Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Honey Crisped Tortillas

A quick and easy dinner that makes the most of a heap of humble, affordable ingredients, this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili comes together lowly and slowly in your um … slow cooker. Right. Plus? Our extra special component here is the semi-homemade honey baked tortilla chip stack that goes on the side or on top of the chili. SO flavorful. So easy. Read on for more, or jump on ahead to the recipe.

What is the difference between chili and white chili?

Barring the obvious difference in colors, white chili and red chili truly bear very little resemblance to one another, save for the inclusion of the chiles themselves. In a classic red chili, you’ll see ample amounts of red chili powder used, as well as red meat. In a white chili, like this white chicken chili, the chilies used are green – such as hatch or poblano.

There is no chili powder, typically, in a white chili either, and they eat as more of a brothy stew than a meat, thick chili. The flavor profiles of a red chili versus a while chili are drastically different because they’re built on such different bones.

What is white chili made of?

1. White Meat: White chilis don’t feature red meats, like classic chilis do, and instead showcase white meats like chicken and pork (yes, the other white meat).
2. Broth: A white chili eats much more like a stew, with a thin, brothy, almost soup-like liquid encasing the vegetables and meats, rather than a thicker, chili with a glossy, fatty sauce.
3. Beans: A classic red chili usually has red beans going on (pinto or chili beans), whereas a white chili will showcase paler varieties, such as great norther, cannellini, or butter beans, for example.
4. Chiles: A red chili will use rehydrated red chilis, typically, and vermillion-hued dried chili powders, which contribute that classic deep red glow. White chilies use green chiles such as Hatch and/or poblanos. In my recipe, I’m using a salsa verde which typically has green tomatillos (not a chili) and jalapeños as well.

What you’ll need to make this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

The internet doesn’t need another standard-op white chicken chili recipe now does it? Nope, sure doesn’t. So, I’ve got a really good one here for you that is not only super quick and easy to make (hello, slow cooker) but thanks to a few good tricks, it also tastes better than all the rest.

1. I use a can of salsa verde in the broth, as it tastes amazing and is already seasoned for us. A great MKL clutch ingredient.
2. I also add 4 ounces of cream cheese to the chili because it makes it SO DELICIOUS. This is a very light and healthy recipe, so the addition of a small amount of cream cheese isn’t going to blow that.
3. Lastly, the honey baked tortillas! They’re easy to make and they make all the difference. Enough said.

INGREDIENTS

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 small onion, diced

Two 14.5-ounce cans of butter beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup corn, either canned or frozen

One tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt + lots of freshly cracked black pepper

1.5 teaspoons Tajin seasoning (optional)

1 teaspoon garlic powder.

About 1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chicken stock concentrate

7 ounces to 1 cup salsa verde (mild or medium)

4 cups chicken stock

⅔ cup chive cream cheese, at room temperature

For the Honey Baked Tortillas

8 small flour tortillas (taco sized)

Honey, for drizzling (store-bought)

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija or shredded Monterey jack cheese, for topping

How to make my Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

What is easier than a slow cooker recipe, am I right? Literally nothing short of calling for takeout. It takes about 4 minutes to prep this recipe and then it cooks in the slow cooker while you go about your biz. Easy. Love this. Also, I like to incorporate an extra special element into as many of my recipes as I can, and here it’s the addition of the honey crisped tortillas. They’re sweet and salty and the perfect counterpart to the savory chicken chili.

I serve them whole, right alongside the bowls of chili, allotting two per person.

DIRECTIONS

Place everything through the chicken stock in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 4. 

When it’s ready, transfer the chicken to the cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return it to the slow cooker, along with the cream cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.

Serve with crumbled cheese and chopped cilantro and a pile of the crunchy, honey-baked tortillas (see below).

For the hot honey-baked tortillas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the tortillas flat on a large baking sheet and brush generously with oil. Warm the hot honey either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Drizzle the warmed honey (I use a few tablespoons), brushing it all over as much as you can. Season with salt. Bake until crispy and golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Serve them whole or broken into big pieces, alongside or on top of the chili. 

If you like the looks of this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Honey Crisped Tortillas, you might also enjoy:

Mexican Black Bean Stew with Nachos

Quick Pork Tenderloin Posole Verde

Nacho Topped Green Chicken Chili

Cookoff Winning Texas-ish Chili

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