White Chicken Chili is the definition of comfort food! This thick, creamy, and hearty chili is packed with tender bites of shredded chicken, white beans, corn, salsa verde and so much more. A white chili recipe that’s equal parts flavorful and rich? Yes, please! Instructions for both the pressure cooker and slow cooker are included.
White Chicken Chili
I can confidently say that this white chicken chili is one of my most popular recipes for a reason! This tried and true chili recipe is a classic in my kitchen that everyone raves about. It’s creamy, filling, and SO flavorful. It’s one of those entrees that will fill you up after just one bowl, but it’s so delicious that you’ll be treating yourself to seconds anyways. Ingredients like sour cream and cream cheese keep everything deliciously rich while salsa verde and a medley of seasonings add incredible flavor. Plus, I’ve included instructions below for both the Instant Pot AND Crockpot to make life even easier!
Comfort food season is upon us! Cozy up with more of my favorite easy recipes like Creamy French Onion Tortellini, this easy Ground Beef Stroganoff and the creamiest Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
How Do I Thicken Chicken Chili?
I like to use a mixture of cornstarch and water to thicken most of my chili and soup recipes. I find that if I use flour, it tends to really dull the flavor, and we don’t want that. Whether you use the slow cooker or pressure cooker method, you’ll use equal parts of cold liquid (milk or water works here) with the cornstarch and whisk or stir until smooth. The trick is making sure that your soup is really HOT! It needs to be boiling when you add in your cornstarch mixture.
So, for the Instant Pot, you’ll want to turn it up to the sauté OR soup setting – either works. Or, for the Crockpot, you want to make sure it’s on HIGH heat (if you had been cooking on low all day that’s fine, just turn it up) for a good 20-30 minutes. Then, WHISK! Don’t stir the mixture into your soup to make sure it dissolves. You’ll have a nice, hearty, thick, chili within a few minutes.
How to Make White Chicken Chili in the Crockpot
Season the chicken. Season the chicken breasts evenly on both sides with the blend of seasonings listed.
Add it to the Crockpot. Place the seasoned chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top it off with the diced onion, minced garlic, white beans, green chilis, corn, salsa verde, and broth. Stir to combine.
Cook. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
Shred it. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH (if you had been cooking on low). Remove the chicken and shred in a separate bowl while keeping the slow cooker covered with the lid.
Make a slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with the cold milk or water until smooth.
Add the chicken and slurry. Return the chicken to the Crockpot, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking on high for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
Thicken it. Add the sour cream to a medium bowl and stir in one ladle full of the liquid from the soup, then stir the sour cream mixture back into the soup. Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
How to Make White Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot
Season the chicken. Season the chicken as directed above, then place it into the bottom of your Instant Pot.
Add more ingredients. Add the onion, garlic, beans, green chilis, corn, salsa and broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
Pressure cook. Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Cook on manual (pressure cook) for 10 minutes. Allow the pot to do a natural release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
Change the setting. Once the pressure is released, open the lid and turn off the pot. Then, turn the pot to the sauté or soup setting.
Thicken it. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Whisk your slurry into the boiling soup constantly until thickened.
Make it creamy. Turn off the pot. Then, stir in the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.
Storing Chicken Chili For Later:
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your leftover white chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat it, the microwave works just fine! Reheat your chicken chili in 30 second increments, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through. I do not recommend freezing white chicken chili. Because of the dairy ingredients used, it tends to not freeze well.
Ingredient Notes for White Chicken Chili
Seasonings – I like to season my chicken with a simple blend of salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. You can add a little spice with some cayenne powder if you’d like.
Onion – You can use a white or yellow onion, both work well.
Sour Cream and Cream Cheese – I recommend using the full fat content with both of these inrgedients. Low fat options won’t create the same thick and creamy consistency we’re aiming for.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breasts
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, Optional
- 1 Small White or Yellow Onion, Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 15 Ounce Cans White Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 2 4 Ounce Cans Diced Green Chilis
- 1 15 Ounce Can Corn, Drained
- 1 Cup Salsa Verde
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Cold Milk or Water
- 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
Instructions
SLOW COOKER METHOD:
- Season the chicken breasts evenly on both sides with the chili powder, cumin, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Top with the diced onion, minced garlic, white beans, green chilis, corn, salsa verde, and broth. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH (if you had been cooking on low). Remove the chicken and shred, while keeping the slow cooker covered.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with the cold milk or water until smooth.
- Remove the lid from the slow cooker and return the chicken, then, whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
- Continue cooking on high for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
- Add the sour cream to a medium bowl and stir in one ladle full of the liquid from the soup, then stir the sour cream mixture back into the soup.
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
INSTANT POT METHOD:
- Season the chicken as directed above. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6 quart or larger instant pot.
- To the pot add the onion, garlic, beans, green chilis, corn, salsa and broth. Stir briefly to combine.
- Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to sealing. Cook on manual (pressure cook) for 10 minutes. Allow the pot to natural release for 10 minutes, the release any remaining pressure.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and turn the pot off. Then, turn the pot to the saute or soup setting.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water. Whisk into the boiling soup constantly for about 1 minute, until thickened.
- Turn off the pot and stir in the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was very late to the game getting an Instant pot, but I love it. I am trying to eat more chicken instead of red meat too, so this recipe is perfect!
What about cooking this on the stovetop or in the oven?
Absolutely!
I also used dry white beans instead of canned, creme fraiche instead of sour cream, and substituted white masa flour for the cornstarch. Which thickens far better than cornstarch, and also gives the chili a more authentic flavor. Just be sure to stir constantly and vigorously while adding the masa to avoid lumps!!!
The best kind of comfort food! Love how you gave the instant pot cooking directions as well! Perfect!
This is my kind of comfort food! Perfect for a cold evening like tonight; looking forward to making this for dinner, indeed!
Such a warm and hearty chili! I can’t wait to try this recipes!
We often make chicken recipes so I am always looking for new recipes!
This was the perfect comforting chili – thanks for the easy recipe!!!
This Creamy White Chicken Chili is seriously making me hungry!
This is a family favorite. I have never tried adding the salsa verde. I can’t wait to make a batch of this!
Fantastic and simple recipe!