Description
This Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Verde is a flavorful, comforting dish featuring tender chicken thighs simmered with beans, green chiles, and salsa verde. Perfect for a hands-off meal, it combines creamy textures with fresh lime and cilantro for a delicious southwestern-inspired chili.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 poblano pepper seeded & chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded & chopped (optional for heat)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dried oregano Mexican if possible
- 1 tsp fine salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cans 15 oz each great northern or cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups jarred salsa verde tomatillo
- 1 can 4 oz diced green chiles
- 1 cup corn kernels optional
Finishing Ingredients & Garnishes
- ½ cup cream cheese softened & cubed or ½ cup sour cream/Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- For serving: avocado slices, extra cilantro, lime wedges, crushed tortilla chips, queso fresco
Instructions
- Add ingredients to slow cooker: Add chicken, onion, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, beans, chicken broth, salsa verde, green chiles, and corn (if using) to the slow cooker. Stir everything to combine evenly.
- Cook chili: Cover and cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours until the chicken is very tender and cooked through.
- Shred chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker pot to distribute it throughout the chili.
- Add cream cheese or sour cream: Stir in softened cream cheese until fully melted. Alternatively, remove the chili from heat and whisk in sour cream or Greek yogurt to avoid curdling.
- Finish with lime and cilantro: Stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and lime as needed.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with avocado slices, extra cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, lime wedges, and queso fresco as desired.
Notes
- Chicken thighs stay juicier and more flavorful than breasts; use thighs for best results.
- For extra heat, keep jalapeño seeds or substitute with a chopped serrano pepper.
- Pinto or navy beans are good alternatives to great northern or cannellini beans.
- For added greens, stir in baby spinach at the end of cooking until wilted.
- If using sour cream or Greek yogurt, add it off the heat to prevent curdling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
