This Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is the perfect example of why I love slow cookers so much. You literally just dump everything in the slow cooker, give it a quick stir, then turn it on and walk away. When you come back, you have a hearty slow-cooked white bean chicken chili that’s ready for topping with creamy cheese and diving in with some tortilla chips. And when you need a comforting pick-me-up, easy dinners like this are a total lifesaver!
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“This recipe was amazing! My husband and I asked “Where has this been all our lives?” We loved this recipe with no modifications. Will definitely make this white chicken chili over and over! Thank you so much.”
Lori
Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
My stovetop White Chicken Chili recipe has always been one of my favorites. This Slow Cooker version is a simple, “dump and go” recipe where the slow cooker does all the work, resulting in a hearty, flavorful, and healthy meal. Instead of the usual chili powder and red kidney beans you’d use in red chili, this “white” chili gets its bold, zesty flavor from salsa verde, cumin, and oregano. It’s big flavor, low cost, and has barely any hands-on time…just how I like it. 😉
To keep costs low, I like to stretch this slow-cooked white chicken chili by using two kinds of beans and just one chicken breast. It’s plenty to make the whole pot feel hearty and satisfying while adding a great texture and keeping things budget-friendly (without skimping on comfort!). And since everything simmers together in the slow cooker, the flavors get extra cozy with zero fuss on my part.
Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
The slow cooker does all the work with this easy, flavorful, and healthy crockpot white chicken chili. This “dump and go” dinner will become a family favorite!
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- 1 yellow onion, small dice (heaping 1 cup, 225g) ($0.76)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.12)
- 1 jalapeño, small dice (optional)* ($0.33)
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3/4 lb.)** ($2.00)
- 2 15oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ($1.88)
- 1 15oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed ($0.94)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.30)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper* ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 16oz. jar salsa verde ($2.92)
- 2 cups chicken broth (16 oz.) ($0.24)
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Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the jalapeńo 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***.
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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.
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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.
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After four hours on high or eight hours on low, remove the crockpot lid and carefully use two forks to shred the chicken meat (you can also remove it, shred it on a cutting board, and then 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.
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Serve the chili topped with your favorite ingredients, including shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, freshly squeezed lime, or tortilla chips (all optional).
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**Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work (you can brown it in a skillet first if preferred). If you want to use frozen chicken, I recommend thawing it first, as it can take too long to come up to a safe temperature in the crockpot.
***You can make this in a 3-4 quart slow cooker or double the recipe for a 5-7 qt slow cooker and feed a crowd. I have a 5-quart slow cooker, and the recipe, as listed here, filled it about halfway.
Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 504.63kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 39.42gFat: 9.6gSodium: 1575.87mgFiber: 16.32g
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How to Make Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Prep the veggies: Start by dicing one yellow onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. Then, slice the jalapeño in half, scrape out the seeds (if desired), then dice the remaining pepper. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and chicken breast to the slow cooker.
Make the chili: Drain and rinse two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans and one 15oz. can of pinto beans. Add the drained beans to the slow cooker along with 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, ¼ tsp cayenne, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Pour one 16oz. jar of salsa verde into the slow cooker (I’ve used many brands for this recipe in the past and they’ve all worked well, so use your favorite).
Pour two cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker.
Cook: Briefly stir the contents of the slow cooker to distribute the spices. Place a lid on top and cook on high for four hours, or low for eight hours.
Shred the chicken: After cooking on high for four hours, or on low for eight hours, remove the chicken breast to a clean cutting board to shred (or you can shred directly in the pot with two forks, as I did).
Shred the chicken using two forks.
Finish and serve: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Use the back of a spoon to smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. I like to do this because the smashed beans will help thicken the chili.
Top with your favorite ingredients and enjoy!
Slow Cooker White Chili chicken Topping Ideas
I highly suggest topping this chili with something creamy, like Monterey jack cheese, some sour cream, or avocado. The creamy flavor is the perfect contrast to the salsa verde. You can also top with some green onion, sliced jalapeño, cilantro, pico de gallo, crumbled cornbread, or pickled red onions.
- Make it vegetarian. Want to try this slow cooker white chicken chili but don’t eat meat? Try swapping the chicken for another can of beans and use vegetable broth!
- Sauté for extra flavor. If you’ve got a few extra minutes, sauté the onions, garlic, and jalapeño in a little oil on the stovetop before adding them to the slow cooker. It adds a nice depth of flavor but is totally optional (and does mean one more pan to wash!).
- Try it in the Instant Pot. I haven’t tested this myself, but several readers have had great results. Sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeño right in the Instant Pot (optional), then add the rest of the ingredients. Use the pressure cook setting on high (or the chili setting if your IP has one) for about 25 minutes (or long enough for the chicken to cook through) and let it naturally release. If the chicken isn’t cooked or shredding easily, cook it for a few extra minutes.
- Mix up the beans and salsa: You can definitely play with different kinds of beans or even use red salsa instead of salsa verde. Just keep in mind it’ll change the color and flavor a bit. It’ll still be tasty but have a different vibe.
Storage & Reheating
I’m happy to say that this crockpot white chicken chili freezes very well! As always, make sure to chill your chili completely in the refrigerator first, before transferring to the freezer for long-term storage. I prefer to freeze all my leftovers in single portions so they can be reheated one by one whenever I get hungry (either in the microwave or on the stovetop). You can also store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Our Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili recipe was originally published 1/2/15. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/20/25.
