Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is an easy, dump & go, chicken chili that's made in the Crock Pot! Shredded Chicken, tomatoes, beans, and corn in a creamy chicken broth base with seasonings and cream cheese.

For another family favorite creamy chili recipe be sure and try my Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe (Made In The Crock Pot)

Your family will love this easy, dump & go, crock pot recipe for cream cheese chicken chili. It uses convenient ingredients like fresh chicken breasts, canned items, dried seasonings, and a packet of ranch seasoning mix. 

You literally just dump the ingredients into the crock pot and let it work it's magic all day. Come home to a creamy, warm, and comforting dinner that is ready whenever you are!

Ingredients Needed

Here are the simple ingredients that you will need to make cream cheese chicken chili for an easy family dinner in your own kitchen. 

• Chicken Breast - You will need 2 large chicken breast or 3 if they're smaller in size. I like to trim off the white fatty pieces before I place it into the slow cooker. 
• Chicken Broth - I prefer the full salt version of chicken broth when I make this. Reduced sodium chicken broth can be used if that's what you prefer or to accommodate diet needs. 
• Black Beans - The beans need to be drained and rinsed before adding into the crock pot. 
• Petite Diced Tomatoes
• Corn - No need to drain the corn. We want all the sweet corn juice inside the chili. 
• Ranch Seasoning Packet
• Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Kosher Salt
• Cream Cheese - Regular fat cream cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese both work. I prefer using full fat because it tastes better and makes the chili much more creamier. 

How to Make Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Learn how to make this easy crock pot recipe with these simple steps. Be sure and read to the bottom of the post where there is a printable recipe card, a pin it button, and a detailed recipe card with all the ingredients and detailed instructions. Plus all my tips!

• Chicken : Lay the chicken breasts on the bottom of the insert of the crock pot. 
• Chili Ingredients : Add the chicken broth, beans, petite diced tomatoes, corn (do not drain), ranch seasoning packet, and all the dried seasonings. Mix together. 
• Cream Cheese : Cut the cream cheese into small cubes, about 8-12 cubes, and lay them on top of the mixture. 
• Cook : Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 6-7 hours. 
• Shred Chicken : Take chicken out and shred it with two forks. Return it to the chili and stir. 

And you're ready to eat! You can eat this chicken chili with cream cheese as is, or top it with avocado slices and chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, or try using tortilla chips as "dippers". Kids love this!

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips that will hopefully make this recipe easy to recreate in your own kitchen!

• Cream Cheese : If you're worried about the cream cheese not melting completely smooth into the chili, microwave the cream cheese chunks for about 20 seconds before putting them into the chili. If you add the cream cheese at the beginning of the cook time, I have never found that it does not melt smoothly into the chili. Also, for best taste and thickness, use the full-fat cream cheese rather than reduced-fat in this recipe. 
• Corn : You can use a can of yellow corn, white corn, or a can of gold n' white corn. Be sure that you do not drain this before adding it into the crock pot. Just dump all the contents from the can straight in. 
• Chicken Breast : If these are larger then just use two of them. For smaller sized chicken breast, use 3-4 of them. I normally buy the packs of chicken from the grocery store so I end up using 3-4 smaller ones. There also is not a set amount of chicken to use. So use as much or as little as you want. Using 2-3 makes for the perfect ratio of lots of tender shredded chicken + broth and sauce for the chili + other ingredients. 
• Spice Level : This chicken chili is not spicy. If you want it spicy then it's really easy to do with a few changes. Add more chili powder, add some cayenne red pepper, add a can of diced green chilies or a can of jalapeños, or use a can of Rotel instead of plain diced tomatoes. 

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili FAQ's

• Serving Suggestions
  • You can eat it as is or try topping it with shredded cheese (any variety), chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices (for spice), or avocado slices. 
  • My family's favorite way to eat it is with tortilla chips! My kids love to use the chips as 'dippers' into their bowl of chili. 
  • To serve more people and make it heartier, try serving some of the chicken chili over rice. 
• How To Store Leftovers
  • Leftovers can be stored, in an air-tight container, in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
  • Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top before serving. 
• Can I Freeze Cream Cheese Chicken Chili?
  • I personally do not recommend freezing this chili. It has the cream cheese in it, so once thawed from frozen, the texture will be slightly grainy and it won't be smooth. Dairy tends to separate once frozen and then thawed. 
  • But that also just may be my personal opinion. I am sure it would freeze just fine, just know that the cream cheese might curdle or appear different once thawed from frozen. All the flavors will still be the same. 
  • You can also make this into a freezer meal if wanted. Simply add all the ingredients into a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag (not the cream cheese or chicken broth). Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, dump the frozen contents from the bag into the slow cooker and add a can of chicken broth + the cubed block of cream cheese. Cook time may increase slightly to account for the frozen ingredients. 
• Substitution & Variation Ideas
  • Beans : Use any canned bean you prefer. Use two cans if you want more beans! 
  • Spicy! : This recipe as is, is not spicy. There are several ways to spice it up if that's what you want. Add additional chili powder, add some cayenne red pepper, add a can of diced green chilies or jalapeños, top each serving with pepper jack cheese, or try using a can of Rotel instead of the plain diced tomatoes. 
• Can I Use Frozen Chicken Breast?
  • Yes, you can use fresh chicken breasts or frozen chicken breasts in this recipe. I highly recommend using fresh chicken breast, that's what I always use with slow cooker recipes, because it will cook faster and I feel like the meat comes out better and more shreddable/tender. 
  • If using frozen chicken breasts, you will want to add about 30 minutes - 1 hour onto the cook time to accommodate. Using frozen chicken can also add more water, because as the chicken thaws it gives off more moisture, so it may very slightly affect the final outcome of the flavors and thickness. 

More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes You'll Love

• Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew
• Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken
• Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken
• Taco Ranch Chicken Chili
• Chicken Mexican Haystacks
• Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken