Creamy White Chicken Chili {Stovetop or Slow Cooker}
Easy and so delicious, this best-ever white chicken chili has been a family favorite for years (with no signs of stopping!). With directions for stovetop or slow cooker, it’s versatile, simple, and tasty!
Let’s talk about chili.
Creamy white chicken chili to be exact.
I like classic red chili. Here are a few of my favorite red chilis:
My Mom’s Classic Red Chili
Slow Cooker Red Chili
Hearty Turkey and Bean Chili
Sweet Heat Louisiana Chili
But if I’m being honest, I LOVE (double heart, love, love, love) white chili.
And I hate to throw out exclamations like this: but this creamy white chicken chili is the best of the best of the best.
I mean, just read through the comments and you’ll see why so many people rave about this white chicken chili.
Not only is it a cinch to throw together, but the flavor is amazing.
Over the years, I’ve kept the basic recipe the same, but you can see below that I’ve added some notes to make this recipe even more delicious.
It also works beautifully in the slow cooker.
And since I know people will ask (can’t blame you), I actually have tried this in the Instant Pot as well.
But it definitely falls into the category of: it’s just as fast to make it on the stovetop. By the time the IP comes up to pressure, cooks the chicken, and the pressure releases, this white chicken chili can be ready to go via a saucepan on the stove.
However, I’m not one to talk you out of using that Instant Pot every single day of your life. So, feel free to give it a go.
I didn’t include directions for the IP below because I don’t make it that way, but you can try tossing everything but the dairy ingredients in the IP (use whole chicken breasts) and cook for 8 minutes on high pressure (probably 3 minutes for cubed chicken, but the other ingredients, like the onion, may not soften fully).
Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, quick release the rest of the way, stir in the sour cream and cream/milk, select Saute and heat through.
See How To Make It Here:
And also, if you are interested, here are a few of my other beloved white chili recipes:
White Bean Chicken Chili (with a little extra flair that makes it different than today’s recipe)
Roasted Garlic and White Bean Chili
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili (not creamy, more brothy)
Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper White Bean Chili
What to Serve With This
- Chili toppings, like shredded cheese, tortilla chips, etc.
- My Favorite Cornbread
FAQs for Creamy White Chicken Chili
No, cooking time stays the same.
Yes!
Yes I freeze it all once it is made- the texture can be a little grainy, but we don’t mind.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (leave whole for slow cooker method)
- 1 medium chopped onion, (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- 2 cans (15.5-ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5) ounce can chicken broth, (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 2 cans (4-ounces each) chopped green chiles (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup whipping cream (see note)
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
- Shredded cheese, tortilla chips, other toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Stovetop Directions: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes, until the onion starts to soften (it’s ok if the chicken isn’t cooked all the way; it will cook more in the next step).
- Add the beans, broth, chiles, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper and cayenne.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat; stir in the sour cream and cream.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately with other toppings of choice, if desired.
- Slow Cooker Directions: In a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts whole (without cutting into pieces).
- Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet!
- Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces (or use a couple forks and shred right in the slow cooker). Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the chili cook warm through on low temperature. Serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe originally posted September 2008; updated with new pictures, recipe notes, commentary.
The video in this post was made in partnership with Inspo
We loved this – even my skeptical husband who usually doesn’t like “creamy” soups loved this (he also loves your chicken corn chowder which was my first sign that his distaste of creamy soups was not rational and thus I could find exceptions). Anyway, I stumbled across a recipe that is identical to yours except it uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and whipping cream. Have you ever experimented with Greek yogurt as a substitute for any of your recipes? One of the brand websites offers a conversion chart for using greek yogurt in place of sour cream, mayo, oil, cream, etc, but I’m hesitant to try myself. But you, I trust! So any thoughts on this?
Hi Jana – I use plain yogurt (sometimes Greek sometimes regular) to sub for sour cream so yes, I definitely think you could sub it in here but I wouldn’t sub it for all of the sour cream AND milk. I’d only sub it in for the sour cream and still use some type of milk/cream for the liquid. That’s just a personal recommendation since the tang of the yogurt sometimes overpowers the taste for me.
This recipe is delicious with ham! I used leftover ham I had from the holidays, chopped it up… divine! One of our family favorites!
You are not lying about this soup winning you friends and fame! I had never made it, but knew I couldn’t go wrong with something from your site, so I took it to a chili cook-off and it won! I was so excited! Everyone loved it! The credit goes to you for posting this deliciously awesome recipe! Thanks Mel! It is hands down my favorite chili!
LOVE this soup. Thank you for simple and delicious food!
I just found your site. Thanks for this recipe! I made this with pulled pork I cooked in a crock pot and my company ate every last drop of it! And, I tripled the recipe that should have given me a LOT of leftovers. There were several other dishes that took longer to prepare and they ate very little of those!
Mel, as always, you save the day again with a great recipe. I’ve made this one several times before, but I needed a soup I could crockpot overnight. It’s supposed to be for my 1st grader’s class party today, and I have to be there at 9. So, I saw that you had conveniently provided me with the crock pot version, and I threw it together at midnight last night. SO AWESOME. Thanks for making my morning so much smoother! Now if I just didn’t have to navigate the giant school parking lot with a toddler, camera bag and a crockpot of soup! 🙂
What a fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing, I did serve it to some friends who wouldn’t believe me White Chili existed and they were blown away by the flavors.
Hi Mel! I won 3rd place in my work chili cook off yesterday! I was pleasantly surprised because I think I bungled something in the recipe. It was EXTREMELY thin, much more soup like. However, people raved about the flavor. It really is great. I didn’t have any cayenne pepper so I added smoked paprika instead. Thanks for being my go-to recipe spot! I had so many requests for the recipe. I sent them this way!
Next, I told a coworker we are going to have an enchilada cooking contest. Those honey lime enchiladas are without a doubt the best I’ve ever had in the history of all mankind forever and ever times infinity Amen! (I may be just slightly prone to hyperbole. Just a bit.)
Thank you!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I tried substituting nonfat Greek yogurt for the sour cream and loved it. I also happened to have garbanzo beans already soaking so I used those in place of the northern white beans! Loved the flavor and simplicity of your recipe, THANK YOU!!
And…..we have a winner!! Mel, I won first place yesterday in the chili cook off! Had soooo many people ask me for the recipe, it was amazing! My youngest son told me I’m the best cook in Tennessee…isn’t that sweet? 😀
Thanks again for another great recipe!
I made this last week and my boys declared it the BEST chili EVER”!! I’ve been making a red chili for years, my moms recipe, and it’s always been a family favorite…even during the summer! Yea, I KNOW, who makes chili in July…I do!! LOL!
So the fellas are asking me to make the “awesome chili” again this weekend for a chili contest at our church…they’re sure it’s a winner!
Will let you know how it goes, Mel! Thanks for ANOTHER great recipe!!
Yum, yum, yum. Made this for a church hayride last night. It could not have been a worse night for a hayride – cold and rainy – but it made the perfect night for a warm crockpot full of chili. I loved the flavor of this, especially the cumin. Like some other reviewers said, I added a can of white corn which was a good call. I wanted the end product to be a little thicker, so I’d probably cut back a bit on the sour cream and whipping cream, but the flavor was AMAZING.
Oh. My. Goodness. As soon as my husband and I tasted this, we both looked at each other and said, “Holy crap!” Thank you for our new favorite dish!
We LOVED this! A real keeper. It’s got the perfect amount of spice, and so yummy. I didn’t change a thing, it was amazing. Thank you!
Love your site! I took this to our church’s annual chili cook-off and won 1st place in the white chili category and won 1st place overall out of about 40 chilis!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Amy, you can definitely try your substitutions and see how they go. If you read through the comments, I think there are several people who have commented on the variations they use to lighten it up.
Rachel- I can’t wait to try this, however i was wondering if lowfat Sour cream and 2% milk will work as substitues for cutting down on the calories and fat content from the sour cream and whipping cream. I try to cut down on little things in all recipes…makes a difference throughout the day.
Love this recipe so much! We made this for the first time for our cub scouts’ chili cook-off last night, and it was a huge hit. All the moms wanted the recipe. I made the crockpot version, and it worked perfectly. I was sure that most people would bring traditional chili so I wanted something new. I’ll definitely be making this again in the very near future! Thanks for the great recipe.
This recipe is simply delish!!!! After the first bite I was a in HEAVEN. What a wonderful recipe to whip up during the week and the leftovers the next day were amazing ! Thanks again for another wonderful recipe to add to my collection =)
I love this chili!! I added a can of corn and substituted plain yogurt for the sour cream to save some calories!! Loved it!!!
This was really good! I didn’t have 2 cans of white beans, so I had to modify with pinto. It tasted fine, but wasn’t “white”. So, I have a recipe for you to create…a soup based on spinach artichoke dip. Sounds like you have knack for soup and a love of experimentation! Can you do it??
Delicious and easy to make! I used 1 less can of beans and about 2 oz of green chilis due to my kids pickiness . Made this with your cornbread with honey butter! It was a huge hit! Thank you for the recipes!
Just made this for myself for dinner (kids had spaghetti- AGAIN) and WOW. So good on snowy WI evening with a glass red of wine and the kids in bed…. bliss! I used leftover roast chicken and 1 cup of monterey jack cheese instead of the cream. Again…bliss!
I’m back. Again. To tell you how awesome this is. I crave it more often than I’d like to admit.
Do you ever use dry beans to cook with? It’s one of my New Year’s resolutions to save some $ so I’m wondering if you have any tips. I’ve you haven’t dived into that world yet I”ll pass any your way I come across.
Thanks again for feeding my family!
Just made this for a chili cook-off and won 1st place! Thanks Mel!
I was searching Pinterest to find “my” white chili and here it is. I have been making this for years and everybody loves it. Now I can pin it and direct everyone here insteady of always giving out recipes. It’s the best chili around….thanks again
I made this chili for my Cookie Exchange Party with my girl friends this year along with the Romain Salad with spiced pecans, apples, red onion, cheddar, and cranberries and the Oreo Cheesecake Bites for dessert. All recipes were a huge hit. This chili recipe was such a hit that 3 of the ladies made it in there homes less than a week after the party and 2 more have the ingredients to make it next week! I’ll need to make it again soon because there wasn’t any left over for my husband to try any! Thank you for this recipe and the many others I have gotten from you.
I made this tonight, and it was so good! Vest chili I’ve ever had! Thanks for all the great recipes!
I know that this is an overused comment for this particular recipe, but I sure did just win a chili cook-off with it last night! Thanks for this and all the wonderful recipes!
Doubled this and it still turned out great! The liquid was a little loose for me, so I added one tablespoon of masa harina which really kicked up the TexMex taste. So easy and had everything I needed in the pantry…
I forgot to mention I also cut the green chiles in half!
Great chile. I doubled the recipe but didn’t double the cayenne pepper. Just the right amount of heat for my family. I also added seasoned black beans to make it a “black and white” chile. Very pretty and delicious. The whole family loved it. Like many others, I am going to have a go with it at our church chili cook off.
We are going camping next week and we usually try to make everything in advance and freeze. We are having a chili cook off one night and I really want to make this. Could it be frozen? Maybe do everything except mix in the sour and whipping cream and do that there? What are your thoughts? Mel have you done this before or anyone else? I want to win the chili cook off and I think with this recipe I could!! =) Thanks!
Brianne – I’ve never frozen this chili before so I’m not sure how it would work. Do you have time to do a trial run? I definitely would try to avoid freezing the sour cream and cream and add that in after it has been defrosted. The chicken broth/bean base should freeze ok. The beans may get a little bit mushy but that may not be a bad thing. Good luck!
I had never had white chili before I tried this recipe, and I love it! Thank you for all your great recipes. This one makes an appearance at my table frequently.
I have a recipe very similar to this and LOVE it! It’s one of my kids favorites! The only couple of things I do differently is to add a can of garbanzo beans and either frozen corn or canned corn. I’ve also used a package of softened cream cheese, whisked in, instead of the sour cream and cream. Either way, very yummy!
Melanie– I’ve just recently discovered your website and I’ve tried 2 recipes so far. I made this chili tonight and I LOVE IT! My kids are all eating it (that is saying a lot since they are picky) and mine was gone before the kids finished. I gave the kids corn chips to eat with it and they loved it. Aside from the beans, my husband loves it too (he’s not a fan of beans). Thank you for taking the time to make and post these recipes. I am feeling inspired to get out of my cooking rut finally and that is HUGE! 🙂
I made this last night, blogged about it this morning. I made it with leftover turkey and added a sweet red pepper and a generous helping of jalapenos and it started to approach the heat that I like. LOL This is a great recipe. Thanks for this!
We have had this twice in the last few weeks, and I’m still craving it! I seriously might have to make it again this week! 🙂 I’m a sissy, so one can of chilies was perfect for me. Thanks!
Hi Melanie, just wanted you to know how much my family and I enjoyed the chili, it was so creamy! What was Green Bay like the week of Super Bowl? Lots of Packers fans in my family!
This soup has made me a rock star at church. I took it for a soup potluck and now everybody wants the recipe. I literally had people hounding me at home the next day so they could make it for dinner that night. My kids are also crazy for this. We actually argue over who gets the leftovers the next day (although we rarely ever have leftovers from this). Thank you for this recipe!
I made this chili and entered it in a chili cookoff today. I won 3rd place and it was a huge hit with the crowd. It was the first chili that was all gone. I was the only non beef chili and most of the cooks were guys. So it was fun to place! Thanks for the great recipe! !! Now you know your chili is award winning!
I’ve made this recipe more times then I can count, I love it! I have made a couple modifications to make it low-fat (neither of which change the flavor). The first was to use broth to saute the chicken and onions instead of oil. The other is in place of the cream, I combine equal parts nonfat plain yogurt and low-fat or fat free cottage cheese in a blender until smooth. I’ve served my lowfat version to friends who have also made this chili and they couldn’t tell a difference!
I have been looking for a good white chili recipe forever. For a potluck years ago, a friend brought a white chili she said was from Taos, NM. It was divine! I am lucky enough to have family in NM (we live in WI) that ships me 100lbs of fresh Hatch green chili late every summer that we spend two days roasting in the backyard and freezing. So when I came across this recipe I just had to try it. I am thrilled to report that this chili is EVEN better than my friends! ♥
Amanda – I wish I had family in NM that would send me chiles like that! So lucky! I’m glad that this chili met up to your other expectations…thanks for letting me know.
Mel, I live in Santa Fe, NM so whenever you want green chile let me know, I’ll ship them to you!
Hey… I’m loving your blog. I’m so glad I found it. You’ve got so many recipes on here that I am itching to try. I’ve got a grocery list as long as my arm. LOL
I made this for dinner tonight. It was so good. Loved the flavor of the sour cream, green chilies and cumin.
I had cannellini beans in the pantry, so used those in place of the great northern beans. I also made some corn cakes to go with the chili. I put one in the bottom of my bowl, poured a ladle of chili over it and sprinkled a little grated monteray jack cheese on top. It was delicious.
I will definitely be making this again!
KarenC – I am loving all of your comments lately. Thanks for taking the time to leave them! I love the idea of pouring this soup over a corn cake – delicious!
Another winner! Very tasty. It was fantastic comfort food during our winter storm.
A couple ideas for readers… We use plain yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes — tastes about the same but has a couple extra health benefits. Tastes like low fat sour cream does, so we use it in cooking or on whatever we’d use sour cream for. One less item to keep on hand. And it works great in this recipe too! Also subbed in half-and-half because we didn’t have whipping cream, but worked great.
We made the batch spicy enough for adults, but added some extra yogurt/”sour cream” in the kids’ bowls, and they loved it. Still plenty of flavor without the kick. It was a hit all around! Thanks Mel!
Angela – great tips! Thanks!
THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!
By far the best white chicken chili I have ever cooked…..or eaten. I made it a little soupier with more broth and served it over slow cooked white rice. I did also use one can of chiles to see how hot it was and that gave it the slightest kick but just enough to be happy. I ended up using scoops to scoop it all out and it was SO YUM! I am hoping for some leftovers. This will be making a repeat again and again this winter. Time to stock up on white beans and green chilis. Recipe #3 in my Decembermealathon was a HUGE thumbs up! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Thanks, Juliann – and thanks for including your variations. Long live the Decembermealathon!
Made this today and the whole family loved it! I wanted to let other readers know that this worked great in my crockpot. My husband is a minister and so Sunday after church lunches are usually late and we’re all starving. So, I put all of the ingredients except the sour cream and heavy cream in the crockpot the night before (2 whole large chicken breasts that were even still frozen) and put it in the fridge. Sunday mornings my husband gets up at 5am, so he pulled it out and turned the crockpot on low. We got home about 12:45, I took the chicken out, shredded it, and added the creams. Cranked it up to high and let it cook some more while the cornbread was baking in the oven. The soup was magnificent! I was so happy it turned out good even though I didn’t do the first steps of cooking the chicken on the stovetop. Thanks for sharing your tasty recipes with us!
Jennifer – LOVED your tips. So much in fact, that I’ll be cooking my soup like that next time. Thank you!
So I’m currently in a situation where I have to cook for a 2 year old up to a 98 year old, both of whom are VERY picky, plus it has to pass the 4 month old breastfeeding test (as in not too spicy), and this was a hit!! Thanks for another great, easy soup!
So glad, Ashlee!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, I didn’t even add the sour cream because I didn’t have any, and it still tasted great! I did add some shredded monterey jack cheese…because I like my chili cheesy. 🙂