There are so many reasons why people love slow cookers, and this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is one of them. You just dump everything into the slow cooker, stir it up, and turn it on.
When you come back, you have this delicious white bean chicken chili ready to top with creamy cheese and devour with tortilla chips.
When the sky is dark, the air is cold, and you’re feeling down, easy dinners like this are a lifesaver!
Is chili powder used in White Chicken Chili?
The answer is no! Unlike traditional red chili, this “white” chili contains no chili powder. A salsa verde, cumin, and oregano seasoning blend is used. Its name comes from the use of white beans rather than red kidney beans in red chili.
Does this chili have a spicy taste?
The spice level of this chili is “medium”. You can make the chili milder by skipping the jalapenos and cayenne pepper listed in the ingredients, and by using mild salsa verde.
Which Slow Cooker Size Should I Need?
The recipe can be made in a 3-4 quart slow cooker, or you can double it to feed a crowd in a 5-7 quart slow cooker. According to the recipe below, I filled my 5 quart slow cooker (Affiliate link) about half full.
Is It Possible to Freeze This White Chicken Chili?
You can freeze this chili very well. Just make sure to chill it completely in the refrigerator before transferring it to the freezer.
To save time, I freeze all leftovers in single servings so I can reheat them one by one whenever I’m hungry.
Ideas for Chili Toppings
Adding something creamy to this chili is a good idea, such as Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream, or avocado.
This creamy sauce contrasts beautifully with the flavor of the green sauce. You can also top it with green onions, sliced jalapeño, cilantro, pico de gallo, crumbled cornbread, or pickled red onions.
Recipe for Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
The slow cooker does all the work when it comes to making this nutritious, flavorful, and easy white chicken chili. This is one of those meals that the whole family will love!
Author: Beth
Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 (1.5 cups each)
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.11)
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.) ($3.62)
- 1 16oz. jar salsa verde ($2.59)
- 2 15oz. cans cannellini beans ($0.98)
- 1 15oz. can pinto beans ($0.89)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.30)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ($0.03)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ($0.85)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the jalapeño lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then dice. Place the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and chicken breast in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and pinto beans, then add them to the slow cooker, along with the cumin, oregano, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the salsa over top.
- Pour two cups of chicken broth over the contents in the cooker and then give everything a brief stir. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours, or on low for eight hours.
- After four hours on high, or eight hours on low, carefully remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker. Stir the chili, slightly mashing the beans with the back of the spoon as you stir. The mashed beans will help thicken the chili.
- Serve the chili topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Other optional toppings include fresh cilantro, diced avocado, freshly squeeze lime, or tortilla chips.
Nutritional
Serving: 1.5 cups ・ Calories: 504.63 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 67 g ・ Protein: 39.42 g ・ Fat: 9.6 g ・ Sodium: 1575.87 mg ・ Fiber: 16.32 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
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Step-by-Step Photos for Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slice the onion in half and mince two cloves of garlic. Slice the Jalapeño in half and scrape out the seeds, then slice the remaining pepper. Combine the chicken breast and onion, garlic, Jalapeño in slow cooker.
Drain and rinse one 15oz. can of pinto beans and two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans. Add the drained beans to the slow cooker along with ¼ tsp cayenne, 1 tsp oregano, 1 Tbsp cumin, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Add one 16oz. jar of salsa verde (I’ve used many brands for this recipe, but the one in the photo is Kroger’s Private Selectrion).
Next, pour 2 cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker.
The contents of the slow cooker should be stirred briefly to ensure the spices are evenly distributed. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or on low for eight hours.
After cooking on high for four hours or low for eight hours, remove the chicken breast to a clean cutting board for shredding (or shredding directly in the pot with two forks).
Using two forks, shred the chicken into small pieces.
Shred the chicken back into the slow cooker and stir. Use a spoon to smash some of the beans against the side to help thicken the chili.
You can add your favorite ingredients topping and enjoy!
