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About This Recipe
You can never go wrong with this healthy creamy white chicken chili recipe! Lightened up but still all the traditional creamy, comforting flavors you love! This recipe is the best because, just like my Healthy Harvest Chili, it’s made in the crock pot and so easy to just dump everything in the morning and let it cook all day!
It also uses my secret trick with the immersion blender to help get that creamy, thick consistency without having to add extra heavy cream to thicken it up. It does use a little bit of reduced-fat cream cheese to get just the right taste and texture but with these macros, you won’t believe how amazing it is!
This white chicken chili is much high in protein and lower in fat than traditional recipes. It’s perfectly macro-balanced so you can add your favorite toppings like sour cream, cheese, crunchy tortilla chips and more! Or serve with a side of your favorite corn bread for the ultimate comfort meal! But even if you don’t add extra toppings, this chili has so much delicious flavor you won’t even need it!
I love this chili because it’s a great option for meal prep! I swear soups and chilis always taste better the next day or throughout the week as the flavors have had time to come together more! This chili will easily stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days or up to 2-3 months in the freezer!
If your looking for a more traditional healthy chili recipe (tomato base), try my Healthy Butternut Squash Turkey Chili! And if you’re looking for an amazing soup recipe, I highly recommend you check out my Creamy Lightened-up Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- The best dump-and-go crockpot recipe! Prep in less than 15 minutes then let the crockpot do all the work!
- Higher in protein and lower fat than traditional chili recipes!
- Made with simple ingredients! Can easily be made dairy-free!
- Use my secret trick to get the creamy consistency you love without extra cream or high-fat cream cheese!
- Macro-friendly and plenty of room for all your FAVORITE toppings! Seriously, the best healthy comfort food!
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You could also use chicken thighs or tenderloins.
- White beans – like white kidney beans, cannellini, Great Northern beans
- Veggies – onion, jalapeno, frozen corn (or canned)
- Diced green chilies
- Soup essentials – olive oil, chicken stock, garlic
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, ground cumin, salt, paprika,
- Cream cheese – I used reduced-fat cream cheese but regular, Greek or dairy-free works great.
- Fresh Cilantro
- Toppings: shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, etc.
There are so many different ways you can customize this Healthy White Chicken Chili recipe!
- Add more spice! Add extra jalapeno, spicy salsa verde, or a little bit chili powder to give it an extra kick!
- Use chicken thighs instead of breasts! Easily swap out the chicken breasts for skinless chicken thighs for a higher fat, lower protein option!
- Make dairy-free! Easily make this recipe dairy-free but using dairy-free cream cheese (or you can omit it for a more brothy-type chili)
- Add more veggies! Add more veggies like zucchini, bell pepper, etc.
- Make it lower carb! Reduce the carbs by omitting to corn or halving the amount.
- Use chicken bone broth! Want more protein? Use chicken bone broth in place of chicken stock! It’s gut-friendly, too!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add all the ingredients except the cream cheese and cilantro to a Crockpot. Roughly toss to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
3. When done, remove chicken and set on a plate. Use an immersion blender to puree about a 1/3 portion of the chili to thicken it, leaving some of the beans whole. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also transfer a few ladlefuls of the chili to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times, then stir the mixture back into the chili.
4. Shred the chicken with two forks and add back to the Crockpot to toss with the white bean mixture.
5. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and cilantro.
6. Serve up and top with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla strips (highly recommended!) + anything else that sounds good and enjoy!
Why do I need to drain and rinse the white beans for this chili?
I like to drain and rinse the canned beans when making chili to remove any excess sodium and liquid. If you choose to omit this step, you may just want to reduce the amount of chicken stock a bit so you still get a nice, creamy texture.
Can I make this white chicken chili in the Instant Pot?
I have not personally tried but it should work fine! Just add all your ingredients (except cream cheese and cilantro) and set to 20 minutes high pressure. Let instant pot naturally release. Remove chicken and shred and use your immersion blender to puree about 1/3 of the chili to thicken. Add chicken back to Instant pot and stir in cream cheese and cilantro, until melted.
Can I freeze this easy white chicken chili recipe?
Yes, you can freeze this white chicken chili. Just allow to cool completely then place in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, let thaw then place in the crockpot or large pot on stove and reheat until heated through.
Is this white chicken chili spicy?
No, this recipe is not spicy but if you’re worried about it you can omit the jalapenos. If you do love a little bit of spice, I highly recommend adding extra jalapenos, red pepper flakes, extra spicy green chilis, spicy salsa verde, chili powder, or even a dash of cayenne powder!
More Healthy Soup and Chili Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili (High-Protein!)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1 small yellow onion (150g) finely diced
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 15-oz. cans white beans, rinsed & drained like white kidney beans, cannellini, Great Northern beans
- 2 4-oz. cans diced green chiles
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and finely diced (can omit)
- 2.5 cups chicken stock (600g)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp EACH: Italian seasoning & ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp EACH: salt & paprika
- 1.25 cups frozen corn (170g)
- 4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (56g) softened
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro can omit
- Toppings: shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, etc.
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Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the cream cheese and cilantro to a Crockpot. Roughly toss to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
- When done, remove chicken and set on a plate. Use an immersion blender to puree about a 1/3 portion of the chili to thicken it, leaving some of the beans whole.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also transfer a few ladlefuls of the chili to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times, then stir the mixture back into the chili.
- Shred the chicken with two forks and add back to the Crockpot to toss with the white bean mixture. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and cilantro.
- Serve up and top with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla strips (highly recommended!) + anything else that sounds good and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
