Cream cheese chicken chili (also called crack chicken chili) is the BEST easy creamy white chicken chili. Creamy chili with shredded chicken, beans, corn, RO-TEL, spices, and ranch seasoning makes an incredibly flavorful meal with minimal effort.
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
OK, this seriously has to be one of the tastiest chili recipes I’ve ever had. You all are going to love this recipe! I promise.
The chili flavors pair perfectly with the ranch seasoning. Then it’s made so creamy by the addition of cream cheese. It’s something you would never imagine when you think about a traditional chili, but it’s exactly what you’re going to crave from now on after you try it.
As soon as I tasted it for the first time I started planning out when I could make it again. It’s really that good. I’ve made it so many times already, and everyone has given it 5 star reviews.
I originally planned on topping it with some shredded cheese, but after serving some in a bowl and having a bite, the cheese idea went out the window – it was already perfect without it! It’s a hearty, delicious, and healthy meal that’s always going to be in our meal rotation during the colder months.
What’s The Difference Between White Chili And Regular Chili?
It’s called white chili because the base flavors are all white or pale, compared to the dark and red ingredients in a traditional chili recipe. Regular chili uses a tomato base with ground beef and red kidney beans. White chili is made with chicken, chicken broth, a creamy element (like cream cheese), and it’s flavored with green chiles.
This recipe is kind of a marriage between the two, because it combines chicken and chicken broth, with RO-TEL and black beans.
Ingredients
For this recipe you’ll need chicken breasts, canned pinto beans, banned black beans, RO-TEL (or some other combination of diced tomatoes and green chiles), canned corn, onion, chicken broth, cream cheese, and fresh cilantro.
The seasonings for this white chicken chili are chili powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning.
If you’d like something closer to a true white chili, you could substitute the pinto and black beans with either great northern beans or cannellini beans.
How To Make Creamy White Chicken Chili
Start by spraying the interior of the slow cooker with cooking oil, then place the butterflied chicken breasts in it. Top with the drained and rinsed canned beans, the corn, the onion, and the RO-TEL.
Add in the chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, ranch seasoning mix, and cream cheese.
Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, then shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Should Chili Be Thick Or Soupy?
Chili should be significantly heartier than other soups, and it shouldn’t have a soupy texture. This white chicken chili isn’t quite as thick as a true chili, like this Chili Con Carne, but it’s thicker than most soups.
How Do You Thicken White Chicken Chili?
The easiest way to thicken any kind of soup, stew, or chili is to mix some cornstarch with a little bit of cold water, and then add that mixture to the pot. Bring it to a boil for a few minutes to activate the thickening properties of the cornstarch, and enjoy your thicker soup!
Can You Freeze White Chicken Chili?
Unfortunately, this soup won’t freeze well. The cream cheese doesn’t have the best texture when it thaws, and since it’s a main ingredient in this dish, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
What To Serve It With
Try serving this with a side of cornbread or some crushed tortilla chips on top. It’s also delicious served with a lime wedge and topped with either shredded cheddar cheese or with pepper jack cheese.
Keep In Touch
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Soup Recipes
If you love easy and delicious soups, be sure to check out our entire soup recipe category! Some reader favorites are:
BEST Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe
Cream cheese chicken chili is made with beans, corn, RO-TEL, spices, and ranch seasoning to make a flavorful meal with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large chicken breasts)
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can RO-TEL original (undrained)
- 1 (11 ounce) can of whole kernel corn (undrained)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 package ranch seasoning mix
- 8 ounces cream cheese (cubed, 1 full brick)
- 2 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro (for garnish)
- Avocado slices (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts and place them on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the beans, RO-TEL, corn, onions, chicken broth, loose spices, ranch package, and cubed cream cheese to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 3 - 4 hours. Chicken should read an internal temperature of 165 F on an instant read meat thermometer.
- Give the chili a light stir occasionally to mix the cream cheese in and to ensure that it melts all the way through.
- Once the chicken is done, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the chili, and set the slow cooker to high heat for another 30 minutes. After it’s finished cooking, taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference.
- Serve hot and garnish with diced cilantro and slices of avocado.
Notes
*This is a spice blend sold in the USA and Canada, it’s not the same thing as chili powder sold in the UK and other parts of the world (where it’s just pure ground chilis).
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 16.9gCarbohydrates: 38.5gFiber: 10.6gSugar: 6.3gProtein: 29.5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe that everyone in your family is guaranteed to love, this cream cheese chicken chili is the recipe for you!
37 thoughts on “Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe”
This is so good, I made this and can’t stop thinking about it, seriously has to be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
Hi Chantelle, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback! So happy to hear you love this slow cooker white chicken chili as much as we do! -Alexa
How do you make it on the stove?
Hi Cassie, I haven’t tested this white chicken chili recipe on the stove, so I can’t say for sure. I’d probably add the chicken breasts, pinto beans, black beans, RO-TEL, corn, onion, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning to a large pot, then bring it a boil and lower it to a simmer. Cook it for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F. Carefully remove the chicken and shred it in a bowl with two forks. While the chicken is out of the pot, add the room temperature cubed cream cheese, and stir constantly over low heat until the cream cheese has melted. Once the cream cheese is melted, add the shredded chicken back in, stir, and serve. Hope that helps! -Alexa
I tried by Sautee pan for liquids /cheese. then all into bake dish at 325. My chicken was already cook and shredded. Worked well
Mary lou
I have made this on the stove but I used a rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breast. I just mixed it all together, brought it to a boil, then lowered my temp and let it simmer until the cream cheese was completely melted. It was yummy!
I made it with a rotisserie chicken too. Mine is on the stove now; the taste tests have been delicious!!!
I sauté the onions and then add the remaining ingredients. I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco and remove skin and add in the juices to the pot. Heat them all together and let simmer until cream cheese is blended through. Amazing dish!
The daughter in law made this for us one night and it was so delicious, she mentioned that it was so easy- so of course I had to make it and it was very easy, very delicious and we can freeze some for later. Taking it camping this week…. Thank you so much
Hi Janet, I’m so happy to hear that your family has been enjoying this white chicken chili recipe so much! It’s one of our favorites, too. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback! -Alexa
Great idea to take camping! We are new to camping so I need all the ideas🙂🙂🙂🙂
Hello! Made this for a large group and it was a big hit! If I take the extra lazy way out and use a store bought rotisserie chicken, do you recommend I just put it all in slow cooker on low for an hour or two? Thanks!
Hi Jill, So happy to hear the white chili was a hit! Yes, if you use rotisserie chicken you would just need to cook it long enough for everything to warm up and for the cream cheese to melt. -Alexa
That was my question too, thanks!
Hello! Could I substitute rotisserie chicken in place of chicken breasts? I know I would add it in the end and let it warm up. Hat are your thoughts on that?
Hi Angela, I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. I do think it would work out great though! You would just need to cook it long enough for the cream cheese to melt. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out. -Alexa
Is this best to eat the day of or next day?
Hi Nicole, It was really delicious both days. The flavor was more pronounced the second day, so I think it was a bit better then. It’s so good that it doesn’t need to rest for it to be really tasty though. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Can I use bagged dried beans instead of canned?
Hi Nikki, No. Because this is cooked in a slow cooker, and the temperature won’t get high enough to safely cook dried beans properly, you’d only be able to use bagged dried beans if you soaked and then cooked them separately on a stovetop first. The beans need to be fully cooked before they’re added to this dish. -Alexa
Hi, can this be prepared the night before and refrigerated before cooking?
Hi Shannon, I haven’t tested cooking it this way, so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! -Alexa
My boyfriend and I are obsessed with this white chicken chili! It is soooo delicious. Mine usually turns out pretty thick, but we love eating it with tortilla chips! So yummy & so easy!!!
Hi. Would this fit in a 2.5 quart crock pot, instead of the 6 quart in the instructions?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tested this in a smaller slow cooker, so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out! -Alexa
Can u boil the chicken breast an then use the broth from chicken to add the other ingredients too? It would be more than a cup but I think it would hav a lot of flavor an be more like a soup? I like my chili with a lot of liquid.
Hi Connie, If you like your chili with a lot of liquid, then I think that would work out great! If you try it, please let me know how you like it that way. -Alexa
Would I be able to double it? and for how long?
Hi Summer, I haven’t tried doubling this white chicken chili, but I think it would work well. The cooking times would probably stay the same, just be sure to use an instant read meat thermometer to check the chicken to make sure it’s done before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Has anyone tried to make this with hamburger meat?
I was away for a week and someone had made this and it was so good I had to come home and cook this weekend. It was really good then and hope mine will be today. Thanks
I made this in the instant pot and it was YUM! I put everything in except the cream cheese. When it was done, I added the cream cheese and a light corn starch. It was perfect and was ready in no time at all!!!
What size of can of Rotel?
Hi Molly, A 10 ounce can. Hope that helps! -Alexa
I had a friend send me this recipe and it is SO GOOD! My fianc̩ is obsessed with it Рdefinitely a family favorite!
Great recipe
I’ve used this recipe at several different functions and I ALWAYS get verbal feedback on how good it is.
Thank you for posting this.
Side note:
I use summer crisp corn and add garlic to mine.
I use 4 large chicken breasts and then I put the ranch and spices on the chicken and let it sit for an hour then I add everything else. IT TASTES SOOOOO GOOD!! Everyone always compliments it!!!