High-Protein White Chicken Chili
Per serving (about 1.5 cups)
How I calculate this → Protein calculator →
12g of protein per 100 calories, more than 26 of the other 27 dinner recipes here.
I cook the chicken breasts whole, right in the slow cooker, then shred them at the end rather than starting with pre-shredded or diced chicken. Whole breasts stay juicier over a long cook time, and shredding with two forks at the end takes about a minute. Stirring in Greek yogurt right before serving, off the heat, is what gives this its creaminess without curdling.
Why you'll love this
- 36g of protein per serving, close to a quarter of it from beans and yogurt, not just chicken
- 7g of fiber per serving from two cans of white beans
- Mostly hands-off in the slow cooker
Recipe
High-Protein White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts, white beans, green chiles, broth, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken reads 165°F in the thickest part and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the Greek yogurt just before serving, off the heat.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Notes
- I stir the yogurt in at the very end, off the heat. Adding it too early, or into liquid that's still simmering, can cause it to break and turn grainy instead of creamy.
- Cooking the chicken breasts whole and shredding them after keeps the meat noticeably juicier than starting with diced or pre-shredded chicken.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 295 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 36g |
| Carbs | 21g |
| Fat | 7g |
| Fiber | 7g |
Where these numbers come from
I calculate every figure above from USDA FoodData Central, ingredient by ingredient, then divide by the servings the recipe makes. Each FDC number links to the exact USDA entry I used. How I calculate nutrition
- Chicken breast: FDC #171477 (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted), 31.0g protein / 165 kcal / 3.57g fat per 100g. 1.5 lb raw (680g) scaled to a 74% cooked yield for whole-muscle poultry = 503g cooked.
- White beans: FDC #2644294 (Beans, great northern, canned, sodium added, drained and rinsed), 7.03g protein / 117 kcal / 1.27g fat / 19.3g carb per 100g (fiber from FDC #175191, great northern beans boiled: 7g per 100g). 2 cans drained = 532g, using FDC's own drained-can measure for canned beans (#174285: 1 can drained solids = 266g). (2026-09-28: previously counted 130g per can, the 1/2-cup RACC serving, which undercounted the beans by about half.)
- Onion: FDC #170000 (Onions, raw), 1.1g protein / 40 kcal / 9.34g carb / 1.7g fiber per 100g.
- Garlic: FDC #169230 (Garlic, raw), 6.36g protein / 149 kcal / 33.1g carb / 2.1g fiber per 100g; 1 clove = 3g.
- Cumin: FDC #170923 (Spices, cumin seed), 17.8g protein / 375 kcal / 22.3g fat / 44.2g carb / 10.5g fiber per 100g.
- Greek yogurt (nonfat): FDC #170894, 1/2 cup = 113g (Fage Total 0% label: 3/4 cup = 170g), counted in full as the serving topping.
- Olive oil: FDC #171413 (Oil, olive, salad or cooking), 100g fat / 884 kcal per 100g, 0g protein.
- Green chiles: FDC #168577 (Peppers, chili, green, canned), 4 oz can = 113g, 0.72g protein / 21 kcal per 100g.
- Chicken broth: FDC #172888 (Soup, chicken broth, less/reduced sodium, ready to serve), 2 cups = 480g. Onion 1 medium = 110g (FDC #170000); cumin 1 tbsp = 6g.
- Re-verified 2026-09-28: batch totals 214.9g protein, 1,771 kcal, 40.4g fat, 128.7g carb, 41.8g fiber; divided by 6. The corrected bean count puts this over the low-carb (20g) and low-calorie (250 kcal) bars and over the high-fiber bar, so tags were updated.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop rather than at a full boil, since the yogurt can separate if it gets too hot too fast.
FAQ
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?
Yes, that shortens the cook time considerably. Shred about 3 cups of rotisserie chicken and add it partway through, just long enough to heat through and pick up the flavor, roughly 1 to 2 hours on low.
Why stir the yogurt in at the end instead of the start?
Yogurt can curdle when it simmers for a long stretch, especially nonfat yogurt, which has less fat to stabilize it. Adding it off the heat at the end keeps it smooth.
Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt?
Yes, though it changes the macros here since sour cream carries more fat and less protein than nonfat Greek yogurt.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken dinners: the crockpot chicken is a simpler, hands-off option for a busier night.
Is Chicken High in Protein? has the protein numbers for chicken breast and thigh, raw and cooked.
High-Protein Crockpot Chicken
Simple slow cooker shredded chicken with a light spice rub: a high-protein, low-carb base for meal prep.
High-Protein Chicken and White Bean Soup
A high-protein, high-fiber chicken and white bean soup: bloomed spices, a full pot of cannellini beans, ready in about 30 minutes.
High-Protein Grilled Chicken Thighs
Simple grilled chicken thighs with a paprika-garlic rub: a high-protein, low-carb, low-calorie dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls
High-protein chicken meal prep bowls with rice and broccoli: batch-cook once, four lunches ready to go.
High-Protein Baked Chicken Parmesan (Almond Flour Crust)
Baked chicken parmesan with an almond flour crust instead of breadcrumbs: high protein, low carb, and genuinely crisp without frying.
High-Protein Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Broccoli
Air fryer chicken thighs and broccoli, cooked together in one basket: a high-protein, low-carb dinner with minimal hands-on time.