This delightful Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is the perfect recipe for cold weather, especially since it’s made in the crock pot! Made with ingredients like beans, crispy bacon, jalapeños, cooked shredded chicken, and a delicious creamy soup base, it’s one of the best chili dishes you’ll ever taste. Serve this yummy chili with cornbread for a comforting meal.
I love making this cream cheese chicken chili when the weather gets cold, as it’s hearty and cozy. Every bite is packed with flavor due to the seasoning, bacon, and jalapeño. Unlike traditional chili, this delicious version has a more decadent feel due to the cream cheese and half-and-half that’s included.
Here are a few other chili recipes to try this winter: No Bean White Chicken Chili, No Bean Turkey & Vegetable Chili, or Dutch Oven Chili.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy – A short prep time and minimal kitchen tools make this dish great for all cooking levels.
- Quick prep – It only takes about 10 minutes to prep this delightful, easy cream cheese chicken chili.
- Flavorful – The seasoning, jalapeño, chiles, and bacon add quite a bit of flavor to this dish.
- Crispy bacon – Adding crispy bacon bits helps create a more flavorful cream cheese chicken chili.
- Creamy – Cream cheese and half and half combine to create a luscious chili base.
- Kick of heat – Adding jalapeño, chiles, and chili powder helps create a yummy, warming taste.
- Protein-packed – Made with bacon, chicken, and beans, you’ll find this recipe quite filling.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Jalapeño: To prep the jalapeño for a milder version of this cream cheese chicken chili, remove the membrane and seeds. For a spicier chili, leave the seeds and membrane intact.
- Chicken: Fresh or frozen chicken will work for this chili recipe. If you’re using frozen chicken, ensure you thaw it first before starting the recipe. Grab boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe – don’t use bone-in chicken.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Quick Overview
- Crisp bacon.
- Add ingredients to crock pot.
- Cook.
- Add dairy/serve.
Step by Step Instructions
For a better bacon texture, crisp it up in a pan separately first.
Step 1: Over medium low heat, fry the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Set aside.
Step 2: To the slow cooker, add the chicken stock, salsa, beans, corn, onion, chiles, garlic, jalapeño, and garlic.
Step 3: Sprinkle all of the spices on top.
Step 4: Use tongs to transfer the bacon bits to the slow cooker, shaking off excess grease.
Step 5: Place the chicken on top of the veggies.
Step 6: Place the cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Step 7: Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Once the chili is done, turn the slow cooker to WARM.
Mix in the half and half last to prevent separation.
Step 8: Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
Step 9: Whisk and stir cream cheese into the chili.
Step 10: Add the shredded chicken back in, along with the half and half. Stir until combined and serve hot.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this cream cheese chicken chili with jalapeño slices, fresh parsley, and tortilla chips.
I love serving this cream cheese chicken chili slow cooker recipe with cozier side dishes. Here are a few ideas:
- Cornbread Recipe without Buttermilk
- Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Parmesan
- Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the bacon. The bacon in this cream cheese chicken chili recipe adds quite a bit of flavor. Ensure you crisp it first and add it to the dish for the best results.
- Drain the beans and corn. It’s best to always drain and rinse beans and corn before adding it to chili. The liquid is typically quite salty, so it can cause chili to be too sodium-heavy. By rinsing/draining the beans and corn first, you have better control over the flavor of the chili.
- Whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Avoid lumps in this creamy chili by whisking the cream cheese until smooth. Ensuring you stir the cream cheese into the chili well also means the flavors will be better combined.
Additions & Variations
- Vegetarian: You can also make this cream cheese chicken chili into a vegetarian-friendly dish with a few swaps. Skip the bacon and chicken. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. The remaining ingredients are already vegetarian.
- More cheese: Add more cheese for an even more decadent chicken chili. Try mixing in shredded cheese like mozzarella or gouda for a gooey-er consistency alongside the cooked chicken.
- Try ranch seasoning: For a bolder, zestier flavor in this creamy chili with fresh chicken breasts, add a packet of ranch seasoning. It will not make your chili taste like ranch dip/dressing.
Recipe FAQs
If your cream cheese chicken chili is too thin, you can add a flour or cornstarch slurry to the recipe. Continue cooking the chili for about 10 minutes after mixing the slurry in for the best results.
Yes, you can freeze chicken chili (even creamy recipes like this one). It should be good in the freezer for up to two months in an airtight container.
Yes, using cream cheese in a chili recipe will produce a thicker consistency. Typically, the longer you cook the chili with cream cheese, the thicker it will be, as some of the liquid will evaporate out of it.
More Chicken Recipes
Soup & Chili
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
Back To School
Creamy Chicken and Orzo Bake (Tuscan Style)
Soup & Chili
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
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Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 4-5 pieces bacon, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth or stock
- 3/4 cup salsa verde
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained
- 1 15-ounce can sweet corn, drained
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 4-ounce can mild or hotgreen chiles
- 6-7 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 jalapeño, diced*
- 2 teaspoons EACH cumin & chili powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH oregano & smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast*
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup half and half
Instructions
- Over medium low heat, fry the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Set aside.4-5 pieces bacon, diced
- To the slow cooker, add the chicken stock, salsa, beans, corn, onion, chiles, garlic, jalapeño, and garlic.3 cups chicken broth or stock, 3/4 cup salsa verde, 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained, 1 15-ounce can sweet corn, drained, 1 yellow onion, diced, 1 4-ounce can mild or hotgreen chiles, 6-7 cloves garlic, pressed, 1 jalapeño, diced*
- Sprinkle all of the spices on top.2 teaspoons EACH cumin & chili powder, 1 teaspoon EACH oregano & smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, fresh ground black pepper
- Use tongs to transfer the bacon bits to the slow cooker, shaking off excess grease.
- Place the chicken on top of the veggies.1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast*
- Place the cream cheese on top of the chicken.8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Once the chili is done, turn the slow cooker to WARM.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
- Whisk and stir cream cheese into the chili.
- Add the shredded chicken back in, along with the half and half. Stir until combined and serve hot.1/2 cup half and half
Notes
- Jalapeño: To prep the jalapeño for a milder version of this cream cheese chicken chili, remove the membrane and seeds. For a spicier chili, leave the seeds and membrane intact.
- Chicken: Fresh or frozen chicken will work for this chili recipe. If you’re using frozen chicken, ensure you thaw it first before starting the recipe. Grab boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe – don’t use bone-in chicken.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Don’t skip the bacon. The bacon in this cream cheese chicken chili recipe adds quite a bit of flavor. Ensure you crisp it first and add it to the dish for the best results.
- Drain the beans and corn. It’s best to always drain and rinse beans and corn before adding it to chili. The liquid is typically quite salty, so it can cause chili to be too sodium-heavy. By rinsing/draining the beans and corn first, you have better control over the flavor of the chili.
- Whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Avoid lumps in this creamy chili by whisking the cream cheese until smooth. Ensuring you stir the cream cheese into the chili well also means the flavors will be better combined.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
