Make an epic white chicken chili with salsa verde recipe for dinner tonight. Salsa verde infuses flavor. Cream cheese adds a velvety texture. Gimme seconds, please.
When you're craving chili, but want to skip the red meat, white chicken chili is the answer. I think you'll love this recipe.
It's not a boring one-note dish. White chicken chili with salsa verde is hearty, creamy, and slightly tangy (thanks to the salsa verde). Cream cheese adds richness and the fresh lime juice gives it the pop it needs.
It's an easy, worry-free recipe the whole family will love. Plus, it's easy to make ahead and freeze. And you can cook it on the stove, slow cooker, or Instant pot -- whichever is easiest for you.
So, what's for dinner? The simplest meal you'll make all week.
RELATED: See all the other fabulous soup recipes.
Jump to:
- 3 Reasons You Will Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Slow Cooker Recipe Directions
- Stove Top Directions
- Can You Make Chicken Chili in an Instant Pot?
- Tasty Tips
- Favorite Toppings
- How to Store White Bean Chicken Chili
- Can You Freeze Chicken Chili Verde?
- How to Reheat Salsa Verde White Chicken Chili
- What to Serve with Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Recipe
- Craving More Soup Recipes?
- Can't Get Enough Chicken?
- Comments
3 Reasons You Will Love This Recipe
- Minimal prep. This recipe is a cinch to prep. Even if you don’t know what to do with the other half of that onion, chopping everything was pretty painless.
- Easy peasy. Once you cut up all your veggies, measure out the rest of the ingredients, and add everything to the crockpot, you can forget about it.
Well, make sure you set a timer. But beyond that, go pick up your kids. Take the dog for a walk. Get out that laser pointer and give your kitty some exercise. Let the crockpot do its job.
- Cleanup is a breeze. I only dirtied a chopping knife, a few measuring dishes, a mixing bowl, a cutting board, and the slow cooker.
Not too bad, especially since I’m not on dish duty. Nothing says I love you more than a minimal dish cleanup.
Ingredients
Combine these easy ingredients together into a big batch of chili. This isn’t a spicy soup, but it is flavorful.
- Chicken: Leftover chicken (like rotisserie) is perfect in chicken chili. Cut the leftover rotisserie chicken into small pieces before adding it to the pot.
Or open a can of Costco shredded chicken. Delicious.
If you start with raw chicken and don’t want to precook it, make this recipe in the slow cooker. It’s the perfect way to cook the chicken and the chili simultaneously.
- White beans: Use your favorite beans. Cannellini beans or great northern beans are the best for this recipe. But you might like pinto beans instead. Find precooked beans in the canned bean section of the grocery store.
If you prefer to start with dry beans from scratch, cook them before making the white chicken chili recipe. If you cook the beans and the chili together, the chili will end up too thick.
- Salsa verde: Salsa verde is the secret ingredient that kicks up the flavor. The tomatillos in the salsa are the best part, adding a touch of sweetness.
- Fresh aromatic flavors: The combination of onion, garlic, and chili pepper adds a depth of flavor. Add two or more jalapeno peppers if you like spicier chili.
- Creamy broth: Part chicken stock and part half and half makes up the broth. The broth is both flavorful and smooth.
- Cream cheese: Rich and velvety. That is what cream cheese offers. But there are plenty of healthy substitutes if you want to go lighter.
- Seasonings: Cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simple seasonings. But bloom them in the olive oil with the onions and peppers, and their flavor will explode.
- Lime juice: Squeeze a fresh lime and brighten the chili’s taste. Don’t forget it. You will be able to tell it’s missing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey in place of the chicken.
- Swap out the white beans for pinto, kidney, or even garbanzo beans.
- Try red salsa instead of salsa verde.
Slow Cooker Recipe Directions
This is an easy recipe to cook in a slow cooker (crockpot).
- Peel and dice the onion. Wash, remove seeds, and dice the jalapeno pepper. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
- Place all the chili ingredients into the bowl of your slow cooker except the half and half, cream cheese, and lime juice.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
- Bring the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature.
- Blend the half and half with softened cream cheese and lime juice.
- Turn the slow cooker off and pour in the cream cheese mixture. Give it a thorough stir.
- Place the lid back on the slow cooker for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cream cheese is heated through.
- Garnish with diced red onion, fresh cilantro, and sour cream. Serve with a side of cornbread or a biscuit.
Note: You can cook raw chicken in the slow cooker with the rest of the chili ingredients. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Spray the crockpot bowl with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts at the bottom of slow cooker. Then sprinkle salt, black pepper, and garlic powder on the chicken.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except half and half, cream cheese, and lime juice).
- Before serving, remove the cooked chicken and shred it. Return the shredded breast to the chili and stir before serving.
Stove Top Directions
- Bring the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature.
- Peel and dice the onion. Wash, remove seeds, and dice the jalapeno pepper. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
- Add the diced onion and jalapeño peppers. Cook for 5 minutes or until they soften.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Stir and cook for two minutes. The spices should be fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, ½ cup of the half and half, the salsa verde, green chilies, shredded chicken (cooked), white beans, and corn (optional). Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- As the chili cooks, whisk the cream cheese into the remaining 1 cup of half and half until smooth. Juice the lime.
- Turn the heat off the chili. Then pour in the cream cheese mixture and fresh lime juice. Finally, give it a thorough stir. Replace the lid and let it warm for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. I often add ½ teaspoon more salt and occasionally more lime juice.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and green onions.
Can You Make Chicken Chili in an Instant Pot?
I was disappointed the first time I tried making chicken chili in the Instant Pot. This is one of those chili recipes that doesn’t work as well in a pressure cooker. Why?
- It took just as long as cooking it on the stove. But I couldn’t check on it when it was pressurized.
- Dairy products break down in a pressure cooker. Don’t add half and half or cream cheese until it is finished cooking.
But if the Instant Pot is your thing, here are the directions.
- Bring the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature.
- Peel and dice the onion. Wash, remove seeds, and dice the jalapeno pepper. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and heat oil.
- Add the diced onion and jalapeño peppers. Cook for 5 minutes or until they soften.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Stir and cook for two minutes. The spices should be fragrant.
- Pour the chicken broth, salsa verde, green chilies, cooked chicken, white beans, and corn into the Instant Pot container.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes. It will take 10 to 15 minutes to reach pressure.
- As the chili cooks, whisk the softened cream cheese into the half and half until smooth. Juice the lime.
- When the chili is finished cooking, do a quick release to depressurize the pot.
- Pour in the cream cheese mixture and stir well. Add the fresh lime juice and give it a thorough stir. Then replace the lid and let it warm for 3 to 5 minutes. If the cream cheese and half and half are room temperature, they will heat quickly.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. I often add ½ teaspoon more salt and occasionally more lime juice.
- Garnish with seasoned tortilla strips, diced green pepper, and cotija cheese.
Tasty Tips
- Pre-chop the veggies. If you’re good at meal planning, you can chop up the onion, garlic, and jalapeno ahead of time. Especially if those ingredients are going to be used later in the week.
- Go with precooked chicken. If you can, buy a rotisserie chicken. Doesn’t take too long to debone, and the dog gets some scraps.
If not, no worries. No need to precook this chicken before it goes into the slow cooker. Just throw it in with the rest of the ingredients.
You do need precooked chicken for the stovetop directions though.
- Try homemade salsa verde (if you have time). Making your own salsa verde is so easy. It is something I prefer to do, especially now that I’ve made it on my own a few times!
But when tomatillos are out of season, or you’re short on time, pick up some premade salsa verde from the store. I found a 7 oz. can of Herdes salsa verde, which is just about right for this recipe.
You can always buy the bigger jar of salsa verde. But this time around, I picked out something perfect for this meal.
- The slow cooker may just be the best way to cook chicken chili. I’m a low and slow type of gal. I love to get everything in the crockpot before my day begins. And slow cooked chicken is moist and flavorful.
- Bring the cream cheese AND half and half to room temperature. When both are at room temperature, the cream cheese mixture will not take as long to warm in the chili.
- Do NOT skip the lime juice. It adds such a great flavor everyone will be begging for more.
- Add some spice if the chili is too mild. I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat level. I didn’t add any other spices to my bowl. But my husband added some hot sauce to his. He said it gave him exactly what he needed to spice up the dish.
- Don’t forget to garnish. If you can find some flavored tortilla strips, grab them. Definitely makes a difference.
Favorite Toppings
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced bell pepper
- Sour cream or optional Greek yogurt
- Diced red onion or green onions
- Green salsa
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Hot sauce if you need a little spice
- Pickled jalapeño peppers or roasted serrano chiles
- Cayenne pepper (this is for my dad, who puts cayenne pepper on everything)
How to Store White Bean Chicken Chili
Store leftover salsa verde chicken chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tastes the best when eaten in two or three days.
The only thing to be aware of is that the chicken chili will thicken as it cools.
Can You Freeze Chicken Chili Verde?
This white chicken chili with salsa verde recipe has dairy (cream cheese and half and half). Dairy does not freeze well. It breaks down, resulting in a broth that is more soft chunky than smooth.
However, this does not affect the taste. Only the texture. If you have lots of chili leftover, it will still be edible if frozen.
If you want to freeze the whole batch together, place it in an airtight freezer container or a freezer bag.
Better yet, freeze individual portions in 1-cup containers. Then you can pull out serving-size leftovers.
How to Reheat Salsa Verde White Chicken Chili
To reheat a single portion of chicken chili, pour a serving into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir and test the temperature. Reheat in 20-second intervals until it is hot enough.
To reheat a large amount of chili, warm the soup in a pot on the stove. Reheat over medium heat until it is warm enough. To preserve the consistency, do not boil.
Add either chicken broth or half and half if the chili is too thick. Stir, taste, and add more seasoning if you need to. Sometimes a few tablespoons of salsa verde and a pinch of salt is all the seasoning you need.
When it is chili night, look beyond regular chili and give white chili a try. This chicken chili with salsa verde recipe might become your new family favorite.
What to Serve with Creamy White Chicken Chili
There are dozens of delicious side dishes to serve with chicken chili. Here are just a few.
- Cornbread. You can never go wrong when serving cornbread with homemade chili. It is one of those sides you crave with a bowl of hot chili.
- Cheddar biscuits with pancake mix. Who knew you could make biscuits so easily with pancake mix. Throw in some cheddar and seasonings and you have a delicious, savory biscuit.
- Tortilla chips. Who can say no to chips? I had some extra Tostitos Hint of Lime chips that went fabulously with this dish.
Or… some fritos! Frito pie anyone?
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Recipe
Creamy White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde
Make an epic white chicken chili with salsa verde recipe for dinner tonight. Salsa verde infuses flavor. Cream cheese adds a velvety texture. Gimme seconds, please.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil stove top preparation only
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 crushed garlic cloves or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups half and half divided
- 1 cup of salsa verde salsa
- 4 oz. can of green chilies
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast OR 2 raw chicken breasts (for slow cooker directions only)
- 1 15 oz. can of white beans, like cannellini beans (or 1½ cups cooked beans)
- 1 15 oz. can of sweet corn (optional)
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice about ½ freshly juiced lime
Instructions
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS
- BRING the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature.
- PEEL and DICE the onion. Wash, remove seeds, and dice the jalapeno pepper. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
- HEAT the olive oil in a large soup pot.
- ADD the diced onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, or until they soften.
- SPRINKLE in the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Stir and cook for two minutes. The spices should be fragrant.
- POUR in the chicken broth, ½ cup of the half and half, the salsa verde, green chilies, shredded chicken, white beans, and corn. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- As the chili cooks, WHISK the cream cheese into the remaining 1 cup of half and half until smooth. Juice the lime.
- TURN OFF the heat. Pour the cream cheese mixture and lime juice into the chili. Stir. Then replace the lid and let it warm for 3 to 5 minutes.
- TASTE and adjust seasonings, if needed. I often add ½ teaspoon more salt and occasionally more lime juice.
- GARNISH with fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and green onions.
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Follow the instructions for prepping above except, saute the onion and peppers on the Instant Pot's Sauté setting.
- POUR the remaining ingredients except the cream cheese and half and half into the Instant Pot container. Pressure cook for 5 minutes. It will take 10 to 15 minutes to reach pressure.
- As the chili cooks, WHISK the softened cream cheese into the half and half until smooth. Juice the lime.
- Do a QUICK RELEASE when the chili is finished cooking to depressurize the pot.
- POUR in the cream cheese mixture and stir well. Add the fresh lime juice and give it a thorough stir. Then replace the lid and let it warm for 3 to 5 minutes. If the cream cheese and half and half are room temperature, they will heat quickly.
- TASTE and adjust seasonings if needed. I often add ½ teaspoon more salt and occasionally more lime juice.
- GARNISH with seasoned tortilla strips, diced green pepper, and cotija cheese.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Follow the instructions for prepping above.
- SPRAY the crockpot bowl with cooking spray. Place the raw chicken breasts at the bottom of slow cooker. Then sprinkle salt, black pepper, and garlic powder on the chicken.
- PLACE the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker except the half and half, cream cheese, and lime juice.
- COOK on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Note: If you add cooked chicken instead of raw chicken, cook on low 4 to 5 hours.
- REMOVE the cooked chicken and shred it. Return the shredded breast to the chili and stir.
- BRING the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature. Blend the half and half with softened cream cheese and lime juice.
- TURN the slow cooker off and stir in the cream cheese mixture.
- REPLACE the lid onto the slow cooker for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cream cheese is heated through.
- GARNISH and serve.
Notes
This salsa verde chicken chili has a lot of broth. If you prefer a thicker chili, reduce the chicken broth and half and half to 1 cup each. You can also add a second can of white beans.
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Nutrition
Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 23gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 549mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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Craving More Soup Recipes?
Look beyond chili when you are in the mood for soup.
- Cajun 15-Bean Soup: Ready to spice up your traditional 15 bean soup? You will love the Cajun seasoning, sausage, shrimp, and okra in this mouthwatering Cajun 15 bean soup.
- Vegetable Soup with Ground Beef: Combine tender vegetables and savory ground beef in a flavorful broth. This hearty soup is packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein.
- Split Pea Soup: Hearty, healthy crock pot split pea soup with ham, carrots, onions, celery, and dried herbs, partially pureed for an easy dinner soup recipe.
- Butternut Squash Soup: Rich, creamy soup with butternut squash, cream cheese, white beans, diced tomatoes, and flavorful herbs. A great soup for autumn.
- Turkey Soup: Use leftover turkey, along with potatoes, onions, leeks, celery, and fresh seasonal herbs for a true comfort food experience. Don’t have turkey? Substitute chicken instead.
- Pumpkin Soup: Blend fresh herbs and spices with pumpkin puree, coconut milk, red lentils, and apples in this seasonal soup. This delicious soup is ready in 30 minutes.
- Black Bean Soup: Mouthwatering vegan black bean soup made with roasted poblanos and tomatillos, corn, red onions, carrots, celery, and cilantro.
Can't Get Enough Chicken?
Try these tasty chicken recipes next time you get the craving.
- Chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce. Transform dinner when you learn how to make chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce. Easy 5-minute sour cream sauce will change your life.
- Chicken enchiladas lasagna. You will love this chicken enchiladas lasagna recipe. Layers of corn tortillas, green chili chicken, cilantro Cotija, and pepper jack cheese.
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