It took several failed attempts to come up with a go-to recipe for White Chicken Chili, but I do believe I’ve done it. I felt like Goldilocks the first few tries: too watery, too many beans, boring. But it’s more than the flavor of this chili that I’m excited to share with you, it’s the method.
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Bait and switch slow cooker recipes can be frustrating – where you end up with a bunch of dirty pans because you have to sear this and sauté that before you load up the slow cooker (though sometimes it’s worth dirtying an extra pan, like with this Slow Cooker Jambalaya). This White Chicken Chili is just a slight bait and switch.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
Step 1: Soak cannellini beans overnight in a slow cooker in salted water; drain and rinse. (If you’re under the impression that soaking beans in salt water makes them tough, it’s a myth – I pinky promise. See what Cook’s Illustrated has to say about it if you’re interested.)
Step 2: Stir minced garlic, onion, jalapeños, spices and olive oil into the beans then cover with water and arrange uncooked, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in a single layer on top. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook on high 4 hours.
Step 3: Remove, shred and chop chicken; continue to cook beans until tender. Stir chicken and chopped, roasted chiles into the chili. Voilà! You’ll have some of the best chili you’ve ever tasted. Especially when topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro.
So that’s the bait.
Here’s the switch: If you don’t mind the flavor of canned green chiles, then you can make this chili entirely in the slow cooker. I’m not a fan of the flavor or texture of canned green chiles so I roast my own. Your choice.
If you do decide to roast your own chiles, here’s an easy method: preheat your broiler, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange 8 Anaheim chiles in a single layer. Broil chiles for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping them half-way through. After resting in a covered container for about 15 minutes, it’s a cinch to remove their skin, stems and seeds.
I can’t wait for you try this, the texture of the chicken will knock you out! It comes out ultra tender, flavorful and moist. Combine that with how all of the flavors dance and meld as they cook together and I predict that this will become your go-to White Chicken Chili recipe too.
Don’t Miss These Other Delicious Recipes
- Mexican Cornbread (A perfect side for this chili!)
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (This one is a house favorite – made with Shredded Chicken and Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce.)
- Shrimp Tacos (Always a crowd pleaser!)
- Carne Asada (We make this all summer long. Super versatile!)
- Chorizo Chili (So thick, your spoon will stand up in it!)
- White Bean Turkey Chili (Hearty, delicious and weeknight easy.)
White Chicken Chili
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry cannellini beans
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 jalapeños stems and seeds removed, finely chopped (see recipe note #1)
- 2 large bone-in, skin-on chicken half-breasts about 2 pounds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 Anaheim Chiles roasted and diced – see recipe below (or 1 cup chopped canned green chiles, drained)
Toppings:
- shredded cheddar or jack cheese
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro leaves
- chopped green onions
Instructions
- The night before you plan to cook the chili, add dry cannelini beans, salt and 6 cups water to the bowl of a slow cooker. Stir to combine; let soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse beans and return to slow cooker.
- Add next 8 ingredients (olive oil through jalapeños) and stir to combine. Add 3 cups of water, just enough to cover beans. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on the beans skin side up (the chicken breasts will be above the water line). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook on high for 4 hours. The chicken breasts should be tender, but the beans may need to cook for up to 2 hours longer – check beans for doneness every 30 minutes or so until they are tender.
- Meanwhile, transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board; let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard skin and bones. Shred and coarsely chop chicken; cover and refrigerate.
- When beans are tender, stir in chicken and roasted green chiles. Let stand 5 minutes in slow cooker to reheat chicken and chiles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle chili into serving bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro and green onions as desired. Serve.
To roast Anaheim chiles:
- Preheat broiler.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange 8 Anaheim chiles in a single layer. Broil chiles for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping them half-way through. Transfer blackened chiles to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap to allow them to steam.
- After about 15 minutes, transfer one chili to a cutting board. With your hands, remove skin, stem and seeds and discard. Lay chili flat on cutting board and repeat with remaining chiles, stacking them one on the other. When the chiles are in an 8-high stack, use a sharp knife to dice them into bite-size pieces.
Notes
- Please note that handling raw chiles that have been cut up can severely irritate your skin. I always recommend wearing gloves when working with raw chiles.
- Add desired toppings to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nothing more inviting than slow cooker cooking on cold days like this! And when it results in a beauty of a meal such as this!! All the better! Pinned!
aww, thanks Annie! Definitely love cozy slow cooker recipes this time of year!
LOVE white chicken chili and I especially love that you made this in your slow cooker! So perfect for this time of year! Pile on the cheese and avocado for me please 🙂
Cheese and avocado for me too! Thanks, Dawn!!
I’ve only ever made tomato based chili, So a white bean chicken chili is definitely on my must-make list. And making it in the slow cooker is definitely appealing! Pinned!
I think you’ll love it, Leanne! Thank you!
This is such a perfect dinner for the cold weather outside! Although I think I’d love it enough to eat even when it’s in the 100s 🙂
haha…maybe. 😉 Thanks, Kelsie!
It’s been way too long since I’ve made a white chicken chili, but now I have some wonderful tips to tweak my recipe! Yours sounds fabulous!!!
Thank you so much, Liz!
Hmmm…I’ve never tried roasting my own chilies. I need to do that! I don’t mind the flavor of canned green chilies, but then again I don’t think I’ve ever had ‘homemade’ roasted chilies. Putting it on the list! A good slow cooker recipe like this one is worth its’ weight in gold. This sounds like the ultimate comfort food, Marissa!
Thanks, David. I’m excited for you to try roasting your own chiles – they’re truly delicious!
I need to dust off my slow cooker! This looks great. It’s obvious the chicken needs no browning for this chili. One question. In all my decades of cooking legumes, I’ve never added salt when I soaked them. Why do you do this?
Hi Mimi! Years ago, I read in Cooks Illustrated that soaking beans in salted water “helps them cook more evenly and reduces the number of beans that rupture” (that’s from this link) – it’s so true! And they taste better too. If people are salt sensitive, the step can certainly be skipped, but it really does make a difference.
This method is genius!!! I don’t use my slow cooker nearly often enough, but this is inspiration to pull it out.
Faith, you’ve got to try this way of cooking chicken – I promise it won’t disappoint!
This chili looks amazing! Perfect for the colder temperatures around here! So easy to make, too! Pinning!
Thanks, Mira!
Hi Marissa! I recently bought a new crock pot to replace my 20+ year old one, so I’ve been on the lookout for new recipes. I love green chiles and although I have used canned, I prefer to roast them over an open flame on the stovetop. As for chili, I crave it no matter what the season is! I also like to that you used bone-in, skin on chicken, so much more flavor! This will be in my pretty (it’s red) new slow cooker very soon! 🙂
I’m the same, Dorothy. In fact, my husband teases me that I’ll wait until the hottest day in August to make it. 🙂 That new slow cooker of yours sounds pretty snazzy… 😉
I’m a fan of roasting the chiles myself as I’m sure you could guess. Dropped into a brown bag and closed for 10minutes and the steam assists peeling that slippery skin right off! This looks dee-lish and I enjoy the slow cooker method for these. Thanks Marissa!
I bet you roast chiles like a boss! The brown bag method sounds good – I’ll have to try that next time…
I love dishes that don’t require a lot of pans and dishes! The less is definitely the better 😀 And my mouth was watering at the roasted chillies 😀
Amen to that! Thanks, Lorraine..
So glad you kept going with this one because it looks so delish! I love that you made your own roasted green chiles and that you shared this recipe with us! Can’t wait to cuddle up with this during one of these rainy, cold nights <3
ahhh, I like the way you think. 🙂
Marissa, I’m so glad you stuck with this one, because this is an amazing dish – perfect for colder temperatures, and omg I love a great slow cooker recipe! Definitely roasting my own chilis!
Thanks, Kathleen!
This looks delicious- love those charred peppers 🙂
Me too, I could eat them every day! Thanks, Medha..