This crockpot white chicken chili is the dinner I make when I want to be present with my kids instead of standing over the stove. The prep is truly dump and go, and when everyone is ready to eat, I come back for a quick five-minute finish.
Chicken breast, chicken thighs, butter beans, cannellini beans, and mild green chiles cook together without broth. At the end, blended cottage cheese makes the chili creamy without turning it into a heavy, cheese-forward soup.
Why You’ll Love This White Chicken Chili
- Dump-and-go prep: Load the slow cooker in about 15 minutes, then step away while dinner cooks.
- Made for real weeknights: It gives me a comforting family dinner without asking me to hover over the stove when my kids need me.
- Simple creamy finish: Blended cottage cheese adds a smooth finish after the chicken is cooked and shredded.
- Hearty and cozy: Two kinds of chicken and two kinds of beans make every bowl satisfying.
Featured Ingredients
- Chicken breast and thighs: Using both gives the chili lean protein plus the richer flavor of dark meat. Keep them refrigerated until they go into the slow cooker.
- Butter beans: Add both cans without draining them—their liquid replaces the broth and makes this recipe especially easy.
- Cannellini beans: Drain and rinse this can before adding it for another layer of creamy white beans.
- Green chiles: One small can brings mild chile flavor without overwhelming a family-friendly pot.
- White wine vinegar: A tablespoon adds brightness and keeps the bean-rich chili from tasting flat.
- Blended cottage cheese: Whisk it with reserved hot cooking liquid so it loosens and blends smoothly into the chili.
A True Dump-And-Go Start
There is no sautéing, searing, or separate sauce to make before the slow cooker takes over. The undrained butter beans provide the liquid, and the chicken, beans, green chiles, vinegar, and spices all go in together. That means I can get dinner started, walk away, and focus on whatever my family needs next.
The Five-Minute Creamy Finish
Once both cuts of chicken reach 165ºF, the only hands-on work left is shredding the meat and stirring in the cottage cheese. Whisking the blended cottage cheese with a little hot cooking liquid first helps temper and loosen it, so it incorporates smoothly instead of meeting the hot chili all at once.
How This Recipe Stays In Its Own Chili Lane
This is a white, broth-free slow cooker chili built around butter beans and cottage cheese. If you want a tomato-based version with salsa and black beans, make my crockpot chicken chili instead. The two recipes share an easy slow-cooker method, but their flavors and ingredient profiles are completely different.
My Best Tips
- Keep the butter bean liquid: This recipe does not use broth, so draining those two cans would remove essential cooking liquid.
- Check both chicken cuts: Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the breasts and thighs and confirm each has reached 165ºF.
- Blend until smooth: Fully blend the cottage cheese before measuring it so the finish is creamy rather than curdy.
- Temper before stirring: Whisk the reserved hot liquid into the cottage cheese gradually to help it combine smoothly.
- Top to taste: Fresh cilantro or parsley, hot sauce, and another spoonful of cottage cheese all work well at serving time.
What To Serve With White Chicken Chili
I love this chili with a warm slice of skillet cornbread for dipping. You can also set out lime wedges, avocado, hot sauce, fresh herbs, and extra cottage cheese so everyone can finish their own bowl.
Storage And Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat the chili gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot throughout, stirring occasionally so the chicken, beans, and creamy base warm evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
The initial prep is dump and go: add everything except the cottage cheese to the slow cooker, cover, and let it cook. At the end, allow about five minutes to shred the chicken and whisk hot cooking liquid into the blended cottage cheese before stirring it back into the chili.
The liquid from the two cans of butter beans becomes the cooking liquid for this broth-free chili. Draining those beans would remove moisture the chicken and beans need as they cook.
Gradually whisking the hot cooking liquid into blended cottage cheese loosens and tempers it before it meets the full pot. This helps the cottage cheese incorporate more smoothly into the chili.
Yes. Cook it on low for 6 hours instead of high for 3 hours. Whichever setting you use, check both types of chicken in their thickest sections and confirm that they reach 165ºF before shredding.
Refrigerate leftover chili in an airtight container. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until it is steaming hot throughout, stirring as needed so it warms evenly.
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Slow cooker
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Instant-read meat thermometer
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Two forks
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Small bowl
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Whisk
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Place the cold chicken breast and chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Add the undrained butter beans, drained cannellini beans, green chiles, white wine vinegar, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper, then stir the ingredients around the chicken until combined.
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Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each type of chicken; both the breast and thighs must reach 165ºF before shredding.
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Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and remove ½ cup of the hot cooking liquid to a small bowl. Shred the chicken with two forks, then return it to the slow cooker and stir.
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Slowly whisk the reserved hot liquid into the blended cottage cheese until smooth, then stir the mixture into the chili. Cover until the chili is warmed through, then serve with fresh herbs, hot sauce, or an extra spoonful of cottage cheese if desired.
- The 3-hour cook and 3-hour 15-minute total reflect the high setting. Cook on low for 6 hours if preferred.
- Do not drain the butter beans; their liquid provides the cooking liquid for this broth-free chili.
- For food safety, keep the chicken refrigerated until cooking and confirm that both the breasts and thighs reach 165ºF in their thickest sections before shredding.
- Whisking hot cooking liquid into the blended cottage cheese before adding it to the slow cooker helps it incorporate smoothly.
- Fresh cilantro or parsley, hot sauce, and extra cottage cheese are optional toppings.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and reheat until steaming hot throughout.
Calories: 199 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Protein: 33 g, Fat: 6 g, Fiber: 0.3 g, Sugar: 1 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by: The Wooden Skillet