Robyn Stone
This White Chicken Chili recipe makes a delicious meal full of spicy chili flavor, chicken and white beans. You’ll love the ease of this stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot White Chicken Chili!
White Chicken Chili is one of those cool weather recipes that I can’t get enough of it seems. It’s so easy to make and always a favorite in my family. I’ve shared three methods to make it – on the stovetop, in your slow cooker or crockpot, and in your Instant Pot!
White Chicken Chili Recipe
While Bart and I have always loved the flavors of White Chicken Chili, it wasn’t always one that Sam enjoyed. So, I’d only make it when I had something else planned for him to eat or he was visiting friends or some other excuse. Finally, the other night, I had a serious hankering for a big, piping hot bowl of my white chicken chili that I just couldn’t shake.
I could just taste the spicy flavors mingled with the delicious chicken and I knew I had all of the ingredients to make it in the house.
As I served big bowls of my white chicken chili for supper, Sam wasn’t too sure he wanted it as much as I did for supper. Finally, he took a bite and said, “Wow, this really is good.”
That’s when I want to run and shout from the rooftops, “He likes it! He really likes it!” Remember that commercial?
So, if my somewhat picky eater son likes it, you know it has got to be good. And it is absolutely delicious!
Even though my White Chicken Chili is fairly quick and easy to make, even on the busiest of weeknights, I understand that many times we need to make a few dishes ahead of time for serving later or toss them into the slow cooker to make our lives even simpler! This recipe works beautifully for that!
How to Make White Chicken Chili
I love how versatile this recipe is to make! I’ve included the traditional stovetop instructions in the recipe, but have also included how to prepare this white chicken chili in the slow cooker as well as in the Instant Pot. You’ll also find freezer instructions in the recipe notes as well!
Ingredients
I truly think this is the best white chicken chili! These are the ingredients you’ll use to make it.
- Boneless Chicken Breast
- Chicken Stock
- Garlic
- Onions
- White Beans
- Diced Green Chilis
- Dried Oregano
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Oregano
Stovetop White Chicken Chili Recipe
To make this recipe on the stovetop, add the chicken to a 4-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add chicken stock and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Shred chicken with two forks and then add back to the liquid.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir until well-combined.
Taste for flavor and adjust to your preference.
Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
For this easy slow cooker white chicken chili recipe, add the chicken, chicken stock, garlic, onion, chilis, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook for 8 hours on low.
Shred chicken with two forks and stir in white beans and fresh oregano and cook for another 10 minutes.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
To make this Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe, you’ll add the chicken, chicken stock, garlic, onions, beans, chilis, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to your Instant Pot and secure the lid with the vent closed.
Set you Instant Pot to High pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then, using a pot holder, carefully use the quick release. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and shred the chicken using two forks. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and serve.
Freezer Instructions
Prepare the chili as instructed and ladle into an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and place in the refrigerator to defrost the night before planning to serve. Then you can either place in your slow cooker on Low to allow the chili to slowly warm throughout the day to serve for supper that evening, or you can pour the chili into a large stockpot for reheating on the stovetop. You can also reheat in the microwave for 45 second intervals at 80% power, stirring after each interval until it’s heated throughout. Serve and enjoy!
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
Here’s my White Chicken Chili recipe. I think you’ll love it!
White Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilis, with liquids from chilis
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
Stovetop White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Add chicken to a 4-quart, heavy bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add chicken stock and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Shred chicken with two forks and then add back to the liquid.
- Add garlic and onion to stockpot, white beans, green chilis, dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh oregano. Stir until well-combined. Taste for flavor and adjust to your preference.
- Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Add chicken, chicken stock, garlic, onion, chilis, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low. Shred chicken with two forks and stir in white beans and fresh oregano and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Add the chicken, chicken stock, garlic, onions, beans, chilis, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to your Instant Pot and secure the lid with the vent closed.
- Set you Instant Pot to High pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then, using a pot holder, carefully use the quick release. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and shred the chicken using two forks. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and serve.
Video
Notes
Prepare recipe as instructed and then ladle it into an airtight container. I use deli containers or large Mason jars so that it doesn’t take up as much room in my refrigerator or freezer. Freeze. Remove from freezer and place in the refrigerator to defrost the night before planning to serve. Then, either place in your slow cooker on low to allow the chili to slowly warm throughout the day for serving for supper or pour into a large stockpot for reheating. Additionally, you can reheat in the microwave at 45 second intervals at about 80% power, stirring after each interval until heated throughout.
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Updated to included various cooking and freezing methods. Originally published 2012.
This is so good! I even cheated and used canned chicken breast, dried minced onion and garlic from a jar! Definitely will be making it again.
WOW! i never thought of this! Thank You!
Can I double the recipe and cook in the crock pot? I would like to bring to our Halloween block party!
Hi Denise,
This is great for Halloween parties! Did you see my Halloween Soup Buffet?
I do include slow cooker instructions with my recipe, but whether or not you can double the recipe in the slow cooker will depend upon the size of your slow cooker etc.
I hope you enjoy it! Thanks! xo
Hi! A question– do you mean whole chicken breasts or chicken breast halves? And, I’m sorry, but “medium” is rather vague– do you have any idea how many pounds/ounces of chicken is needed? I’ve used chicken breast halves that weighed anywhere from 4 ounces up to 12 ounces each (would like to see the Super Chicken that the largest ones come from!). Thank you!
This turned out great! I added 2 zucchini, 1 head cauliflower, 1 can corn, and a few cups of chopped spinach to bulk up the veggies (and some extra broth / cumin to make up for the added volume). It was all very flavorful and yummy! Will definitely make again.
Aren’t the onions going to be almost raw if they only simmer for 5 minutes?
I’ve made this a few times and I usually simmer the diced onion for a few min before adding the broth etc. seems to do the trick for me! My whole family LOVES this soup. My 7 year old super picky eater requested it AGAIN for tonight! To make even easier I buy cooked, chopped rotisserie chicken from the local deli!
This soup is so yummy!! I only had canned chicken, canned beans & frozen corn but it turned out wonderful! I added a little half&half to make it creamy and it’s to die for!!! Thanks for posting
I made this recipe and loved it…great flavor and simple to make, tho i added a bit of fresh spinach at the very end and made corn bread with it…it was delicious.
Thanks so much Lourdes!
Taste is very good.. however, i tend to overcook the chicken making it dry..
I added celery and carrots and cilantro too for more veggies.
I messed up and forgot the white beans and green chilis when shopping for the ingredients. Substituted black beans and rotel and added can of corn for good measure. Turned out really good! More chicken tortilla than white chicken chili but still very good. A little spicy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ann! It may taste a little less spicy when you use the green chilis the next time you make it. Thanks so much! xo
Oops I accidentally put in vegetable broth instead of chicken stock will it still taste okay or should I dump it out?
Hello, Thank You for the recipe. I do want to verify one thing Please and Thank You. Do I also add the juice (liquids) in the recipe with the can diced green chilies? Or drain the liquids and just add the diced green chilies?
Thank You
You will not drain the canned chiles. Enjoy this Angela! xo
Very Good recipe, I added acouple carrotts, would of added celery and kale.
Can this be made in the instant pot? If so, do you know what cooking directions would be for it?
The flavors are delicious! 4 breasts is way too much chicken. This is definitely more a soup than chili, but the family enjoyed it anyway.
I loved it. Served it over white rice in bowls with cornbread made with green chiles and corn in it with honey butter. Yummy….
When do you add the beans in the Instant Pot recipe?
Thanks!
Add them at the beginning in step 1. Thanks Fenton!
When do you add the beans when using the instant pot?
Hi Bernie,
Add them in the first step along with other ingredients. Thanks!
This is totally delicious! My husband loved it so much that he said he’d rather have had three bowls of this instead of the steak dinner he had when we went out to lunch! I did lightly sautee the onions and garlic first. 🙂
Added black beans, bell pepper, and some leftover bits of fresh tomato as well as a touch of cream for fun but was delighted with the taste prior to these additions. This is a recipe I will certainly be making again and again. So yummy.
Your additions sound delicious!
This was soooooo good! I cooked everything together to elevate the flavor and added some chipotle pepper. I will definatinatly make this again and add more beans.
I want to try this but is it okay to use chicken broth instead of chicken stock? Thank you!
Sure, Megan. Enjoy it! xo
This was fantastic.. I added some water to cut the salt from the chicken broth plus i wanted to make it more soupy.. Will make this again!
Glad you enjoyed it, Leah. Thanks!
I had two huge boneless chicken breasts in the freezer, so I plopped them in the slow cooker, added uncooked white beans & all of your ingredients & let it cook overnite. Wow, it is really good & super easy in the Crockpot.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Chris! Thanks!
Hi! Thank you for this recipe. Don’t you have to sauté the onions and peppers first before adding them or do you just dump them in raw—does it matter or will it make much difference in the flavor or consistency? Thank you!
This recipe is extremely easy and absolutely delicious. I added a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper because my husband likes things spicy but it really didn’t need it. I used the Stovetop instructions and next time will double the batch. Thanks! Would love to have more recipes from you.
Thanks, Bevin, so glad you liked the chili. I bet it was good with the cayenne addition.
Had this tonight. Super easy snd quick for a weeknight dinner. I sautéed the veg first then added the meat and the broth. I had some celery and green peppers on hand so I chopped them up and sautéed them too with the onion and garlic.
So glad you liked this, Julie. I love to make this for a quick and easy weeknight meal, too. Thanks!
How spicy is this? My husband likes things fairly mild. Think if I cut it from 4 to just 2 cans of chilis, that will do the trick? Thanks.
Jean, I only use one (4-oz) can of chilis, not 4 cans. Hope this helps!
Loved it! Very simple to make. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved this, Colleen. It is one of my family’s favorites. Thanks!
Could you use rotisserie chicken in the instant pot for this recipe? Would you still cook all ingredients 20 minutes since chicken is already cooked? Or cook everything but chicken 20 minutes, then add in chicken and simmer? I’m new to IP cooking. Thanks!
Meredith, if using rotisserie chicken, you would use the stovetop instructions for the recipe. Shred the chicken, add it, the chicken stock, and all other ingredients to a stockpot or Dutch oven. I would cook it on simmer then for 5 – 10 minutes until all the ingredients are hot and the onion is tender. Hope you enjoy!
I’m not a bean person, so I’m really not sure what to use for “white beans?”
I use Great Northern beans or navy beans in this recipe, Messina.
When making this in the slow cooker do you add the beans right away in step one and cook for 8 hours? Because it says to add the beans at the end also?
You would add the beans at the end, Jessica, if cooking in the slow cooker.
This was delicious!! The whole family loved it!!
I added more broth and a can of corn, so it was a little more like soup. Will definitely makes this again!
Thanks!
Thanks, Jerilyn. I’m so happy your family loved this chili. It is a favorite at our house.
Do you add your beans when you add all of the other ingredients when making in the instant pot? I didn’t see them listed in the instructions. I’ve made it on the stovetop before but never in my instant pot. It’s a hit with my family for Sunday night dinners!
I’m sorry that ingredient was left out of the instructions, Debbie. I have updated the recipe now. You add the beans with the chicken, chicken stock, etc. Thanks so much for catching that. Hope you enjoy!
How many will this recipe feed?
This recipe makes 8 servings, Pam.