Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

This hearty, bean-free Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili is just what you need to ward off winter’s chill (Includes Instant Pot & Stovetop directions, too)

I thought that’d get your attention. All teasing aside, you need only 10 minutes of prepping and chopping to get this chili going in your slow cooker – and then it’s another 7-8 hours of hands-off cooking. Of course,  you can also make it on the stovetop if you don’t have a slow cooker or just like the act of cooking (which, admittedly, sometimes I really like to stand over the stove and stir up beautiful pots of soup and such) – so I’ve also included directions for making this on the stove as well.

When the chicken is cooked through you can either remove it to a plate and shred it with two forks or carefully shred it right in the slow cooker before you add the coconut milk.

Then all you have left to do is stir in a little fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro then serve it up in big bowls and dig in.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 Tbsp. ghee or avocado oil (for stovetop version only)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, any color; diced
• 1 small jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed and finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic. minced
• 2 ½ tsp. ground cumin (add more to taste)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. chili powder (add more to taste)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 4 cups organic chicken broth (or homemade bone broth) for thicker soup reduce broth to 2-3 cups
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slow Cooker Directions
2. Add onion, peppers, garlic and spices (cumin through black pepper) to the bottom of a slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables in a single layer.
3. Add broth and place lid on slow cooker.
4. Set heat to LOW and cook 7-8 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.
5. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return chicken to slow cooker.
6. Turn heat to HIGH. Add coconut milk, stir and replace lid. Continue heating an additional 10-15 minutes or until soup is heated through.
7. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve in bowls garnished with chopped cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
8. Stovetop Directions
9. Place a large saucepan with lid (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil and allow to melt. When ghee just starts to shimmer, add onions and peppers. Saute 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion and peppers starts to soften.
10. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook an additional 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
11. Lay chicken in pan over the onion and pepper mixture. Add 2 cups broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Shred chicken in the pan using two forks.
12. Add remaining 2 cups of broth and coconut milk and return to a simmer. Cover pan and allow chili to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve in bowls garnished with chopped parsley and lime wedges, if desired.
14. Instant Pot Directions
15. Select ‘Saute’ function on Instant Pot
16. Add oil. When oil is melted, add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno.
17. Saute 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion and peppers starts to soften.
18. Add garlic and spices and cook an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
19. Press ‘Cancel’. Add chicken breasts and broth.
20. Lock lid into place. Turn vent valve to ‘Sealing’ position.
21. Select ‘Manual’ setting and set cook time to 20 minutes.
22. When cook time is up, allow pressure to naturally release 5-10 minutes then release remaining pressure using quick-release method (i.e. flip the vent valve to ‘Venting’ position)
23. Add coconut milk, lime juice and fresh cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
24. NOTES
25. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Note: We only test the recipes with the listed ingredients and measurements, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to try a substitution, we would love to have you share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!

Recipe Source:therealfoodrds.com