Description
This Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is a rich and comforting dish perfect for a cozy meal. Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked with white beans, tomatoes, green chilies, and aromatic spices, then blended with creamy softened cream cheese for a luscious texture. It’s an easy, hands-off recipe that delivers bold flavors with minimal effort, ideal for family dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Beans
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
Liquids and Spices
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Dairy
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
Instructions
- Prepare aromatics: Dice the onion and mince the garlic to have them ready for layering into the slow cooker, ensuring easy assembly.
- Layer chicken: Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker to allow them to cook evenly and soak up the flavors from the ingredients above.
- Add beans and vegetables: Spoon the drained and rinsed white beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, diced green chilies, diced onion, and minced garlic on top of the chicken to build layers of flavor.
- Pour broth: Add the chicken broth evenly over the ingredients, which will help keep the chicken moist and develop the chili’s rich consistency.
- Season: Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and black pepper over the mixture, then gently stir to disperse the spices throughout the pot without disturbing the layers too much.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred chicken: About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken breasts, shred them with two forks, and return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker for even distribution.
- Add cream cheese: Cut the softened cream cheese into cubes and stir gently into the chili mixture in the slow cooker, beginning to incorporate the creamy richness.
- Melt and blend: Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cream cheese is fully melted and melded into a creamy chili base.
- Final seasoning and serve: Taste the chili and adjust seasonings if needed, then serve the warm, creamy chicken chili hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Using softened cream cheese helps ensure it melts smoothly and blends evenly into the chili.
- Shredding the chicken before adding the cream cheese ensures the meat is well distributed and tender.
- Adjust chili powder amount to control the heat level according to your taste.
- This chili can be served with toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, or chopped fresh cilantro for extra flavor.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze nicely for up to 3 months.
