Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili




White chicken chili, doesn't that sound good on a cold winter's night? This is a good recipe for a potluck or your Friday night bookclub. I like the slow cooker method because I can put it all together in the morning, set it on low and have dinner ready at six with very little extra prep. In this version, I've added some cooked squash and leftover mashed potatoes as a thickener. Add some cornbread and a salad and you have a meal.

Here's a money-saving tip: instead of canned beans, I buy and prepare a pound of dry beans ahead of time. If you cook them in a heavy pot over a low flame with lots of water for a few hours, then drain the beans and pack them into ziplock bags you can get the equivalent of 3 (15oz) cans. Freeze what you don't need for the next time.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Serves 6
Adapted from Epicurious

20 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles, preferably "fire-roasted"
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white
5-6 cups  chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, preferably "fire-roasted"
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup cooked squash, in chunks (optional)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes (optional)
1/4 cup lime juice
Sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheddar 


Combine chicken, onion, garlic, chiles, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in large slow cooker. Add chicken stock and cover. Cook on high 4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours.

To finish chili, shred the chicken in the slow cooker with 2 forks. Add beans, corn, squash and potatoes (if using) and cover and cook on high for 30 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.

Add the lime juice just before serving. Garnish each bowl with sour cream, cheddar cheese and cilantro.