Chef notes
It can't get any easier than a recipe that requires tossing everything into a slow cooker and letting the wondrous device do its job. This satisfying chicken chili made with broth and white beans instead of a tomato-base is no exception. It relies on boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are fatty and forgiving, making them nearly impossible to overcook. A bevy of dried spices (ground cumin, chili powder, oregano and thyme) build flavor, while the chicken and beans deliver a double dose of lean protein.
If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Unlike many slow-cooker white chicken chili recipes, this one doesn't even ask home cooks to sauté or brown the meat in advance. By setting the cooker to low, it slowly cooks the chicken and veggies until they’re just tender and after 8 hours of you living your life to the fullest, the meat will be ready to be gently shredded with a quick stir. The final result? A fragrant, spicy-meets-sweet (and most of all, comforting) chili that will warm you up from the inside out on the coldest days of the year.
Swap Option: Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a lighter garnish.
Technique Tip: Short on time? Turn the slow-cooker up to ‘high’ and watch this chili come together in just four hours.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
- 3 large celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn
- 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
- 2 large scallions
Preparation
1.Preheat the slow cooker on low heat for 30 minutes while prepping the vegetables.
2.Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, corn, beans, broth, salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme and black pepper. Cover and slow cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Once cooked, stir to shred the tender chicken into bite-size pieces.
3.For a creamier chili, stir in the sour cream just before serving, or serve as a topping with scallions if desired.