Rich and creamy broth, tender chicken, and robust beans combine to create a flavorful White Chicken Chili.
It’s a fantastic substitute for classic beef chili and makes a hearty supper! If there are any leftovers, you’ll be lucky to have delicious leftovers for lunch the following day!
My Favorite White Chicken Chili Recipe
Have you tried the white chicken version of chili yet? We’ve all prepared the conventional chili with beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, and the standard chili spices.
Would you like to learn how to make this chili? Observe the video!
Even as the weather warms up, you’ll want to keep making this recipe all year long. Considering the word “chili” is in the title, it’s not what you’d think, but it’s delicious!
You’ll adore the way the flavors of this chili combine, as well as the soft chicken chunks and the rich broth.
Although it tastes very different from traditional chili, the variation is appreciated. This soup is a hit with everyone!
And the more toppings you add, the better it gets.
Who wouldn’t enjoy the addition of crisp tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, fresh avocado slices, and savory cheese? Bring come the garnishes!
Chili made with white chicken in a navy blue saucepan. Chicken chunks, pinto beans, corn, green chilies, and a creamy broth are all included in the chili. Avocado and cilantro are used as garnish.
What Components Makeup White Chicken Chili?
- I like rotisserie chicken best, but leftover cooked chicken also works well.
- These aromatics, garlic, and onion provide a lot of flavor to the dish. Utilize newly minced garlic.
- Chicken broth: Try serving this soup with homemade broth for even more flavor.
- If you don’t like heat, make sure to purchase mild green chilies.
- The ideal spice combination in this dish is created by cumin, paprika, oregano, and coriander.
- Great Northern beans or cannellini beans both work well.
- Although canned corn will also work, I’ve never been a fan of the taste.
- Cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese both work well. Philadelphia is what I generally use, but the stock was low.
- Use fresh lime in this recipe instead of the bottled variety.
- Feel free to add additional cilantro to your taste.
- Desired toppings: I enjoy adding cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips.
- Here are the ingredients needed to create white chicken chili.
What Is The Best White Chicken Chili Recipe?
- A 6-quart enameled dutch oven should be heated with olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes.
- For an additional 30 seconds, add the garlic.
- A recipe for white chicken chili is demonstrated. Use a big cast iron pot to sauté onions in oil.
- Chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and cayenne pepper should also be added. Salt and pepper should also be added to taste.
- Just bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Green chilies, spices, and broth are added to the saucepan of the white chicken chili mixture.
- Measure out 1 cup of beans after draining and rinsing them in a colander or fine mesh strainer.
- After setting aside the entire beans, add 1 cup of the beans and 1/4 cup of the soup’s stock to a food processor, and purée until almost smooth.
- Cannellini beans are processed in a food processor to make white chicken chili.
- Stir thoroughly after adding maize, whole beans, and pureed beans to the soup along with Neufchatel cheese. longer than five to ten minutes.
- Add the chopped chicken, lime juice, and cilantro. If preferred, top with tortilla chips, more cilantro, Monterrey Jack cheese, and slices of avocado.
- Cream cheese, corn, and bean puree are added to the pot of white chicken chili.
A Creamy White Bean Chicken Chili Secret
You’ll see that the recipe includes a phase where you’re supposed to blend some of the Cannellini beans with some of the soup stock.
I once witnessed this as I watched Giada prepare a soup on Food Network. If my memory serves me correctly, she added some pureed Cannellini beans to the soup to give it a creamy consistency.
I opted to adapt that technique since I felt it would be the ideal way to make this white bean chicken chili extra creamy (if you don’t have a food processor or simply don’t want to clean one, then yes, you could just add all the beans in whole).
In a Crockpot, Can I make White Chicken Chili?
Yes, you can prepare this White Chicken Chili in a crockpot as well. To do this:
- Use 1 lb. of uncooked chicken breasts and add them to the broth, spices, and chilies at the beginning.
- To prevent them from becoming crunchy, finely cut the onions or sauté them with the garlic before adding them to the crockpot.
- Cook chicken on high for three hours or on low for five to six hours, or until it is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken, then stir in softened light cream cheese and heat through.
- Add the beans, corn, shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, and the pureed bean mixture. Warm thru.
- Above: A huge white bowl holding white chicken chili is seen on a brown platter. Cheese, chips, avocado, cilantro, and lime are used as chili garnishes.
It’s a Recipe with High Ratings! - This has become a reader favorite since I first posted it in May 2013! Please give it a try and give the recipe below a rating; I’d love to know what you think!
Now Using Rotisserie Chicken for a Simpler Alternative
Please take note that when I first posted this recipe, I used chicken breasts.
However, after perfecting the recipe for many years, I’ve concluded that rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken (both of which are added at the end) are a better choice.
You won’t get dry chicken breasts, it’s simpler, and it has more flavor.
Additional Appetizing Chili Recipes You’ll Love!
- Chipotle Turkey
- Veggie Chili
- Chickpea Chili
- Chili cooked slowly
- Chili with sweet potatoes and black beans
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (7 oz) can dice green chilies
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (8 oz) pkg Neufchatel cheese (aka light cream cheese), cut into small cubes
- 1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 2 (15 oz) cans of cannellini beans
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked rotisserie or left-over chicken*
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
- Tortilla chips or strips, Monterrey jack cheese, sliced avocado for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, warm up the olive oil in a big pot. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes. For an additional 30 seconds, add the garlic.
- Chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and cayenne pepper should also be added. Salt and pepper should also be added to taste. Just bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Measure out 1 cup of beans after draining and rinsing them in a colander or fine mesh strainer. After setting aside the whole beans, add 1 cup of the beans and 1/4 cup of the soup’s stock to a food processor, and purée until almost smooth**.
- Stir thoroughly after adding maize, whole beans, and pureed beans to the soup along with Neufchatel cheese. longer than five to ten minutes.
- Add the chopped chicken, lime juice, and cilantro. If preferred, top with tortilla chips, more cilantro, Monterrey Jack cheese, and slices of avocado.
Notes
*The recipe has been modified to include precooked, shredded chicken (previously used raw chicken in this recipe and cooked at the beginning).
I prefer the taste of rotisserie chicken more, plus you avoid having overcooked chicken breasts this way.
**The pureeing stage can be skipped if you don’t have a food processor, but the soup won’t be as creamy.