâtel cheese. Stir and let cook for about 20 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with cheese, tortilla chips, and avocado.
Nicole Baker says
What’s the serving size? 1 cup?
Jordan Smith says
Hi Nicole, there are 6 servings for this chili. It's about 1.5 cups per serving.
Sharon says
Hello! Excited to try this. Suggestions on when to add rice if not using instant? Thanks
Jordan Smith says
Hi Sharon, I haven't made with regular rice yet, but I would guess about 20-30 minutes. Let me know if you try it!
Rosa says
This was such a a crowd pleaser! We subbed light cream cheese and it was phenomenal. It will be added to our dinnertime rotation for sure!
Jordan Smith says
Rosa, that's so awesome the whole crowd loved it! YAY! Those kinds of recipes are my favorite 🙂