white bean chicken chili recipe
Tender shredded chicken, creamy white beans, and green chilies simmered low and slow in the crockpot, finished with cream cheese and cheddar for a rich, comforting chili with almost no hands on effort.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Two forks (for shredding)
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups great northern or cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 diced green chilies
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 medium lime juiced
Instructions
- Load the Crockpot and Start CookingAdd the chicken breasts, white beans, chicken broth, diced green chilies, diced onion, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker. There's no need to stir everything together perfectly at this stage, since the ingredients will meld together as they cook.Cover and cook on low for six to seven hours or on high for three to four hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and easy to shred.
- Shred the Chicken and Make It CreamyOnce the chicken is cooked through, remove the breasts and shred them with two forks directly on a cutting board or plate. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, then add the softened cream cheese and shredded cheese.Cover and cook on low for an additional fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cheeses have melted completely and the broth has turned into a smooth, creamy chili.
- Finish with Lime and CilantroOnce the chili reaches that creamy consistency, stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.A spoonful at this point should show off tender shredded chicken, soft beans, and a rich, creamy broth clinging to every bite.
Notes
- For a thicker chili, mash about a cup of the beans before adding them to the crockpot.
- Soften the cream cheese ahead of time so it melts in smoothly instead of clumping.
- Shred the chicken right in the pot with two forks to save yourself a dish.
- A splash of lime juice at the end brightens up all of the flavors.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld.
- If the chili seems too thick after refrigerating, stir in a splash of chicken broth while reheating.
- This recipe also adapts well to the instant pot: cook everything except the cheeses on high pressure for about 20 minutes with a natural release, then shred the chicken and stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheese to finish.