White Chicken Chili
154 Comments
Updated Feb 10, 2023
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White chicken chili is hands down a cold-weather favorite! Not only is it a flavorful blend of healthy, comforting ingredients, but it’s also a satiating meal that’s packed with veggies and protein. Who doesn’t love that?
There’s nothing like a big pot of classic beef chili to cure those winter blues (or this turkey chili or vegetarian chili). But I gotta say, this white bean chicken chili is by far one of my favorite chili recipes.
It’s a light and healthy blend of creamy white beans, shredded chicken, veggies, and the perfect level of spice. And while I do sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top for garnish, this recipe itself is completely dairy-free. I’ve got a sneaky way to thicken the broth without dairy – keep reading!
What’s In White Chicken Chili?
With any type of chili recipe, it’s all about layering in flavors. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts, whole roasted chicken, or even store-bought rotisserie chicken. Lots of easy options.
- White Beans: I’m using canned beans, but you can soak and cook dried beans as well.
- Corn: Adds a subtle sweetness and extra chunkiness to the overall texture.
- Green Chiles & Jalapeño: A small can of green chiles and one jalapeño adds a serious depth of flavor (that’s not too spicy).
- Chicken Broth: Skip water and opt for a chicken broth. It’ll add more flavor to the soupy base.
- Dried Spices: A combo of cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper brings out classic chili aromatics.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Which White Beans to Use
When shopping for white beans, Cannellini, Great Northern, and Navy beans look almost identical. So you want to make sure you’re reading the labels correctly as they each have their own characteristics. Here’s the breakdown:
- Cannellini Beans: These are similar to Great Northern, but are a bit more dense. They work great for added texture in various salads or soups such as Minestrone soup.
- Great Northern Beans: These creamy colored beans are light, hold their shape well, and are naturally nutty in flavor. Best of all, they absorb spices easily, making them perfect for soaking in all the chicken chili flavors.
- Navy Beans: Navy beans are on the smaller side with a mild flavor and creamy texture. They work wonders as baked beans or pureed in dips for added texture.
Which white beans should you use in this recipe? Any of the above! I’m using Great Northern beans today, but feel free to use what’s on sale or available to you.
Different Ways To Make Shredded Chicken
There’s a few ways you can go about making the shredded chicken. You can cook the chicken yourself and shred it, or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Here’s a few options:
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken: If you have a slow cooker, this whole chicken (rotisserie style) becomes super tender and easy to pull apart into pieces.
- Shredded Chicken: If you prefer chicken breasts, this stovetop method with my shredding hack is the best!
- Poached Chicken: This is also an easy method and takes about 15 minutes on the stovetop. Then shred it with either a fork or with the paddle attachment on a standing mixer.
- Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken: And if you’re on a time crunch, just pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store and pull apart small pieces to add into the chili.
How to Make The Best White Bean Chicken Chili
Make the creamy base. Blend one cup of white beans and one cup of chicken broth together in a food processor. Then set aside.
Add the white beans and broth into a food processor It blends into a perfect creamy base!
Sauté the veggies. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper for about 4 minutes. Then add the garlic and spices and stir for one additional minute.
Give the veggies a quick saute Stir in the spices and garlic
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. First, add the remaining chicken broth, and pureed bean mixture and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Then, stir in the chicken, corn, white beans, green chilies, and cilantro. Let it simmer for an additional few minutes to warm through, squeeze some lime juice, and stir it again.
Let the broth and bean mixture simmer Stir in the rest of the ingredients
Garnish and serve. I love to top this off with diced avocado, a little cheese, slices of jalapeño pepper, and extra cilantro. But keep on reading for more topping ideas!
Your White Chicken Chili Questions Answered
- Can you make this a creamy white chicken chili? Absolutely, just add 4 ounces of cream cheese, sour cream or half a can of coconut milk as it’s cooking.
- How do you make this with dry beans? If you’ve got a bag of dried white beans on hand, just pre-cook them before adding to the pot. You’ll need about 3 1/2 cups of cooked beans.
- Can I switch out the beans? Of course. If beans aren’t your thing, swap them for a can of chickpeas! They’ll provide a very similar texture and load the chili up with extra protein.
Customize Your Chili Bowl
When it comes to stews, garnishes can make all the difference. They add color, texture, and pops of flavor with every bite. Here’s a few ways to make your white chicken chili bowl even more exciting!
- Fresh herbs: You can never go wrong with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or parsley on top.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella or even cotija cheese will taste delicious.
- Avocado: For the Cali girl in me, avocado is a must! I always love to add a small handful of diced avocado.
- Onion: Any diced onions are great for garnishing, but my favorites for this recipe are red onion and green onions. They add a refreshing bite and pop of color.
- Jalapeño: For extra heat, add a few extra sliced jalapeños!
Storage Tips
A big pot of chili is undeniably one of the best meal prep recipes, especially since it freezes well! Here’s a few ways to store it.
- To Store: Let the chili slightly cool first before storing in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Use a freezer-safe tray or container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat This: First, thaw the chili overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or scoop one serving into a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes. If you forgot to thaw, it’s okay, this is one recipe that’s fine going straight into the microwave frozen as well. Just cook until warm.
White Chicken Chili Recipe Video
Ready to cozy up with this pot of chili? Watch the video below for an easy, step-by-step guide on how to make it!
More Cozy, Easy Chicken Recipes
If chicken is one of your favorite ways to pack in protein and flavor, I’ve got a few extra dinner ideas to add to your list.
- One Pan Chicken And Rice
- Winter Vegetable Soup
- Chicken Fajitas
- Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Teriyaki Chicken
And if you love chicken thighs specifically, here’s a roundup of the best chicken thigh recipes!
If you make this white chicken chili, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Best White Chicken Chili
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces green chiles
- 4 cups shredded chicken, see tips above
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and cheese, for garnishing
Instructions
- Blend one cup of the white beans with one cup of the chicken broth in food processor. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender or even mash the beans with a fork, and then stir them with the broth. Set this aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper to the pot. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and spices and stir for another minute, toasting the spices.
- Add the chicken broth and pureed bean mixture and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the green chilies, chicken, corn, white beans, and chopped cilantro. Simmer for a couple of minutes, until it's warmed through. Then add the lime juice and give it another stir.
- Serve the white chicken chili and garnish with avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and cheese before serving, if you'd like.
Lisa’s Tips
- The pureed bean mixture helps to thicken the chili without any additional dairy needed. It creates a wonderful soupy texture. But if you’d like it ultra creamy, you can always add 4oz of cream cheese, sour cream, or even coconut cream to the chili.
- This chili is flavorful, but not overly spicy. If you’d like a little bit more heat, feel free to add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- If you’re using a white enameled pot like my favorite Le Creuset, don’t forget to use a silicone spatula, so you don’t scratch the inside. I’m obsessed with these spatulas, they’re really the best.
Nutrition
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Love this recipe! I add 1 can of cream style corn to thicken it, instead of smashing the beans.
Great idea on the cream corn to thicken this, Darlene!
Tried this recipe and loved it. So hearty yet light and refreshing. Will make this on repeat!
Great recipe. The taste is awesome, I used a little more garlic as I like the garlicky taste I also used the cream cheese for creaminess I use celery instead of corn as the beans are enough carbohydrates and it is delicious. I topped it with avocado slices and cheddar cheese.
I’m a believer! I thought this was going to be too hot for me because of the jalapeno and the green chiles, but it’s perfect on the first try. So flavorful. And my equally heat-phobic son just went back for seconds!
Yay, so happy to hear you both loved it! And you’re right, it’s more flavorful rather than spicy. :)
This the most delicious chili I’ve ever had. I ate it 2x a day for a week and then made another pot for the following week because it was so good. Lisa is a culinary artist.
This soup is amazing! It is very flavorful and filling. It also freezes and reheats well. It will be on continuous rotation at my house!
I have a lot of food allergies & don’t love cooking so I’m always looking for easy, healthy, delicious recipes and this one👏 is👏 it! 👏 Incredible, you won’t regret it!
Yay, happy you loved it!
One of mine and my fiancés favorite winter dinner 🤗
Happy to hear both of you are enjoying this throughout the winter season!
I like this recipe, but I found it to be a lot more flavorful when I doubled the jalapeños and the spices.
This was really good, Lisa. I had to make a substitution and did a little tweak to the recipe, and it still turned out great. I didn’t have canned northern or cannellini beans, so I substituted the beans with chickpeas, and It turned out fine. I did add a can of ro tel, which it didn’t need, but I wanted a little tomato in there. I still added a can of diced chilis on top of that and it didn’t overpower it. Lastly, I ran out of fresh jalapeño, so I used dried. That worked fine too. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely do it again.
This has become a staple in my home, down to the stovetop shredded chicken instructions that are linked! Super delicious and easy!
Happy to hear you’re loving this white chicken chili Lissette!
This is the best white chicken chili I’ve ever tasted!
I made your white chicken Chili for superbowl last night!
I followed the recipe exactly and also added a can of coconut milk to thicken the broth as suggested. I used cook chicken breastst I made the night before and it was delicious 😋!
Everyone loved it and wanted seconds along with the recipe! ❤️
Only problem was that I didn’t make more!
Bravo Lisa, another successful recipe that has become a winner🏆at my house!
I’m so glad you’re loving this white chicken chili recipe Lisa!
Made this twice already…..once as the recipe stated and once where I omitted the corn, made my own broth and roasted my own green chilis. It was a hit both times. I also love adding crushed tortilla chips for a little crunch! I feel like this recipe is pretty adaptable to individual tastes. Will definitely be in the regular winter rotation. Thank you for posting such an informative recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this white chicken chili Gianna!
I made the white chicken chili and it just simply delicious! My husband loved it. So as all of my friends who made it. It’s my definitely go to now for a nice change from the traditional chili. It’s nutritious, comforting and flavorful. Thank you Lisa for that delicious recipe!
I was not sure at first since I rarely eat white beans but this chili is sooo good!
I’m allergic to corn, so omitted but did everything else indicated in the recipe. The flavors are very good and I made cornbread to go alongside.
Thank you Lisa, this one I will definitely make again.
Soooo good
I made this last night and it was so delicious! My husband even ate leftovers for lunch. I used the chicken broth that I cooked the chicken in. Also I put the jalapeño in with the 1 cup of beans and 1 cup of broth in the blender. It really made it so smooth tasting I’ll be making this again. Thanks!
Great idea on adding the jalapenos into the blender to give it an extra kick!
What kind of onion did you use? I’m making this tonight.
A yellow onion.
Does anyone know how much one serving is like quantities? One Cup, 1 1/2 cups, etc.??
This was VERY good! I subbed out creamed corn for the whole kernel corn and it made it even better (according to my husband)
Happy to hear you’re loving this white chicken chili Kacey!
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious!!
Happy to hear you’re loving this chili Drea!
I made this for my small group and they all loved it! I was unsure of using the whole can of green chiles as I don’t like spicy, but they were perfect. The flavor is so good! I can’t wait for my cookbook to come in!
The green chiles add more flavor versus spice! But, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it Julie :)
Hi. Great for chilli winter days. I would like to ask how did you calculate the calories? Is it 400 calories / 100 gr ? Thank you.
This recipe makes about 6 servings, so each serving is around 420 calories.
Hi Lisa
Do you think this would work with ground chicken? How much would you use do you think?
That’s fine! I would use about 3.5 cups, depending on how much chicken you’d like.
I love your soup recipes. I can always alter the ingredients a little based on what’s in my fridge, which is so helpful to keep my grocery cost down and use what I have. Plus they are packed with ingredients to fill up even the hungriest in my family, which makes meal time so much easier!!
We love this recipe and continue to make it!
My husband said this recipe is “quite delicious “. That is very high praise. I definitely agree. It is now in regular rotation.
Hi Lisa – this recipe sounds wonderful. I am planning on making it with 2 minor adjustments. The bell pepper will cause digestive problems for me, but a poblano swapped in should work. And I will omit the corn entirely for the same reason. Will let you know how it turns out!
Let us know how it turns out with those tweaks!
Made it today. Easy, fast, delicious. What else can you want. Thank you so much for your recipies.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I loved it with shaved parmesan on top and avocado. I also added sour cream to make it creamier and two eggs (my mom used to always add eggs to soups). Thank you! Making this again and it was just perfect for the first day of fall!
Glad you enjoyed this soup to kick off the fall season Michelle!
I’ve made this so many times and it is always so. so. good.
I made this Chili tonight and it was absolutely delicious and I don’t traditionally like chili! There hasn’t been a downshiftology recipe I have made which was anything but a five star recipe! Thanks Lisa!
So glad you enjoyed this white chicken chili Kathy!
I’ve been making variations of white chicken chili for many years and this recipe is by far my favorite! The coriander and fresh lime are genius! I usually add a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and double it because we eat so much and enjoy the leftovers plus is freezes well! Queso fresco and avocado are my favorite toppings.
Hi Lisa,
I was wondering, can this recipe be made in the slow cooker, rather than on the stove top? If so, what would be the steps to adapt this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I am addicted to this recipe. I made it twice before and now again tomorrow for when my parents come back from being away for 3 months. It is absolutely perfect!!!!!! Thank you!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this white chicken chili Denise!
This is possibly the best soup we have ever tasted!!!! So much flavor and yet still gentle on the tongue and stomach.
My husband & I love cooking. Lisa’s recipe’s are consistently top notch. Her blog is one of our favorites for new ideas.
The only modification we made was roasting the jalapeños that we garnished the soup with rather than freshly chopped.
I’d also highly recommend the brand Hatch Valley 505 flame roasted green chilies for the chilies that go in the soup. That brand has excellent flavor!
Thank you Lisa for sharing your incredible talent of recipe creations!!!!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this white chicken chili Tiffany!
This was delicious! I did not change anything, I used the whole jalapeño and it wasn’t too spicy, the flavor profile is amazing! Thank you so much for another tasty recipe! Excited for your cookbook!
Happy to hear you loved this white chicken chili Tamara! Can’t wait for you to cook through my upcoming cookbook as well :)
Made this recipe as written. Delicious!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this white chicken chili Christine!
So delicious and easy to make! I was nervous it’d be too spicy, but it isn’t. It’s also surprisingly filling. The only change I made was using roasted cumin instead of regular.