The Daily Plate

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot Too)

The cozy comfort classic, made as easy as it gets. Tender chicken, creamy white beans, and sweet corn simmered in a luscious cream-cheese broth — dump it all in, walk away, and come back to a pot that tastes like you worked all afternoon. Slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions included, so it works whichever way you cook.

Creamy white chicken chili in a rustic bowl topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapeños and cilantro, lime wedge on the side
Prep time15 min
Cook time4 hr
Total4 hr 15 min
Yield6 servings
CuisineAmerican
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🧺Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans (great northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • Shredded Monterey Jack, sour cream, cilantro, and sliced jalapeños, for serving

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Load the slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts, white beans, corn, green chiles, onion, garlic, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  2. Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2½ hours, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
  3. Or use the Instant Pot. Add the same ingredients to the Instant Pot, seal, and cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
  4. Shred the chicken. Lift the chicken breasts out, shred them with two forks, and return the shreds to the pot.
  5. Make it creamy. Stir in the softened cream cheese cubes until completely melted into the broth, 2–3 minutes. This is what gives the chili its signature luscious body. Stir in the lime juice and taste — add more salt if needed.
  6. Top and serve. Ladle into bowls and let everyone pile on shredded Monterey Jack, a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and jalapeño slices. A lime wedge on the side is never wrong.

💡 Chili wisdom

Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for 20 minutes so it melts in smoothly — cold cubes turn lumpy. Like it thicker? Mash a ladleful of the beans against the side of the pot before adding the cream cheese. For real heat, swap half the corn for a can of diced jalapeños. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat beautifully (the flavors deepen overnight).

Bowl of creamy white chicken chili with shredded cheese, sour cream swirl, cilantro and jalapeños
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