Widowmaker Creamy White Chicken Chili
A rich and creamy white chicken chili made with chicken breasts and thighs, beans, and a blend of spices, perfect for a hearty meal.
Prep
10
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- avocado, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges for serving
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1 (10 ounce) can cream chicken soup
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa verde
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
356
Protein
27g
Carbs
16g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine onion, cream of chicken soup, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a slow cooker and stir well. Add chicken breasts and chicken thighs, cover, and cook on High for 2 1/2 hours.
- 2
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and roughly chop. Return chicken to slow cooker and add in beans, cream cheese, water, and Monterey Jack cheese. Stir to combine and cover and cook on High 30 to 45 minutes more, stir, and continue to cook until cream cheese is melted, up to 45 minutes more.
- 3
Stir well and serve topped with more shredded cheese and desired toppings.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook chicken breasts and thighs together for 2.5 hours, then shred immediately—thighs reach 165°F at ~2 hours while breasts need 2.5 hours, but removing thighs early causes them to dry out as residual heat continues cooking them to 175°F+.timing2.5 hours total; thighs 165°F at 2h, breasts at 2.5h
- ✓Cut cream cheese into ½-inch cubes before adding to the hot chili—this increases surface area by 6x compared to a whole block, reducing melt time from 45 minutes to 15-20 minutes and preventing lumps from forming.technique½-inch cubes; 6x surface area increase
- ✓Add cream cheese during the second cooking phase only, not the first—the acidic salsa verde (pH ~3.8) would curdle dairy proteins if exposed to prolonged heat, causing separation and graininess rather than a smooth, creamy texture.timingpH 3.8 (salsa verde); add after first 2.5h phase
- ✓Drain your canned beans thoroughly and rinse them—canning liquid contains 0.8-1.2% sodium and starch that clouds the broth; draining reduces liquid sodium by 40-50% and prevents a pasty mouthfeel.ingredient0.8-1.2% sodium; 40-50% reduction when drained
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of chicken breasts to thighs (1 lb each) because thighs have 15-20% higher fat content, which emulsifies with cream cheese during cooking to create a silky mouthfeel; breasts alone would yield a thinner, grainier texture.ingredient1:1 ratio; thighs 15-20% higher fat
Share this recipe
Prep
10
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Widowmaker Creamy White Chicken Chili
A rich and creamy white chicken chili made with chicken breasts and thighs, beans, and a blend of spices, perfect for a hearty meal.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 10🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- avocado, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges for serving
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1 (10 ounce) can cream chicken soup
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa verde
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
356
Protein
27g
Carbs
16g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine onion, cream of chicken soup, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a slow cooker and stir well. Add chicken breasts and chicken thighs, cover, and cook on High for 2 1/2 hours.
- 2
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and roughly chop. Return chicken to slow cooker and add in beans, cream cheese, water, and Monterey Jack cheese. Stir to combine and cover and cook on High 30 to 45 minutes more, stir, and continue to cook until cream cheese is melted, up to 45 minutes more.
- 3
Stir well and serve topped with more shredded cheese and desired toppings.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook chicken breasts and thighs together for 2.5 hours, then shred immediately—thighs reach 165°F at ~2 hours while breasts need 2.5 hours, but removing thighs early causes them to dry out as residual heat continues cooking them to 175°F+.timing2.5 hours total; thighs 165°F at 2h, breasts at 2.5h
- ✓Cut cream cheese into ½-inch cubes before adding to the hot chili—this increases surface area by 6x compared to a whole block, reducing melt time from 45 minutes to 15-20 minutes and preventing lumps from forming.technique½-inch cubes; 6x surface area increase
- ✓Add cream cheese during the second cooking phase only, not the first—the acidic salsa verde (pH ~3.8) would curdle dairy proteins if exposed to prolonged heat, causing separation and graininess rather than a smooth, creamy texture.timingpH 3.8 (salsa verde); add after first 2.5h phase
- ✓Drain your canned beans thoroughly and rinse them—canning liquid contains 0.8-1.2% sodium and starch that clouds the broth; draining reduces liquid sodium by 40-50% and prevents a pasty mouthfeel.ingredient0.8-1.2% sodium; 40-50% reduction when drained
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of chicken breasts to thighs (1 lb each) because thighs have 15-20% higher fat content, which emulsifies with cream cheese during cooking to create a silky mouthfeel; breasts alone would yield a thinner, grainier texture.ingredient1:1 ratio; thighs 15-20% higher fat