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Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

Tender chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, and fragrant spices simmer together in the slow cooker for a comforting, easy Crockpot dinner. Finish with lime juice and your favorite toppings, or stir in cream cheese for a creamy variation.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 medium Medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 15-ounce cans Cannellini, Great Northern, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 4-ounce can Diced green chiles
  • 1 cup Frozen corn or canned corn, drained
  • 3 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon, optional Cayenne pepper
Finishing Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon, optional Fresh lime juice
  • As needed for serving Chopped cilantro
Optional Creamy Variation
  • 4 ounces Cream cheese, softened and cubed

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Place the diced onion, minced garlic, drained beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional cayenne in the slow cooker. Stir gently so the seasonings are distributed throughout the broth.
  2. Nestle the chicken breasts or thighs into the seasoned bean mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and reaches at least 165°F internally, using 6–8 hours on LOW or 3–4 hours on HIGH.
  3. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the chili.
  4. Stir in the optional fresh lime juice to brighten the finished chili. If making the creamy variation, add the softened cubed cream cheese during the final 15–20 minutes and stir until completely melted and incorporated.
  5. Taste the chili and adjust the salt, pepper, or cayenne as desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with chopped cilantro and your favorite toppings.

Notes

For thicker chili, mash about 1 cup of the beans before adding them, or briefly blend part of the finished chili. Do not add cream cheese, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt at the beginning because dairy can separate during long cooking. Chicken thighs stay especially moist during longer LOW cooking, while chicken breasts should be checked as soon as they are tender.