This easy 5-ingredient crock pot white chicken chili is warm, cheesy comfort food with almost no effort. Just dump, cover, and walk away—chicken, beans, salsa, Pepper Jack cheese, and cumin do all the work.
Make it any size—from a small batch in a 2-quart mini crock pot to a big family meal in a large slow cooker or on the stovetop. Thick, hearty, and ready in a few hours, it tastes like you cooked all day.
⏰ Quick Answer: How Long to Cook White Chicken Chili
Crock Pot: Low for about 4 hours or high for about 2 hours
Stovetop: Simmer 15–20 minutes until heated through
Always cook until the cheese has melted and the chili stirs together smoothly.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- 🐓 Ingredients for 5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- ♨️ Making Chicken Chili on the Stovetop
- 🐓 Variations and Ingredient Options
- 👨🍳 Tips to Get It Right Every Time
- ↕️ How to Make This Any Size—Chili for Two or a Crowd
- 🐔 Using Raw Chicken in White Chicken Chili
- 🍽️ Serving White Chicken Chili
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating
- 📋 More Crock Pot Chili Recipes
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Kaitlyn :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I have used this recipe numerous times now, and I love it! I have entered multiple chili cook-offs with this recipe, and I have won 3rd place and 1st two different years! Hoping to get 1st again this year!"
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Salsa does the heavy lifting — the flavor base with most of the spices in one jar.
- Tried, true, and award-winning — we’ve made this for 45+ years, and it’s even won cook-offs.
- Ultra simple, dump-and-go — stir, cover, and walk away.
- Infinitely scalable — works in a 2-quart mini crock pot up to a full-size slow cooker for a crowd.
- Cheesy comfort food fast — hearty, ready in a couple of hours, and tastes like it cooked all day.
🐓 Ingredients for 5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili
- Chicken — shredded, like rotisserie or leftover baked chicken. Use of raw chicken is discussed below.
- White beans — Great Northern or Navy, canned and precooked
- Salsa — your choice of mild, medium, or hot for heat control
- Pepper Jack cheese — for creaminess and spice (or Monterey Jack if you want it milder)
- Ground cumin — the one spice you can’t skip
Optional: chicken broth at the end to adjust thickness.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
1. Add to the crock pot: undrained white beans, salsa, shredded chicken, ground cumin, and cubed Pepper Jack cheese.
✅ Pro Tip: For lower sodium, drain and rinse the beans and replace the liquid with low-sodium broth.
2. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. It’s done when the cheese has melted in and the chili stirs together smoothly.
3. Near the end, add chicken broth if you want to thin the chili to your taste.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
♨️ Making Chicken Chili on the Stovetop
Prefer to skip the slow cooker? This recipe works just as well and faster on the stovetop. Since all the ingredients are fully cooked or safe to eat, it comes together quickly with the same great flavor.
- Use a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the beans, salsa, chicken, cumin, and cheese. Stir well.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes.
- For best flavor, let it gently simmer up to an hour so the tastes blend.
- Add broth at the end if you want a thinner chili.
🐓 Variations and Ingredient Options
- Chicken — best with shredded rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken. For raw chicken, see the section below.
- Beans — Great Northern or Navy are classic. Cannellini or black beans also work. If you drain them, replace the liquid with a little chicken broth.
- Salsa — the backbone of the flavor. Choose mild, medium, or hot to control spiciness.
- Cheese — Pepper Jack adds creaminess and heat; Monterey Jack keeps it mild.
- Seasoning — cumin is essential. Add cayenne if you want extra heat.
- Optional — chicken broth at the end to thin the chili to your taste.
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👨🍳 Tips to Get It Right Every Time
- Cooked beans only — don’t use raw dry beans in this recipe. They won’t cook in the time of this recipe.
- Salsa matters — it’s the backbone of flavor, so use a brand you’d eat with chips.
- Ingredient amounts are flexible — it’s chili, not baking. A little more or less chicken, beans, or cheese won’t hurt.
- Leave room in the crock pot — normally avoid filling past 75%. Since this chili is mostly heating and blending flavors, you can push it a little — just wait to thin with broth until the end.
↕️ How to Make This Any Size—Chili for Two or a Crowd
This recipe makes about 8 servings, but it’s easy to scale down or up:
- Half recipe — fits in a 2-quart mini crock pot and makes 4 servings.
- Full recipe — best for a 3½- to 5-quart crock pot.
- Double recipe — use a 6½-quart or larger crock pot.
✅ Pro Tip: Wait to add any broth until the end to adjust the thickness to exactly your preference. That way, the chili won’t push the crock pot past its recommended 75% full limit.
🐔 Using Raw Chicken in White Chicken Chili
You don’t have to start with cooked chicken — raw works too.
- Oven method: Bake chicken breasts (or thighs) at 350°F until 165°F internal temperature, about 35–40 minutes. Shred while warm and stir into the chili.
- Crock pot method: Place raw chicken breasts or thighs directly in the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for about 2½ hours. Shred and stir back in before serving.
Using rotisserie or leftover chicken keeps this recipe truly dump-and-go, but both raw methods work just as well.
🍽️ Serving White Chicken Chili
Due to the cheese, this chili stays warm for a long time, which makes it great for tailgates, potlucks, or family dinners.
- Serve with tortilla chips, extra cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, or guacamole.
- Pair it with Old Fashioned Cornbread, Cornmeal Biscuits, or a simple side salad.
- Leftovers make an easy next-day lunch — it reheats beautifully.
❄️ Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze up to 3–4 months in freezer bags or sealed containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. Add a splash of chicken broth if it seems too thick after storing.
📋 More Crock Pot Chili Recipes
Looking for more cozy slow cooker chili ideas? Try these favorites:
- Crock Pot Three Bean Turkey Chili — hearty, lighter, and protein-packed.
- Crock Pot Texas Chili — bold and spicy, bean-free style.
- Low Fat Crock Pot White Chicken Chili — a lighter variation on this recipe.
- Salsa Verde Chicken Chili — tangy twist with green salsa.
Small Crock Pot Chili
A classic All-American chili with ground beef, a mildly spicy tomato-based sauce, and tender beans. You can easily make chili for two in a mini crock pot or larger for a crowd.
❓ FAQs
With medium salsa, the spiciness is about a 4/10. For less heat, use mild salsa and Monterey Jack cheese instead of Pepper Jack. For more heat, choose hot salsa or add a pinch of cayenne. Adjusting the cumin won’t change much; let salsa and cheese do the work.
This chili is naturally thick. It’s easier to cook it thick, then thin at the end with chicken broth. Keep the bean liquid and about 2 cups of broth for a moderate thickness. For extra thick, skip the broth; for more soup-like, use up to 4 cups. If you drain the beans, replace that liquid with broth.
Yes, you can. See the section above on Using Raw Chicken in White Chicken Chili for details on both oven and crock pot methods.
Yes. A half batch fits perfectly in a 2-quart mini crock pot and makes about four servings—great for two with leftovers. For larger batches, use a 4–6 quart slow cooker or the stovetop version.
📖The Recipe Card
Small Crock Pot White Chicken Chili (Easy 5 Ingredients)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 48 oz white beans - Great Northern or Navy
- 3 cups shredded chicken - about 1 pound
- 1 cup medium salsa
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese cubed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 14 oz chicken broth - Optional, add at the end to adjust thickness
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare about 3 cups of shredded chicken (rotisserie or baked). The use of raw chicken is discussed in the post.
- Cube 8 oz. of pepper jack cheese.
- In a small (3 to 5-quart) crock pot, combine one 48-oz jar of white beans (undrained),1 cup of salsa, about 3 cups of shredded chicken, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and 8 oz of pepper jack cheese (cubed).
- Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Stir once or twice during cooking to distribute the cheese, or just stir well at the end. If desired, add up to one 14 oz can of chicken broth at the end to thin the chili to your preferred consistency.
- Serve hot, refrigerate, or freeze.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use Rotisserie chicken or bake and shred some chicken.
- Adjust the heat according to the type of salsa. You can use Monterey cheese instead of Monterey Jake cheese. You can also adjust the cumin to taste.
- As written, a 3 to 5-qt crock pot should be good. Refer to the notes in the post to adjust the recipe size.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Good in a freezer for 3–4 months.
- Add broth at the end of cooking to achieve the desired thickness. This will also help it fit into a smaller crock pots.
- If you bring this to a gathering, print extra copies—you’ll be asked for the recipe.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Publisher note: Originally published March 2, 2010. It has been updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Karen Buttars says
How much is a servings??
DrDan says
There is no standard so I estimate the number of serving I would get out of the recipe and here it is about 1 1/2 cup.
Dan says
Just won a Chili Cookoff at work with this!
I have a large crockpot and doubled it with no problems.
DrDan says
It is a recipe to love. I never make a single batch. I can somehow always get rid of a full double batch.
I can now call it award win I guess. You don't tell them how easy it was, did you? Make them think you slaved.
Thanks for the note and congratulations on the win.
Dan
Shelia says
Made this last week and it was a hit!! Because we had roasted chicken I was concerned that it would be mushy if I cooked it for hours so we added it about 30 minutes before the cooktime was up.
My sister enjoys meatless options so before we added it, she had a big bowl and really enjoyed it.
Mike King says
Just made this using leftover roasted chicken that I shredded. Also started with dry beans. Soaked them overnight & cooked them in the slow cooker while at work. Then I simply added the other ingredients & continued cooking. Even tho it's more time consuming & not as easy, it turned out fantastic!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. The taste combination of this chili is just so right no matter how you get there.
Dan
Heather says
My children will not touch anything with beans in it. I can't say I am a huge fan of them either. Would I need to add any extra chicken broth if I leave the beans out?
DrDan says
Try it with the beans and you will be surprised how good it is. It may well convert all of you. Without the beans, I don't see this working well.
DrDan
Dana says
Process any veggies or ingredients kids won't eat. I use my Magic Bullet. When you stir them into the recipe, they act like a thickener. The kids get the flavor and nutrition and they don't even know it!
Tonya says
I really want to try this. Can it be made started with dried beans? I have a ton.
DrDan says
Hi Tonya, I just did a double batch of this for my office party today. It went over great.
Now your question. Yes BUT. Properly prepared dry beans would be fine. The but is the beans in the recipe are already cooked. Even with presoaking I don't believe they would be tender with the cooking here. My limited experience with dry beans is that even with an over night soaking, they may take 10 hours or so to cook correctly not the 4 hours here. So you may say just let it cook... but cheese may not like that and the chicken was already cooked just not a good idea.
So in summery, with this recipe, I thing it is just to much work.
Bethany says
Would this recipe work over the stove top? I'm in the whole work-day predicament but would love to have it for dinner after I get off.
DrDan says
I'm sure it would work well on the stove top. Everything is already cooked. The longer you could simmer the better. I'm thing a Dutch oven type pan. I would not do cast iron due to the tomato product.
DrDan
Andrea says
Couldn't you cook whole breasts in the chili as it slow cooks? Then shred and mix back in?
DrDan says
I believe that would work fine. High for a couple of hours or low for 4 should cook the chicken well. My Low Fat High Taste Crock Pot White Chicken Chili ( https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/low-fat-high-taste-crock-pot-white-chicken-chili/) does just that. That is the only recipe I know of that does it that way. Shredding might be a bit of an issue with all that very hot cheese.
If you do it, please come back and report.
Thanks for the question
DrDan
Emily says
I only have a large crock pot (5 or 6 qt). Does this double well?
DrDan says
I actually cut the recipe in half from the original that I cooked for years. I do the "double recipe" for parties and the single for the two of us. It does freeze great.
DrDan
virginia says
I am making this now in a 6 qt and it's fine. I didn't need to double the recipe for it to work.
It's a great recipe. Thanks so much for sharing it.
DrDan says
This recipe works in almost anything. I have used it in at least 5 different crock pots over the years and it always works. I have never had much trouble with the pot being too big. But to small and fill more then 2/3 can be an issue in some recipes.
Thanks for the note
DrDan
Marcia says
I've made this three times with no modifications for different quest and they all loved it! You're right, be ready to copy the recipe. They won't leave without it. Thanks for all the great recipes!
DrDan says
This is in my top 5 of all time. I just love it. I could get low fat pepper jack for a while and it was reasonably healthy. With normal pepper jack not quit so much but still not bad...
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
NascarRen24 says
Will this be ok cooking all day while I'm at work, not just for 4 hours?
Dan Mikesell says
I wouldn't. I don't think dairy products do that well with long cooking. It might tolerate 5-6 hours if you have a "cooler" running crock pot but so many of them run hot especially with long cooking's..
Grace says
This was pretty good! I doctor'd the recipe and used a salsa verde instead of a red salsa to keep it white. It was a lot thinner than I wanted, but, that's okay, I wanted chicken tortilla soup so this was right in the middle and it was awesome. I will make this again and can't wait for the leftovers!
Elizabeth Shelburne says
Do you think this would freeze well?
Dan Mikesell says
Absolutely...
Luv Boatin says
Made this Super Bowl Weekend and it was a big hit!! This will be a regular on our table. Thanks for your great recipes!!!
Dr Dan says
The cheese in this keeps it HOT (physically) for a long time. So you can just set there an eat slowly and enjoy the heat.
Chris says
We are rocking a 30f high with an ice storm here, so it's down right tropical compared to a 9f high, lol. Great looking chili!