Family Dinners: Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD on March 11, 2010

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A few years ago a friend of mine made white bean chicken chili for a book club get together.  It was delicious so I asked for the recipe.  Even though I loved the dish, I never made it because the recipe was time consuming (soak beans overnight, cook chicken separately, etc.)

So after searching online for the slow cooker version, I found this one on The Cook Book Critic (only 10 minutes to prepare).  The picture above doesn’t do this one justice.  This is a really tasty dish that I’ve already made again.  We topped it with guacamole and cheddar cheese.  But one word of caution: you might want to watch how much cayenne pepper you add because it can be a little spicy.  Next time I will only use 1/2 tsp. 

I also find these chicken and bean slow cooker recipes perfect for older babies and toddlers.  My 11-month old son loves this dish.  All I have to do is make sure the chicken is shredded and the beans are cut in half.  The I put the food on his highchair tray and he goes to town with his little hands.   My 3-year old, on the other hand, barely touched it, but she loved the guacamole and cheese. 

I’ve added a new “print this recipe” feature below to make printing recipes easier.

Have a great weekend!

Cook Time: 4 to 5 hours on HIGH; 9 to 10 hours on LOW
Servings: 4 to 6

3 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (cannellini, Great Northern, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies 
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Rinse and drain the beans. Place them in a slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, chilies, spices, and salt, and stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts over the top, and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

When ready to serve, remove the chicken and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, using a couple of forks; set aside.  The original recipe provides an option of blending the beans but this seemed to ruin the easiness of this dish.

You can serve this with tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro or shredded jack or cheddar cheese.

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Weekly Meal Plan: Monday March 15th
March 16, 2010 at 11:01 pm

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Angela March 11, 2010 at 11:57 pm

Thanks for sharing… I made a chili over the weekend and added chicken cuz I forgot to defrost the meat & hubby liked, so I will have to try this, hearty!

Jan (Family Bites) March 12, 2010 at 6:24 am

This looks delicious – rustic and hearty and perfect for the four long days of rain we are expecting!

Intentionally Katie March 12, 2010 at 8:18 am

I have a recipe that’s almost identical to this that I make ALL the time! I’m a big fan. And it’s so simple to toss together. YUM!

Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD March 12, 2010 at 12:31 pm

Stay dry. I feel like with spring coming, we are running out of time to make these hearty slow cooker dishes which are my fav!

Colleen March 23, 2010 at 7:07 am

Oh yum! I made this last night to take for today’s dinner and it is awesome!! I had some left over turkey from roasting a turkey, so I added that after the beans had been cooking a while instead of the chicken. I only tasted a few spoonfuls, but I can’t wait for dinner! Thanks for sharing!!

Erica June 29, 2010 at 3:42 pm

My husband and I recently tried out this recipe, and absolutely love it. Thanks for sharing!

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