This ultra-creamy white chicken chili recipe is low carb and family friendly. It’s the perfect comfort food for chilly evenings or busy weekends. You just toss everything into the slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time it’s ready to go. You can also divide it into serving sizes and freeze them as an easy addition to your meal prep rotation.
For this recipe you’ll need: boneless chicken breast, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, chicken stock, canned chopped green chiles, butter, half and half cream, cream cheese, sour cream, cilantro, red onion, Pepper-Jack cheese, slow cooker, meal prep containers if you’ll be using it in meal prep
If you are in a hurry click here to go straight to the easy white chicken chili recipe.
I love white chicken chili! It’s so creamy and comforting — not something we normally need even in the winter time here in Texas but it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve been known to enjoy it smack in the middle of a 110F summer day! I have the best recipe ever for regular white chicken chili on Restless Chipotle and whenever I’d make it for my family I’d slide off the low-carb bus and tuck in.
And binge.
Eventually a lightbulb went off and I realized it would be super easy to take that yummy, creamy white chicken chili and make it creamy LOW CARB white chicken chili.
The rest, my friends, is history.
You can make this two ways. The easiest way is to make a big batch of it in the slow cooker from the recipe below. You can freeze it for up to 6 months in portion sizes with no problem at all. If you want, though, you can use leftover cooked chicken and just shred it up then microwave a fraction of the sauce ingredients and pour it over the chicken. Sometimes I do it that way if I’m meal prepping for the week and I’ve made several chicken breasts.
Either way it’s fantastic – although the flavor and texture is better with the slow cooker method.
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Low Carb White Chicken Chili Recipe
Here’s the creamy white chicken chili recipe. Make it soon!
White Chicken Chili: Creamy Low-Carb Goodness
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 9 ounces chopped green chiles drained (2 4.5-ounce cans)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Toppings
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro if desired
- 1/3 cup red onion peeled and chopped
- 1 cup shredded Pepper-Jack cheese
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the crockpot.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, chicken stock, and green chiles.
- Cook on low for 7 hours.
- An hour before serving heat the butter, cream, cream cheese, and sour cream in a saucepan, whisking until smooth.
- Shred the chicken in the slow cooker with two forks.
- Add the cream mixture to the chicken mixture in the slow cooker and cook on low for about 1 more hour.
- Sprinkle with cilantro, red onion, and Pepper Jack to serve.
If you liked this low carb recipe you may also like…
Click on the image to see the recipe. From left to right (all low carb): Beef Pozole, Queso Meatballs, Arroz con Pollo
57 Responses to “White Chicken Chili: Creamy Low-Carb Goodness”
Grace
By far the best chili I have ever made. My son is picky when it comes to food but he ate a whole bowl and asked for seconds! KID APPROVED!
Marye
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know!!
Zuryna Smith
Is there a way to eliminate some of the fat content?
Marye
Not really. I suppose you could use lower fat products but you’ll lose texture and flavor.
Amanda Evans
Hey you could use more broth and make it more tortilla soup consistentcy. Not saying it will be as good but it would be lower fat. Then like she said you could get lower fat cheeses and less toppings?
Enjoy!
Kirstin
I made this on the stovetop tonight for dinner! I topped with onions, cilantro, and cheese, as well as yellow peppers and avocodoes! IT was amazing!
Marye
SO glad you liked it Kirstin!
Holly
What is the exact serving size?
Marye
Holly, it’s 1/6th of the recipe. I’m sorry – I don’t measure out the finished recipe – it generally goes on the table pretty quickly.
Nicole
So good- rich and delicious! Will keep this on the the menu rotation. Yum.
Marye
Thanks Nicole!
MARgo
Does this really have to cook for seven hours?
Marye
From the post “You can make this two ways. The easiest way is to make a big batch of it in the slow cooker from the recipe below. You can freeze it for up to 6 months in portion sizes with no problem at all. If you want, though, you can use leftover cooked chicken and just shred it up then microwave a fraction of the sauce ingredients and pour it over the chicken. Sometimes I do it that way if I’m meal prepping for the week and I’ve made several chicken breasts.”
Belinda
I made this last night using my Instant Pot slow cooker feature and set it at medium for 8 hrs. Woke up to chicken ready to shred, perfectly tender!
Marye
That’s a great idea!
Amanda
Do you use frozen chicken?
Marye
You can if you like – but thaw it before adding it.
Kim
I use frozen chicken & adjust the cooking time to a little longer.
Tara Gardner
Hi, I’m new to the instant pot and would like to use this recipe in it? Do you know if I have to adjust the liquid amounts I use or could I just put these ingredients in my instant pot ?
Marye
I don’t have an instant pot so I really don’t know. Sorry.
Nicole
What would happen if I put the cream mixture in at the beginning with everything else?
Marye
It will curdle.
Mike
The flavor was awesome but I felt like there was way too much chicken versus the creamy mixture. Not sure what I did wrong.
Marye
You might just have needed to thin it out with a little broth or more cream.
Mike
Do you prefer heavy cream or half and half. The recipe mentions both. Thanks!
Marye
I personally prefer heavy cream
Sarah
Great recipe! I put a whole chicken in my instapot, deboned the chicken & put all the meat back into the broth, doubling the recipe and using the soup setting. Family absolutely loved it
Marye
that’s awesome! I am so glad you liked it.
Andi Hawkins
This is absolutely delicious! I make it all the time now. I do like a lot of creamy broth so I changed the recipe a bit. I doubled the seasonings, I use two cans of Rotel, (one hot and one original), 1 stick of butter, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 8oz packs of cream cheese, and 1 cup of sour cream. Also, Philadelphia cream cheese has <1 gm of carbs per serving. The off brands have 2! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!!!!!!!!!!
Marye
You’re so welcome!
Dominique
Hi Marye, Will the sauce curdle when defrosted and reheated?
Marye
I haven’t had it curdle but someone I know has… so I am not sure.
Sharon Campbell
Even if you added some beans it would be low in carbs
Amber
How many batches does it take to fill an average size crockpot?
Marye
If you hover your mouse over the serving sizes (or with your finger on mobile) you can change the servings to 12 and it will change the amounts of ingredients for you.
Katie
Hi! Just confirming you shred chicken in pot with liquid or do you drain then shred?
Marye
shred with the liquid
Mike
Wow this is good. Just curious if you think you could do it on high for 6 hours instead of low for 8? Anyone tried it?
Mike
So, answered my own question. It works but flavors aren’t as deep as when I did 8 hours on slow. 6 is good but 8 is amazing!! I have made this chili multiple times and iit is so delish.
Kat
have you (anyone mentioned) usIng ground chicken?
I have 3 lbs I need to cook and all a loss for recipe ideas. Thanks!
Marye
I don’t care for ground chicken but there’s no reason why you couldn’t use it.
Sara
Frozen or thawed chicken? I’m guessing frozen since 8hr cook time
Marye
Thawed.
Rayna
This is delicious with cauliflower added to it
Debbie
I followed the recipe as written. I made it for a pot luck at work and everyone loved it! Definitely going in my “make again” recipes! Thank you!
LynnK.
This looks delish! But the fat content is a tad high for me. Any suggestions on cutting the fat? Use low-fat/Fat free cream cheese, non-fat half and half? Just wondering. I know it will change the texture but swapping one or the other which would you recommend?
Marye
yes and cut the liquids
Rebecca
Amazing!!! I cooked it in 3 hours, I cooked it over the stove for about 45 minutes, simmering the entire time, then put it in my crockpot on high heat for 1+ hour, added cream mixture, cooked another hour. It was so yummy, my kids and husband loved it! I think I’ll be making another batch tonight so it can slow cook over night. Topped with avocado, cheese, onion, and tomato. Forgot the cilantro :'(
Tina
Could I use chicken broth instead of chicken stock?
Marye
you sure can!
Lisa
I love this and added some kale to it, super delicious!! One question, is the nutritional information for the whole 6 servings? Thank you!!
Cheryl
Made this tonight using my Instant Pot. Cooked the chicken and spices with the broth on the poultry setting. Then added the creamy mixture and cooked for 10 more minutes. OMG!!! SO delicious and took less than an hour. Best chicken chili I’ve ever had!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!!
Wendy
Can you add canalleni beans or would this up the carbs?
Kayla
I am making this for the second time today. I liked it as a chili, but found that it was very thick and not terribly soup/chili like. The flavor is amazing however!
So today I am making it only with a bit more chicken, and I plan on using it as a filling for chicken verde enchiladas.
Excited to see how it turns out!
Lawrence
Can you leave the leftovers in the fridge for the week or no?
Valerie Dewese
I have been making the white chicken chili from a regular recipe that calls for 6 oz. of water or chicken broth. I use 5 cups of bone broth and 1 cup heavy cream and leave out the beans. I use a roasted chicken from Sam’s Wholesale. It is so good and no one can tell I made the substitution. I wish I could find more recipes using bone broth in soups. I can’t wait to make yours with bone broth!
C. K. Thomspon
Thanks, this was delicious. The only thing I did was add a whole green bell pepper to the recipe an hour before it was done. Thanks so much. My husband loved it and he isn’t even on a low carb diet. Or lifestyle. 🙂 Thanks so much!