White Chicken Chili

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!

Over a brown dish, a white serving bowl of white White Chicken Chili Recipe chili is placed. Avocado, cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, and lime are used as garnishes with chili.

My Favorite Recipe For White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili
(most print) 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.

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. White Chicken Chili Recipe 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 make up white chicken chili?

White Chicken Chili
(most print) White Chicken Chili Recipe
  • 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 a 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.
  • Neufchatel cheese – cream cheese will work nicely also. 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.
  •  White Chicken Chili Recipe 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.
  • 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.

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 White Chicken Chili Recipe 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.

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

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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**.
  4. Stir thoroughly after adding maize, whole beans, and pureed beans to the soup along with Neufchatel cheese. longer than five to ten minutes.
  5. Add the chopped chicken, lime juice, and cilantro. If preferred, top with tortilla chips, more cilantro, Monterrey Jack cheese, and slices of avocado.

Notes

  1. *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.
  2. **The pureeing stage can be skipped if you don’t have a food processor, but the soup won’t be as creamy.