White chicken chili it’s a year-round favorite with its deeply flavorful base and hearty ingredients. It’s satisfying, full of flavor, and as delicious as it sounds, it’s not overly rich, and makes a great weeknight dinner or Sunday supper! Be sure to watch the how-to video!
Chicken Chili Recipe
White chicken chili is the chicken-based cousin of my classic chili recipe. It’s made with pre-cooked chicken (pick up a chicken tender or use leftovers from a holiday!) and white beans, and it’s packed with flavor! The best part? The creamy texture is made WITHOUT any heavy cream! Here’s how I do it.
The technique is the same as the puree I do in both corn chowder and mine potato soupbut rather than pureeing a large portion of the finished soup, we’ll start by pureeing two of our main ingredients. For this recipe, you will puree some of your white beans with some chicken broth. We’ll mix this back in later in the recipe and voila! Creamy texture without any creaminess. It’s magical! ✨
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A creamy base that isn’t too heavy or rich.
- Ready in less than an hour! If you’re looking for a hearty weeknight dinner for the whole family, you have to try this recipe!
- Packed full of flavor from ingredients like jalapeño, chopped green chiles, lime juice and lots of spices.
- Great for using up leftover chicken! You can also choose rotisserie chicken or use my super simple finely chopped chicken (highly recommend! 👌🏼).
Composition
Don’t worry about the amount of ingredients here; I promise this recipe great easy!
- Chicken broth i do no used reduced sodium broth for this recipe. If you choose to do this, I recommend doing a taste test when you go to make sure your white chicken chili is flavorful enough. If it tastes good, you need more salt!
- beans. Use cannellini beans or white beans. You will need two boxes; we will mix half of the first with part of the chicken broth to create a creamy base, then add the rest later.
- spices. Including cumin, onion powder, ancho chili powder (my favorite spice, I use it in everything from chili to taco soup), cayenne pepper, and black pepper. If you don’t have ancho chili powder, then you can use regular chili powder and a dash of smoked red pepper. I recommend finding the ancho chili powder – it adds such a great flavor!
- Chopped green chilies. I use finely chopped green chives, but you can use the hot version if you prefer. You can also use fire-roasted chopped green chillies – I use them in my regular dishes remaining turkey chili recipes and I love them!
- Sour cream. At the end, we will mix it to make it a little creamy. Full-fat Greek yogurt can also work in a pinch, but sour cream is best.
SAM’S TIP: If you prefer your white chicken chili to be on the spicy side, feel free to adjust the spice level to your taste and add more cayenne pepper (or a few jalapeno seeds). A dash of hot sauce before serving is also a great idea! 🌶️ Conversely, if you don’t like heat or are serving to children, reduce the pepper or leave it out altogether!
This is an overview of the ingredients I use and why I use them. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!
How to make white chicken chili
- Stir in half a can of beans and ½ cup of chicken stock until smooth, then set it aside. This will create our creamy base without the need for any heavy cream (keep this in mind for slightly milder soups like mine) creamy chicken noodle soup).
- Saute the onion and jalapeño in olive oil and butter until softened, then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add puree mixture, remaining broth and beans and all remaining ingredients (except sour cream). Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Mix with sour cream until included.
- Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. then pour into bowls. Fill with your favorite toppings (suggestions below!) and enjoy.
SAM’S TIP: If you want to add tortilla strips to your soup, consider making my homemade version chicken tortilla soup! It is very easy to make them at home.
Frequently asked questions
This chili tastes great on its own, but I like it even better when topped with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, jalapeño wedges, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. Extras are everything!
As the parties go, buttermilk cornbreadjalapeno cornbread or garlic cheese biscuits they would make delicious pairings.
Yes you can! Make sure to store it in an airtight container and enjoy within three months.
I haven’t tried it, but I think it might work with some modifications. You’ll want to follow steps 1-3 before transferring to the chili pan.
Enjoy!
Let’s cook together! Subscribe to me newsletter to stay up to date with the newest recipes and find my free recipe tutorials YouTube 💜
White Chicken Chili
Portions: 6 portion
Calories: 286kcal
Prevent your screen from dimming
Instructions
-
Place half a can of cannelini beans (about ¾ cup) and ½ cup chicken stock in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
-
Combine olive oil and butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and jalapeño and cook until softened (about 3-5 minutes).
1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salted butter, 2 jalapeno peppers, 1 medium (140 g) yellow onion, chopped
-
Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
-
Add cumin, onion powder, ancho chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and mix well.
2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
-
Add the mashed bean mixture to the pot along with the remaining chicken broth and the remaining beans, then add the chicken, chilies, and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
3 ¾ cups (465 g) shredded chicken, 1 7-ounce can (198 g) chopped green peppers, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 15-ounce cans (850 g) cannellini beans
-
Mix with sour cream.
½ cup (115 g) sour cream
-
Simmer for 15 minutes before serving, then top with extra sour cream, jalapeño wedges, monterrey cheese, chopped cilantro and crushed corn chips.
extra sour cream, corn chips, Monterrey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro and/or jalapeno slices for topping, optional
Notes
Chopped chicken
You can use 3-4 cups of shredded chicken. You can use chicken, leftover chicken, or shred your own chicken breasts (or thighs, or a mix of both). If you are cutting up your own chicken, start with 1 ½ pounds (680 g) of chicken breast (before cooking).
It is saved
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Service: 1serves | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 30g | Oil: 16g | Saturated fat: 6g | Trans fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 372IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content depends on brands used, measurement methods, cooking method, serving sizes, etc. will vary depending.
I originally published this recipe in February 2018. I’ve updated the post to add more helpful tips and a recipe guide, but the recipe itself hasn’t changed (except for a few tweaks to the recipe — the ingredients and technique remain the same!).
