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Creamy White Chicken Chili (Easy Slow Cooker Recipe)

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This creamy slow cooker white chicken chili is light, satisfying, and tastes like you fussed for hours — when really, you just let the machine do its thing. It’s become my go-to for busy weeks when I want something that feels like comfort food without the heavy feeling afterward.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs (about 680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Two 15-oz (425g) cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup (150g) frozen corn
  • 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • One 4-oz (113g) can diced green chiles
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
  • 4 oz (113g) Neufchâtel or reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup reserved cooked beans (from the cans)
  • Fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped (for topping)
  • Sliced avocado (for topping)
  • Crumbled tortilla chips or crispy tortilla strips (for topping)
  • Shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese (for topping)
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, drain and rinse both cans of beans. Set aside 1 cup of beans for the creamy finish later. Place the remaining beans in the slow cooker. Add the frozen corn, diced onion, minced garlic, and the can of green chiles.
  2. Season the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on top of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper evenly over the chicken. Don’t stir yet.
  3. Add the broth: Pour the chicken broth around the chicken (not directly on top, so you don’t wash off the spices). The liquid should mostly cover the chicken. If it doesn’t, add a splash more broth or water.
  4. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. The chicken is done when it shreds easily with a fork.
  5. Shred the chicken: About 30 minutes before serving, use tongs to remove the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for a minute or two, then shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
  6. Make the creamy finish: While the chicken rests, combine the reserved 1 cup of beans with about 1/2 cup of the hot broth from the slow cooker in a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. In a separate small bowl, mash the softened cream cheese with a fork until it’s pliable, then stir in a ladleful of the hot chili broth to temper it (this prevents lumps).
  7. Finish the chili: Stir the blended bean mixture and the tempered cream cheese into the slow cooker. Let it cook for another 15-20 minutes on LOW, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through and the chili is thick and creamy.
  8. Add the final touch: Stir in the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning — more salt, a pinch of cayenne for heat, or another squeeze of lime if it needs brightness.
  9. Serve and top: Ladle into bowls and let everyone add their own toppings.

Notes

Don’t skip the tempering step with the cream cheese to avoid curds. For a thicker chili, mash about half the beans before adding them to the slow cooker. This chili can hold on warm for an extra hour without issue. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and freeze well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: white chicken chili, slow cooker chili, creamy chili, easy chili recipe, chicken chili, white bean chili, comfort food, healthy chili

Find it online: https://lumalunch.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili-easy-slow-cooker-recipe/