This easy recipe for White Chicken Chili is loaded with flavor and made wonderfully thick and creamy using rich cream cheese, creamed corn, shredded chicken, white beans and salsa verde. Make it in the crock pot or on the stove top. Either way, this creamy white chili is bound to make it to your table again and again!
Can one really say that chili is luxurious? Is that too much? I don’t think so! All I know is that with one bite, we all just had to put our spoons down and savor the moment. The layers of flavor, the thick, rich creaminess… with a slice of cornbread, this chili is a hearty comfort food meal for the record books.
RELATED RECIPE: Texas Red Beef Chili
And you’re not going to believe how easy it is! There are a lot of white chicken chili recipes out there. Many of them have you cooking beans down for 30-45 minutes to thicken the sauce or cooking the chicken for a whole day in the crock pot, taking it out, shredding it and then putting it back in to cook some more.
There’s none of that here. We need something we can throw in the crock pot before work or whip up on the stove top afterwards. With plenty time left to pop it on the table with the flourish of a high energy short order cook. Spins, twirls and all. This, my friend, is your go-to recipe for easy chicken chili.
Why We Love This White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Cream cheese makes the perfect comfort food base for a velvety, white chili.
- Creamed corn instead of plain whole kernel corn also makes a big difference. With its own thickening agents and buttery base, creamed corn brings a lot to the table, including rich flavor.
- Not to mention, salsa verde instead of just diced green chiles packs this chicken chili with deliciously savory flavor down to the very last bowl.
- Plus, short cuts like using rotisserie chicken (if you need it) and the option to prepare it in 30 minutes on the stove top or cook it all day in the crock pot.
- And lastly, a comfort family meal, yes! But this one pot recipe is also rocking for tailgates and game day, as well as taking to a friend or neighbor who might be under the weather.
Of course, the true payoff comes from full, warm bellies, empty bowls and smiles around the table. And this chili provides that in spades.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- northern white beans (or canellini beans)
- green salsa (salsa verde)
- creamed corn
- cream cheese
- half & half
- fresh cilantro
- salt, pepper
- cumin, oregan, chili powder, cayenne
How To Make Cream Cheese Chicken Chili on The Stove Top
Prep the Chicken. If using frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boil them in heavily salter water, drain and shred. If using rotiesserie chicken, remove skin and shred.
Make the Base. Sautee diced onion with minced garlic in large soup pot or Dutch oven with olive oil until translucent. Stir in chicken broth, creamed corn, salsa verde and drained and rinsed beans. Let cook for a few minutes. Add the salt, peppers and dried spices. Let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes.
Finish. Stir in shredded chicken. Add cubed cream cheese and stir until it’s melted (sometimes I use a whisk for this). Stir in half & half. Add cilantro to finish. Stir well.
Making Cream Cheese Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot
This recipe is perfect for your crock pot or slow cooker! Simply pre-cook your chicken or use Rotisserie chicken. Add all ingredients. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir every now and then to mix in melted cheese.
Pro Tips For The Best White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
- Minimize prep time by using rotisserie chicken from your local grocery story.
- Want to know how to thicken your chicken chili? Usually this recipe is plenty thick, but sometimes I have to help it along. When that’s the case, I just make a slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water and stir it into my simmering chili. After a stir or 3, it thickens right up!
- Salsa Verde comes in a mild, medium and hot varieties, so choose according to what your people like to eat. We’re some spicy folks around here, but I still choose the medium because this recipe also calls for Cayenne Pepper.
- To further cut down on the heat, you can half the amount of Cayenne or just not add it all.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is delicious when loaded up with your favorite toppings! We like slices of avocado, tortilla strips and a fresh squeeze of lime. The Engineer thinks it’s best with a layer of Green Chile Rice in the bottom of his bowl and Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins on the side.
Other Comfort Soup & Chili Recipes
- Texas Red Beef Chili
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Farmhouse Cheese Soup
- Creamy Chicken & Ravioli Soup
- Homemade Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Southern Chicken & Dumplings
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!
RATE IT & LEAVE A COMMENT OR SNAP A PHOTO.
Out of This World Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, generous
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 15 oounce can cream corn
- 16 ounce jar salsa verde
- (2) 15 ounce cans northern white beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 teaspoon each of salt, cumin and dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon each of ground black pepper and chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/2 to 1 cup half & half
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boil, drain and shred.
- While chicken is boiling, dice onion and sautee with minced garlic in large soup pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil until translucent. Stir in chicken broth and let cook for 1 minute. Add creamed corn, salsa verde. Stir and let cook for another minute. Add beans. Stir well. Add the salt, peppers and dried spices. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes or until chicken is ready.
- Stir in shredded chicken. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in half & half. Add cilantro. Stir well.
- Serve with cornbread or corn chips. Can be topped with avocado and cheese.
MAKING IT EASY TO HOST & SERVE
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Fantastic recipe! The only changes i made were to add one can of great northern beans and one can of cannelini beans and regular salsa as that is what i had in the house. perfect flavor for a cold winter night. Made some tortilla strips to serve with it.
Fern, that sounds so delicious! I am so glad you loved this chili- super delicious comfort food. You’ve made my day, for sure! Thank you so much!!
Is 32 ozs chicken broth accurate? I made this, and it is delicious! But, I cut way back on the amount of chicken broth.
Hi, LeAnn!
I am so glad you loved this chili; it’s one of our favorites! I do use that much chicken broth when I make it. The chili is always thick and loaded with meat, beans and corn. I do drain and rinse my beans and the cream corn is thick- no extra liquid there- to make it all work. However, I think everyone should make a recipe their own so that the dish comes out just the way they like them! So, I am all for less broth if that works too!
Hi- If I use regular corn instead of creamed corn, should I add a bit more cream to the recipe? Making it this week and I dont have creamed corn, just fresh on the cob.
Hi, Alison!
Fresh corn sounds amazing! How perfect! This is what I would do: add all of your ingredients just as listed in the recipe. If the chili needs to be thickened- too much like a soup- add a little slurry of cornstarch and cold water (1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water, stirred together). The creamed corn is usually a thickener for this recipe. However, if you add all your ingredients and you feel like it needs to be loosened up a bit, then add a little extra cream. This should make a great dish with your fresh corn!
Thanks so much. I’m making it for dinner tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes.
It was delicious, thank you for the recipe. I tried the slurry, it didn’t thicken it enough, next time I will use much less chicken stock, and add more if needed. The taste was amazing. I added chopped fresh spinach to the chili, so I didn’t have to make a seperate veggie for the night. I love a one pot meal 🙂 thank you.
So glad it tasted delicious!
What did you put on top of the chicken chili? It looks like corn chips. Just curious about the brand.
Hi, Jennifer! Those are tortilla strips for soups and salads. You can find them on the grocery aisle where the croutons and other salad toppings are.
now i love the recipe just wondering if i could just toss it all into the slow cooker ?
Hi, Toni! You sure can. See the 5th bullet point under Pro Tips & Tricks in the post for instructions!
If I put this into my crock pot do I have to pre cook the chicken?? Thanks! Making this tonight
Hi, Kaitlyn! Yes, the chicken needs to be precooked. Please see the 5th bullet point under “Pro Tips & Tricks” for slow cooker instructions and shortcuts! I hope you love this recipe. I can’t wait to hear about it!
Very tasty!! I made recipe exactly as above. Next time, I will try using the corn starch slurry to thicken it up as recommended in your “Tips” because I think it needs it. This is definitely a “keeper”. Thank you
Hi, Merce! You are so welcome. I am so glad that you enjoyed this chili! It is just loaded with flavor and then some! Yes, I often have to use the corn starch slurry too. A lot of times, it has to do with the thickness of the cream corn, and you never know what you’re going to get. It’s nice to have the corn starch trick in your back pocket!
My husband and I loved your recipe, the creaminess from the cream cheese and half and half made it extra yummy.
Hi, Lori! I am just tickled that you loved this cozy recipe! And I agree; it really is the creaminess that makes it the best!
Wow that is REALLY good! I used a medium Salsa Verde and it was just the right amount of heat. Forgot to buy cilantro but the Salsa Verde already had some and it was excellent without it. Topped it with Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar and some diced avocado. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi, CJ! I love your toppings! Those are my jam! I am just tickled that you enjoyed this chili so much. It is just cozy good! Thank you so much!
This was one of the most amazing dishes I’ve ever eaten from a blog!! I don’t usually take the time to comment but I wanted to say kudos to you for this superb recipe! All I added was a can of rotel, and two packets of ham boullion to give it more warmth. I will make this over and over!! Thank you for sharing it!
Hi, Laura! I am just tickled that you loved this chili! It really is super warm and comforting, don’t you think? Thank you so much for commenting. It means the world!
Made it for the first time today….DELICIOUS!
Hi, Denelle! What a great day! I am thrilled to hear this. Thanks!
I’ve tried many chicken chili recipes, this by far is the BEST. Thank you so much for sharing this and I cannot wait to try your other recipes 🙂
Hi, Ginger! Thank you so very, very much! I am so happy to have you here at Southern Discourse. Looking forward to cooking together!
Fantastic recipe.
Hi, Susan! Thanks so much!