Name: White Chicken Chili Recipe for Slow Cooker
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 3 to 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 cup thinly sliced celery; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2- 19 oz cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 – 12 oz can corn with liquid; 1/2 cup water, plus more if it seems too dry; 2- 4 oz cans diced green chilis; 2 packets chicken bouillon powder, or 2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder; 1 tsp. cumin; salt and pepper to taste; 1 cup milk or half and half cream; 1 Tbsp. flour; 1 cup grated cheese, Monterrey jack with jalapeno cheese is good, but you can add whatever favorite cheese you like.

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This easy, creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe for a slow cooker is the perfect example of why busy people love crock pots!

Last week, I was preparing dinner for Sunday lunch on Saturday afternoon.

I decided to make this White Chicken Chili Recipe and have it ready to put in the slow cooker on Sunday morning.

It’s one of our family’s favorite soup recipes and is so versatile.

This White Chicken Chili Recipe can be made and eaten on the same day, frozen ahead, or made the day before.

Whichever way you prefer, it’s delicious!

How to make White Chicken Chili Recipe in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients you’ll need for this White Chicken Chili Recipe:

White kidney beans, onion, celery garlic, and diced green chilis are part of the ingredients needed for this White Chicken Chili Recipe for the slow cooker. — Old El Paso diced green chilis help add a nice southwest flavour to this hearty, creamy white chicken chili recipe.

3 to 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2- 19 oz cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 – 12 oz can corn with liquid
1/2 cup water (plus more if it seems too dry)
2- 4 oz cans diced green chilis
2 packets chicken bouillon powder (or 2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder)
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk or half and half cream
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup grated cheese (Monterrey jack with jalapeno cheese is good, but you can add whatever favorite cheese you like.)

Step by step instructions for making White Chicken Chili

1. Saute chicken and vegetables together.

Diced chicken is sauted with onions, celery and garlic as the base to this White Chicken Chili recipe. — Sauteing the chicken in a little bit of cooking oil gives it a lovely lightly browned coating.

Using a large dutch over or frying pan, saute the chicken, onion, celery, and garlic in about 1 Tablespoon cooking oil. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink and the onions are translucent and soft.

2. Add in canned items and spices

The sauteing of this white chicken chili recipe is the most difficult part.

Now, it’s just a matter of adding in the canned items and seasonings.

With that in mind, add the beans, corn, diced green chilies, chicken bouillon powder, cumin, and salt and pepper and 1/2 cup water.

If it seems too dry after simmering a while, add in a bit more water.

Variations for White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili recipe can be made and eaten on the same day, if preferred

If you’d like to skip the slow cooker portion of this recipe, you certainly can! Just simmer the soup for 40 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.

A spoonful of this hearty white chicken chili with grated cheddar cheese looks delicious! — Grated cheese is melted into the soup at the end, and can be used for additional garnish if desired.

How to make the White Chicken Chili Recipe thick and creamy

Before serving, stir milk or cream into the flour in a small bowl until it’s smooth. Stir into chili and add the cheese. Heat and stir until it’s thickened and heated through.

What to serve with White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili can be garnished with more grated cheese and parsley (not pictured). We love to eat it with toasted english muffins, but fresh buns or biscuits would be delicious, too.

A bowl of white chicken chili with grated cheese is hot and ready to eat! — This soup can be served with toast, buns, or biscuits – or even a side of corn tortilla chips!

How to make White Chicken Chili a day ahead

To make this recipe and serve it the next day, stop at the step where all the ingredients except the milk, flour and cheese are added.

Remove the simmering soup from the heat, cool slightly, and place in a lidded container in the fridge.

Then, the next day, pour the soup in the slow cooker or crock pot and place on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.

When ready to serve, place on high heat (if it has been on low), and add the thickened milk / cream and grated cheese. Stir and heat until heated through.

A bowl of White Chicken Chili ready to eat. — This white chicken chili recipe can be adapted to fit your schedule. It can be made and eaten on the same day, made the day before, or frozen ahead.

How to freeze ahead White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili is a wonderful make and freeze ahead soup recipe!

Before the milk is added, place the soup in a large ziploc bag or lidded freezer container and freeze.

When ready to use, remove from freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight.

Then, dump it into the slow cooker the next day and heat on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Before serving, place on high heat (if it has been on low), and add the thickened milk / cream and grated cheese. Stir and heat until heated through.

For More Slow Cooker recipes, check out these posts:

For more make ahead meal ideas:

How to Fill Your Freezer with Meals + 10 Freezer Meal Recipes

For more quick and easy dinner meal ideas and recipes:

Check out my “Easy Recipes” Pinterest board

(And while you’re there, click the “follow” button for all kinds of ideas for your home and kitchen!)