12 White Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipes for Cozy Weeknights

White chicken chili crockpot recipes work because the slow cooker turns chicken, white beans, and green chiles into a soft, spoonable broth without much watching. The beans make it hearty, the chiles bring gentle heat, and the chicken stays tender enough to shred with two forks. These twelve versions push that same base in different directions, from fiery and smoky to creamy and low carb.

If you want the benchmark bowl, start with the everyday classic. Go for the chipotle version when you want real warmth, the cream cheese one for a thicker dinner, and the freezer pack chili when you want a meal set aside before a busy week.

Which White Chicken Chili Should You Make?

Everyday Classic White Chicken Chili

This is the one I keep on regular rotation: mild enough for picky eaters but still tastes like a proper chili. You get a creamy white bean broth and tender chicken with almost no measuring after the first time.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, finely diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
• Ground cumin: 2 tsp
• Dried oregano: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Sour cream: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken in your slow cooker first, then scatter the beans, green chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 tsp salt over the top. Pour in the 720 ml (3 cups) of chicken stock and stir once so the spices settle into the liquid.

Step 2: Set your slow cooker to Low and slide the lid on. Leave it for 6 hours, or switch to High and give it 3 hours if you are watching the clock.

Step 3: Lift the chicken out with your tongs and set it on a plate for a minute. Shred it with two forks, then return the chicken to the pot and stir in the 120 ml (1/2 cup) of sour cream until the broth turns creamy.

Step 4: Taste the chili and add more salt if you want it. The beans will keep their shape but go soft at the edges.

Step 5: Ladle the chili into your serving bowls while it is hot and add a spoonful of extra sour cream if you like.

Spicy Green Chile White Chicken Chili

This one is loud in all the right ways, with hot green chiles and fresh tomatillos doing the heavy lifting. I make it when the crew wants a serious kick without the chile powder burn of red chili.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb)
• Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Diced hot green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Tomatillos, husked and quartered: 450 g (1 lb)
• Jalapeños, seeded and minced: 2
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, smashed: 5 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Chicken stock: 480 ml (2 cups)
• Kosher salt: 2 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and season them with the 2 tsp salt. Add the beans, chiles, tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and 1 tbsp cumin, then pour in the 480 ml chicken stock.

Step 2: Stir everything once with your spoon so the tomatillos break slightly and the seasoning coats the chicken. Slide the lid on and set the cooker to Low.

Step 3: Let the chili go for 5 hours on Low, until the chicken slips apart when you pinch a piece. If you use High, check it at 2 1/2 hours.

Step 4: Shred the chicken with two forks right in the pot or on your cutting board. The tomatillos should have collapsed into a tangy, loose sauce.

Step 5: Stir the chili and taste it. Add more salt or a splash of hot sauce if you want the burn to climb.

Step 6: Spoon the chili into your bowls while it is steaming and let it cool for a minute before you dig in.

Sweet Corn and Chicken White Chili

This version leans on sweet corn, so the broth ends up lighter and almost summery even when you make it in January. Frozen corn works beautifully here, so you never need to wait on the season.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 900 g (2 lb)
• Sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen: 340 g (2 cups)
• Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Mild diced green chiles, drained: 113 g (4 oz can)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Red bell pepper, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
• Ground coriander: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Kosher salt: 1 1/2 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Add the chicken breasts to your slow cooker in one layer, then scatter the corn, beans, green chiles, onion, bell pepper, garlic, coriander, and 1 1/2 tsp salt over and around them. Pour in the 720 ml (3 cups) stock.

Step 2: Stir once with your spoon just enough to move the seasonings down into the liquid. Set the slow cooker to Low and walk away for 6 hours.

Step 3: When the chicken shreds without any fight, pull it out and break it into bite-sized pieces with your forks. Stir the corn and beans back together and return the chicken.

Step 4: Taste the broth and adjust the salt if you think it needs it. If the corn is fresh, the kernels will still have a little pop; frozen will be softer and sweeter.

Step 5: Ladle it into your biggest bowls while the corn is still hot and sweet.

Chicken Quinoa White Chili

Quinoa makes this one thicker without any flour or cream, and it adds a little nutty chew to every spoonful. I add it late so it stays tender instead of blowing out into the broth.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Quinoa, rinsed: 170 g (1 cup)
• White beans, drained and rinsed: 425 g (15 oz can)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 113 g (4 oz can)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Chicken stock: 960 ml (4 cups)
• Baby spinach leaves: 85 g (3 oz)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and add the beans, green chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, and 1 tsp salt. Pour in 720 ml (3 cups) of the chicken stock, saving the rest for the quinoa.

Step 2: Stir to combine, then set your slow cooker to Low. Let everything go for 4 hours until the chicken is tender and the beans feel soft against the side of the pot.

Step 3: Lift the chicken out and shred it with your forks. Return it to the pot along with the 170 g (1 cup) rinsed quinoa and the remaining 240 ml (1 cup) stock.

Step 4: Turn your slow cooker to High. Check the quinoa after 35 minutes; you want to see the little white ring around each grain and the liquid mostly absorbed.

Step 5: Drop the 85 g (3 oz) baby spinach into the pot and stir it under. You will see it wilt within a minute, which is exactly all it needs.

Step 6: Spoon the chili into your bowls while the quinoa is still separate and the spinach is bright green.

Cream Cheese White Chicken Chili

This is the one to make when you want a white chili that eats like a loaded baked potato. The cream cheese melts into the broth and turns it velvet-smooth without hiding the green chiles.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Dried Mexican oregano: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Cream cheese, cubed and softened: 225 g (8 oz)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken in your slow cooker and top it with the beans, green chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 tsp salt. Pour the 720 ml (3 cups) chicken stock around the edges so the spices don’t splash up.

Step 2: Give everything one good stir, then set your slow cooker to Low. Let it go for 5 hours, until the beans are creamy at the center and the chicken falls apart.

Step 3: Scoop the chicken onto your cutting board and shred it into big pieces. Put it back in the pot and stir in the 225 g (8 oz) cubed cream cheese until the broth turns pale and thick.

Step 4: Put the lid back on and turn your slow cooker to High. Give it 15 more minutes, stirring once halfway, so the cream cheese melts completely into the chili.

Step 5: Taste and decide if you want more salt. Ladle the chili into your bowls while it is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Black Bean and Chicken White Chili

Black beans give the usual white chili a deeper, earthier backbone, and they hold up beautifully in the slow cooker. This is the version I reach for when I want the bowl to feel more like supper and less like a soup.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb)
• Black beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Red bell pepper, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
• Ground cumin: 2 tsp
• Dried oregano: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Kosher salt: 1 1/2 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Layer the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and scatter the black beans, green chiles, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 1/2 tsp salt over the top. Pour the 720 ml (3 cups) stock down the side.

Step 2: Stir just until the beans and seasonings are mixed, then push the chicken under the liquid with your spoon. Set the pot to Low and give it 6 hours.

Step 3: Pull the chicken out with your tongs and shred it into large chunks. Return it and stir so the black beans and peppers distribute evenly.

Step 4: Taste the broth and add more salt if you think it needs it. The black beans will be soft but still hold their shape better than white beans.

Step 5: Serve the chili in your widest bowls while it is hot.

Low Carb White Chicken Chili

This version skips the beans and leans on cauliflower, so the broth stays light and brothy while the cream cheese adds just enough body. It is the one I make when the rest of the week has been heavy.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Cauliflower, cut into small florets: 450 g (1 lb)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Jalapeño, seeded and minced: 1
• Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Chicken stock: 960 ml (4 cups)
• Cream cheese, softened: 115 g (4 oz)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Place the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and add the cauliflower, green chiles, onion, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, and 1 tsp salt. Pour in the 960 ml (4 cups) chicken stock.

Step 2: Give the pot a good stir, then set your slow cooker to Low. Let it cook for 5 hours, until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken pulls apart with a fork.

Step 3: Remove the chicken, shred it with your forks, and return it to the pot. Stir the 115 g (4 oz) cream cheese into the broth until no streaks remain.

Step 4: Taste and adjust the salt if you like. Serve it steaming in your favorite low carb bowls, with extra jalapeño slices if you want more fire.

Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken Chili

Fire roasted tomatoes push a white chicken chili into redder, smokier territory without turning it into a standard beef bowl. I like the little charred bits of tomato that dissolve into the beans by hour five.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained: 400 g (14.5 oz can)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Smoked paprika: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 480 ml (2 cups)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken in your slow cooker and cover it with the beans, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and 1 tsp salt. Pour in the 480 ml chicken stock.

Step 2: Stir once with your spoon, then set the slow cooker to Low. Give it 6 hours until the chicken is easy to shred and the tomatoes have collapsed into the broth.

Step 3: Take the chicken out with your tongs and shred it into soft pieces. Return it to the pot and stir so the tomatoes and beans come together.

Step 4: Taste the chili and add more salt or a little smoked paprika if you want the smoke to come forward. The fire roasted tomatoes should bring a gentle char without overpowering the chicken.

Step 5: Serve the chili hot in your everyday bowls while the tomato broth is still glossy.

Poblano and White Bean Chicken Chili

Fresh poblanos give this version a gentle, grassy warmth that canned chiles can’t quite match. Charring them in a dry pan takes five minutes, and the tiny blackened edges add a quiet depth to the broth.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed: 425 g (15 oz can)
• Poblano peppers, seeded and sliced: 3
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 small
• Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
• Ground coriander: 1 tsp
• Ground cumin: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped: 15 g (1/2 cup)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put your poblanos in a dry skillet over medium heat and let them sit until the skin blisters in spots, about 4 minutes a side. You do not need oil; the char is what you are after.

Step 2: Add the chicken thighs to your slow cooker and pile the charred poblanos, beans, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, and 1 tsp salt around them. Pour in the 720 ml chicken stock.

Step 3: Stir to mix, then set your slow cooker to Low. Leave it alone for 5 hours, until the chicken shreds without pulling.

Step 4: Lift the chicken out with your tongs and pull it apart into long pieces. Return it to the pot and stir in most of the 15 g (1/2 cup) cilantro, saving a little for the table.

Step 5: Taste the broth and adjust the salt if you want it. The poblanos will be soft and mild, not too spicy on their own.

Step 6: Ladle the chili into your bowls while it is hot and scatter the reserved cilantro over the top.

Smoky Chipotle White Chicken Chili

This is the version I pull out when the house wants a little fire and a lot of smoke. Two chipotles are enough to make it bold without turning the whole pot into a dare.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb)
• Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 113 g (4 oz can)
• Chipotle peppers in adobo, minced: 2
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Garlic, minced: 5 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp
• Lime juice: 30 ml (2 tbsp)

Instructions

Step 1: Place the chicken thighs in your slow cooker and add the beans, green chiles, minced chipotles, onion, garlic, cumin, and 1 tsp salt. Pour in the 720 ml (3 cups) chicken stock.

Step 2: Stir everything with your spoon and make sure the chipotles spread through the liquid. Set the slow cooker to Low and go about your day for 6 hours.

Step 3: Pull the chicken out with your tongs and shred it into rough pieces. Return it to the pot and stir so the smoky adobo sauce runs through every spoonful.

Step 4: Taste the broth before you adjust anything. Chipotles vary, so add more salt only if you want more smoke than heat.

Step 5: Stir in the 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice, then set your slow cooker to High. Five more minutes is all it needs for the lime to brighten the smoke.

Step 6: Ladle the chili into your bowls while it is smoky and hot.

Freezer Pack White Chicken Chili

This is meal prep in the best sense: ten minutes of bagging gives you two future dinners, each with its own fresh lime finish. I keep one bag in the freezer at all times for nights when cooking has no business being on the schedule.

Ingredients (makes 2 freezer bags, 4 servings each)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 900 g (2 lb)
• Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Frozen sweet corn: 340 g (2 cups)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 226 g (two 4 oz cans)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
• Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
• Chicken stock: 960 ml (4 cups)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp
• Lime juice: 30 ml (2 tbsp)

Instructions

Step 1: Label two gallon-sized freezer bags with the date and cooking instructions before you start. Divide the chicken breasts, beans, corn, green chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, and 1 tsp salt evenly between your bags.

Step 2: Press out as much air as you can and seal the bags. Lay them flat in your freezer and freeze for up to 3 months; the flat shape helps them thaw faster.

Step 3: The night before you cook, move one bag to your refrigerator. In the morning, slide the contents into your slow cooker and add 480 ml (2 cups) chicken stock for one bag.

Step 4: Set your slow cooker to Low and leave it 6 hours, or use the High setting and check at 3 hours if you forgot the overnight thaw. The chicken is ready when it shreds with a fork.

Step 5: Shred the chicken with your forks, stir in the 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice, and serve the chili from the pot. The second bag stays in your freezer for another night.

Green Enchilada White Chicken Chili

This one tastes like green chicken enchiladas fell into a pot, and honestly that is the whole idea. The enchilada sauce brings tang and mild heat, while the beans and sour cream keep it creamy enough for a spoon.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: 680 g (1 1/2 lb)
• Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed: 850 g (two 15 oz cans)
• Green enchilada sauce: 480 ml (2 cups)
• Diced green chiles, drained: 113 g (4 oz can)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
• Ground coriander: 1 tsp
• Chicken stock: 360 ml (1 1/2 cups)
• Sour cream: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Kosher salt: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Put the chicken in your slow cooker and cover it with the beans, green enchilada sauce, green chiles, onion, garlic, coriander, and 1 tsp salt. Pour the 360 ml chicken stock around the sides.

Step 2: Stir once to make sure the sauce coats everything, then set your slow cooker to Low. Give it 6 hours, until the chicken is pull-apart tender.

Step 3: Remove the chicken with your tongs and shred it into thin pieces. Add it back to the pot and stir so the green sauce soaks into the chicken.

Step 4: Turn your slow cooker to Warm and stir in the 120 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream. Taste the broth and add more salt or a spoonful of extra enchilada sauce if you want it saucier.

Step 5: Ladle the chili into your bowls while it is hot and put a little extra sour cream on top.

No matter which version you pick, taste the broth before you add more salt. Canned beans, enchilada sauce, and chipotles all bring salt with them, and the slow cooker concentrates that as it simmers. Add salt at the end and you will never accidentally blow out the bowl.

Pick one, get the pot on this morning, and let your kitchen do the work. There is no wrong choice here, only the one you are hungry for tonight.