Can I cook the chicken chili in the slow cooker for longer than 4-5 hours?

Unfortunately, no. Chicken thighs and breasts overcook very easily, causing the texture to become tough and rubbery.

Can I cook the chicken chili in the oven instead of a slow cooker?

Yes! Bake the chicken mixture in a Braiser or Dutch Oven at 325°F for 1 to 1.5 hours and proceed with the recipe.

Can I use dried beans?

While I haven't tried this, I think it will work with a couple modifications. Since dried beans require more liquid and time than the chicken takes to cook, make sure to add 4-5 cups of chicken broth to the bowl for the slow cooker and remove the chicken after 4 hours of cooking. This will allow the beans to continue cooking without overcooking the chicken.

How do I store the white bean chicken chili?

Store in an air-tight container or freezer ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How do I reheat the white chicken chili?

To reheat in a slow cooker: Place the frozen chili in a slow cooker, add 1/2 cup water or chicken broth in the bottom, and cook on low for 8 hours. To reheat on the stove-top: Defrost the chicken chili in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat in a large heavy-bottom pot on medium-low, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture frequently to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning.

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Print Recipe

Author: Kim Fox
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale

1lb skinless chicken thighs, bone-in or boneless, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/2 fresh jalapeño or pickled jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
6 oz salsa verde, about 1/2 a 12oz jar*
one 14.5 oz can white butter beans, drained and rinsed
juice of half a small lime, plus more lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Prepare the chicken chili. Add the chicken thighs, onion, chili powder, chopped garlic, jalapeños, and salt to a 4 or 6 qt slow cooker and mix until thoroughly combined (your hands work great for this!). Evenly spread the salsa verde across the spiced chicken mixture.
Cook the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily. Make sure not to overcook the chicken. Once the chicken is fully cooked, shred the chicken in the slow cooker bowl with the rest of the ingredients, discarding any excess fat and bones.
Puree the beans (optional). Place half of the beans in a food processor and ladle 1/2 cup broth from slow cooker bowl containing the cooked chicken into the food processor. Puree until smooth. Pureeing some of the beans creates a thicker broth for the chili.
Prepare the chili. Stir in the drained white beans, white bean puree, and lime juice. Cover and cook the chicken chili on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour to warm the beans. Once the beans are warm, turn the slow cooker to warm and keep the chicken chili warm in the slow cooker until ready to serve. Alternatively, cool the white chicken chili to room temperature and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, skim the top of the white chicken chili of any excess fat and rewarm it on low heat in the slow cooker or in a 10-12-inch skillet on the stovetop until warm. If the soup is particularly thick after being chilled in the refrigerator, add water or chicken broth to loosen it up.
Serve. Serve the chicken chili alone or with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocados, crushed tortilla chips, and pickled jalapenos.

Notes

SALSA VERDE. Use any tomatillo salsa you like to eat alone. Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde is my favorite!

Find it online: https://frommarkettotable.com/slow-cooker-white-bean-chicken-chili/