If you love my slow cooker chili recipe, then you’ll love this white chicken chili recipe. Made with white beans, chicken, and green chiles, this chili is creamy and light instead of a deep red color, which is where it got its name. Despite not using classic chili ingredients, this chicken chili is delicious, easy to make, and so comforting.
While cooking this chili on the stovetop takes a little more work than my slow cooker chili, this hearty white chili comes together in one pot in a little more than an hour. It’s so delicious as a weeknight dinner that everyone will be asking for a second bowl! Serve this chili with a big slice of my cornbread recipe, easy dinner rolls, or homemade French bread recipe to soak up all the delicious broth.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
White beans — white beans add protein, fiber, and texture to the white chili. Make sure you rinse and drain them beforehand to remove excess salt. Any white beans, such as great northern beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans work wonderfully for this recipe.
Chicken broth — I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth to better control how salty the chicken chili will taste.
Chicken — I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the white chili, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Green chiles — you can use mild or hot diced green chiles, depending on how spicy you’d like the chili to be.
Seasoning — this white chicken chili uses ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Always double-check that your seasoning is fresh for the best flavor.
Cream cheese — make sure you use full-fat block cream cheese and not spreadable cream cheese from a tub. The cream cheese helps give the white chili a creamy texture and thickens it.
Toppings — who doesn’t love a variety of toppings? Use your favorite! I like adding cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno, avocado, shredded cheese, and lime wedges to my chicken chili. Other toppings that go well with chicken chili are tortilla chips, guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsa.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
1. Mash ½ cup of the drained white beans in a small bowl with a fork or potato masher. Set aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until very tender and browned around the edges and then add the garlic and cook.
3. Add the mashed and whole beans and chicken breasts to the Dutch oven.
4. Add the green chiles and chicken broth to the Dutch oven.
5. Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with two forks.
7. Add the cream cheese to the pot in small pieces and stir until fully incorporated.
8. Stir in the shredded chicken. Serve immediately, topped with cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno, avocado, shredded cheese, and lime wedges.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- If you are short on time or have a rotisserie chicken on hand, you can swap the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for shredded leftover chicken. Simmer the chili for a shorter time and stir in the cooked chicken.
- If you prefer a thinner chili, you can hold off some of the cream cheese or add additional chicken broth.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables to this white chicken chili to bulk it up. Corn, bell peppers, celery, spinach, or carrots make for a delicious addition to the chili.
- If you want to thicken the chili but do not want to use cream cheese, you can simmer the chili longer to reduce some of the liquid and add a cornstarch slurry. To make a slurry, mix together equal amounts of water and cornstarch. Around 1 to 2 tablespoons will be enough. However, keep in mind that the cream cheese adds richness and creaminess that a cornstarch slurry cannot replace. Alternatively, you can use half the amount of cream cheese and add a cornstarch slurry. If you do not want to use cornstarch, you can mash more of the beans and simmer for longer to evaporate the liquid.
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can! To make this white chicken chili recipe in a slow cooker, add everything but the cream cheese to the bowl of the crock pot. Cook for high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken breasts to shred and stir in the cream cheese. You can saute the onions and garlic before adding them to the slow cooker if desired.
I like using canned beans as the chicken chili comes together quickly. However, you can soak and cook dried beans as well! You will have to budget enough time to soak the dried beans before cooking with them (usually overnight).
Once the chili is at room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can reheat leftovers on the stovetop or microwave.
Chicken chili freezes wonderfully! After cooking the white chili, give it time to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer the chili to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this White Chicken Chili recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 (15.5-ounce/439g) cans white beans (cannellini beans, great northern beans), drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960ml)
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 large breasts (675g)
- 2 (4-ounce/113g) cans diced green chiles
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (8-ounce/227g) block cream cheese softened
Toppings:
- chopped cilantro
- sour cream
- sliced jalapeno
- diced avocado
- shredded cheese
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Measure out ½ cup of the drained white beans in a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and browned around the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the mashed and whole beans, chicken breasts, chiles, broth, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat.
- Add the cream cheese to the pot in small pieces and stir until fully incorporated. (The cream cheese may look lumpy at first but will incorporate as it warms, so just keep stirring.)
- Stir in the shredded chicken. Serve immediately topped with cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno, avocado, shredded cheese, and lime wedges.
Notes
- If you are short on time or have a rotisserie chicken on hand, you can swap the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for shredded leftover chicken. Simmer the chili for a shorter time and stir in the cooked chicken.
- If you prefer a thinner chili, you can hold off some of the cream cheese or add additional chicken broth.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables to this white chicken chili to bulk it up. Corn, bell peppers, celery, spinach, or carrots make for a delicious addition to the chili.
- If you want to thicken the chili but do not want to use cream cheese, you can simmer the chili longer to reduce some of the liquid and add a cornstarch slurry. To make a slurry, mix together equal amounts of water and cornstarch. Around 1 to 2 tablespoons will be enough. However, keep in mind that the cream cheese adds richness and creaminess that a cornstarch slurry cannot replace. Alternatively, you can use half the amount of cream cheese and add a cornstarch slurry. If you do not want to use cornstarch, you can mash more of the beans and simmer for longer to evaporate the liquid.
