Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili at the Table

two bowls of white chicken chili with sour cream, avocado, jalapeño, and tortilla chips.

Get ready to have your mind blown by this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili! It’s tasty, hands-off, and budget-friendly. It’s a total breeze to make!

The components of this recipe

The beauty of this recipe is that it contains simple ingredients that balance each other out perfectly!

Chicken thighs: We love to use chicken thighs for this recipe! Chicken thighs have more fat on them than any other part of the chicken, which helps them hold up well under the long cook time. And because of the way fat is distributed through chicken thighs, they shred very easily once cooked.
Chicken broth: Instead of using water as the liquid for this chili, we use chicken broth. You can make chicken broth yourself from scratch, or you can buy it at the store. A more shelf-stable alternative would be to buy bouillon cubes or powder so that you always have chicken broth on hand!
Garlic: Need we say more? Garlic is a staple ingredient in most of our recipes as it enhances the flavor of every dish!
Paprika: This spice is native to Hungary, and has eight different classifications based on the method used to dry the peppers. More often than not, you will encounter sweet or smoked paprika. For this recipe, we prefer smoked paprika!
Cumin: This spice is common in all chili recipes. It is earthy and rich. Fun fact: cumin seed is a part of the parsley family, although you will find that ground cumin tastes pretty different than the fresh herb!
Canned green chilis: In our opinion, it’s always good to have canned green chilis on hand! They typically include a mix of Anaheim peppers and poblano peppers. They carry a bit of a spicy kick but aren’t too intense.
Red onion: Compared to other onions, red onions are great in chilis as they have a more sharp flavor profile than sweet white or yellow onions.
Cannellini beans: These beans, also called white kidney beans, are a key component of white chili, because of their color! They are also packed with plant-based protein and their texture once cooked is absolute perfection.
Frozen corn: Rather than cook corn on the cob and separate the kernels, we love using frozen corn in our homes. It has the same amount of flavor but saves so much time!

one bowl of white chicken chili with sour cream, avocado, jalapeño, and tortilla chips. pictured with crockpot.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian or vegan?

Absolutely! And it is so simple to modify this recipe to be vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly.

To make this recipe vegetarian, simply replace the chicken thighs with a plant-based protein alternative. Jackfruit works very well in this recipe because it shreds in a similar way as chicken does. You can also replace the chicken with more beans. Whether you choose to double the cannellini beans or add a different kind of bean, you can’t go wrong!

You will also want to use a vegetable-based broth or vegetable stock in place of chicken broth. You can use water, but we like the extra flavor that comes from cooking this together in broth.

To make this recipe vegan, make both of the replacements mentioned above and remove the sour cream from the recipe. It really is THAT simple to adjust this recipe to accommodate those dietary preferences.

Other variations you can make to this recipe

We personally love all of the components in this chili, but encourage you to follow your tastebuds and adjust as you see fit! Here are some recommendations for changes you can make:

If you aren’t a fan of dark meat, you can easily use chicken breast in place of chicken thighs. Because they have less fat, chicken breast may cook and dry out more quickly so consider cutting back on the cook time by a half hour.
Make this dish dairy-free by removing the sour cream from the recipe!
Feel free to use whichever beans you have on hand. Black beans and kidney beans are great alternatives if you cannot find or do not have cannellini beans.
You can really add any veggies to this recipe! If you have some leftover veggies or greens in your fridge, you can add them to the crockpot to soak up the flavor of this chili.
Try using fresh bell peppers if you are not a fan of spice. Simply chop them up and throw them in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Red bell peppers and green bell peppers taste great in this recipe!
On the other hand, if you love spicy food and want to take this up a notch, add fresh jalapeño peppers to the crockpot before cooking.

How to make white chicken chili

Lay the raw chicken thighs down along the bottom of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle on salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin.
Add the chopped garlic, canned green chilis, diced onions, cannellini beans, and frozen corn.
Pour the chicken broth over all of the ingredients.
Cover the slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on the high setting or 5-6 hours on the low setting.
Once the cook time is up, remove the top and shred the chicken using two forks.
Add a couple of scoops of sour cream and mix it all together.
Serve immediately. Top with fresh herbs, sliced peppers, cubed avocados, and a dollop of sour cream!

Common Questions about White Chicken Chili

Why is my white chicken chili so thin?

If your chili’s looking more like soup, there are several memorable fixes! You can mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to release their natural starches, add a cornstarch slurry, or stir in some cream cheese or heavy cream. These tricks will transform your chili into that thick, luxurious consistency you’re after.

What goes well with white chicken chili?

This cozy bowl of goodness pairs perfectly with cornbread, tortilla chips, or a chunk of warm crusty bread. Adding toppings like shredded cheese, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, or a squeeze of lime takes it to a whole new level of memorable!

Is white chicken chili actually chili?

While it might break traditional chili rules, white chicken chili has absolutely earned its spot in the chili family! It features the key elements of chili — meat, beans, and spices — just with a creative twist using lighter ingredients and different seasonings that create a totally unique flavor profile.

What makes white chicken chili white?

Unlike traditional red chili, white chicken chili gets its light color from using white beans, chicken, and a silky base instead of tomatoes and red meat. The combination of sour cream, white beans, and tender chicken creates that signature pale, silky appearance that makes this dish so unique!

the Ayyem kitchenServings: 8 servings

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins

This slow cooker white chicken chili is so good, light and comforting, with option to keep it non-dairy! Email

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
4 cloves garlic
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilis
1/2 large chopped red onion
2 (14 ounce) cans canned cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
sour cream avocado, jalapeño and cilantro for serving

Instructions

Lay the raw chicken thighs down along the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle on salt, pepper, paprika and cumin.2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper to taste, 2 teaspoons cumin
Add the chopped garlic, canned green chilis, diced onions, cannellini beans, and frozen corn.4 cloves garlic, 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilis, 1/2 large chopped red onion, 2 (14 ounce) cans canned cannellini beans, 1 cup frozen corn
Pour the chicken broth over all of the ingredients. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on the high setting or 5-6 hours on the low setting.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
Once the cook time is up, remove the top and shred the chicken using two forks. Add a couple scoops of Greek yogurt and mix it all together.1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Serve immediately. Top with fresh herbs, sliced peppers, cubed avocados and a dollop of sour cream!sour cream