White Chicken Chili  Recipe (2024)

By Lidey Heuck

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

White Chicken Chili Recipe (1)

Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(5,156)
Notes
Read community notes

This easy chili comes together quickly, thanks to rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken and an ingredient list that leans heavily on pantry staples. Made with canned chiles and seeded jalapeños, this chili has a mild heat that can be intensified with the addition of ground cayenne, or by leaving the seeds in the jalapeños. While some white chili recipes call for cream cheese or sour cream to thicken the broth, this one achieves a similar texture by mashing some of the white beans. If you prefer a creamy chili, feel free to stir in a large spoonful of sour cream just before serving. Or, include sour cream with a host of toppings — including crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, diced avocado and pickled jalapeños — to make this chili a customizable family favorite.

Learn: How to Make Chili

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 1large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1large jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
  • 2tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½teaspoon sweet paprika or chili powder
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2(15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2(4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
  • 2½ to 3cups cooked shredded chicken (from 1 roast chicken or rotisserie chicken)
  • 1cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • Half a lime, plus lime wedges for serving
  • Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño slices, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

439 calories; 18 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1071 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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White Chicken Chili Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

  2. Add the chicken broth, cannellini beans and diced green chiles with their liquid; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth has reduced by about half, 18 to 20 minutes. Off the heat, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue mashing the beans until the broth is noticeably thicker.

  3. Step

    3

    Return the pot to medium, stir in the chicken and corn, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Juice the lime half over the pot, then taste for seasonings and add more salt, black pepper, and cayenne, if desired.

  4. Step

    4

    Serve the chili in bowls topped as you like with a lime wedge, shredded cheese, pickled jalapeños, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and/or crushed tortilla chips.

Ratings

5

out of 5

5,156

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Maggie B

I used chicken breasts with the bone and skin on to make to soup base. Just cook until tender, remove from heat and cool. Remove the bones and skin and shred the chicken to proceed with the recipe. Sometimes I also add a can of pinto beans or black beans along with the cannellini beans, which adds a bit of color to the white chili. It is delicious served with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and /or lime and cilantro.

Chris Cooks

I have been making a vegetarian version of this for years and it is a family favorite at gatherings! I always use 2 different kinds of white beans and hominy. It is so versatile—in the winter I cook it in my instapot and soak and cook dried beans and hominy. In fall I add freshly roasted hatch green chillies, roasted tomatillos and zucchini. Camping or river rafting in summer time I use all canned ingredients and add salsa verde and make it the last night out. Fresh squeezed lime is essential!

Richard

Brown the ground chicken in the Dutch oven (or whatever pot you are using) after Step 1. Then proceed with the recipe.

Athena61

Delicious. Poached boneless skinless chicken breast in chicken stock. Once cooked, strained the broth to use in the chili. Used fresh corn and roasted in a dry skillet until charred. Added 1 diced red pepper and sautéed with the diced onion. Added 1 can of drained and rinsed beans but added a second can of beans without draining. Adjusted spice level to our liking.

PF

This chili is perfection. Lovely combination of flavors and textures. Huge hit in our house. Bonus: easy recipe! This goes into the regular rotation.

Rosanna M

A very versatile, tasty dish that really could be made in under an hour. Winning side accompaniments for us included chopped onion, shredded cheese, extra lime wedges and crumbled cheddar crackers. One successful substitution I made was to swap out the canned chiles in favor of a cup and a half of spicy green salsa. A great way to use up the salsas I make plenty of this time of year.

Molly

So good!! One of those rare recipes with an amazing effort-to-taste ratio. Comes together quickly since it's mostly pantry staples. Highly recommend adding avocado for more creaminess, crushed tortilla chips for salt and crunch, and a generous squeeze of lime to round it all out.

BCE

Always use a can of white beans to thicken soups and stews so don’t have to use cream. Use immersion blender with a little broth. Then make soup per recipe. I use instapot for broth. Put in rotisserie chip carcass, fill to max line with water. Hit soup button, instant stock. I freeze in ziplock bags in 2 cup or 1 cup portions and stack in freezer.

murphy

Sub 12 oz bottle of Mexican lager for some of the chicken broth. Serve with lime wedges.

Richard

This turned out kind of soupy (but delicious). Next time I’ll use less broth, or more bans.

Linda

Slow cooker suggestion: if using fresh or even frozen chicken breasts, no need to precook. Simply place them whole at bottom of crock, pour other ingredients over and cook 4 to 5 hours on High. They’ll poach with all those good spices. At the end, remove chicken into a bowl and shred with two forks, then add back in. Also, couple of medium-sized potatoes diced in 1-inch chunks makes a great addition to this chili.

Shelley M. Gordon

I used kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn to the recipe. I added corn last minute so it stayed crunchy. Great texture contrast to the rest of the ingredients and delicious!

Jeff A.

Don't think this would feed 6, maybe 3-4 with a salad and bread.Cooked a chicken breast right in the pot during the simmer and then pulled out and shredded to add back, so easy that way.Didn't add any of the chilies due to family taste buds, but added a bag of spinach like someone suggested.Definitely starts a bit soupy but keep smashing the beans against the side and will thicken up nicely.

Joseph Korona

Great flavor with sweet paprika. I poached a breast and used the liquid from that with a little "better than bullion".

alex

Delicious and really easy to improvise and not screw up! I had some bacon, kale, and black eyed peas that I wanted to get rid of, so I threw those in and it was amazing!

tealeigh

I was trying to clean out my pantry and used this recipe. The chili was fantastic! I used hominy instead of corn, and used 2 poached chicken breasts. The 505 green chile was pretty spicy, but the whole thing was very, very good.

Catherine

This is a great, easy recipe. I substituted a can of hominy for the corn and added more broth, otherwise I made as directed and it was delicious. I served with crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, and shredded Mexican cheese.

michael burk

My wife and I developed a bean mashing trick. Instead of mashing them in the pot, put one can of beans in a bowl with a splash of chicken stock. Take an immersion blender and immersion it. Then toss the immersioned beans into the soup.

Lisa D

Maybe I didn't add enough lime juice but this was missing something for me so I added a bit of apple cider vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Turned out great!

laura

The taste of this dish was great and my 6yo loved it (I left out all the chilis in the cooking and the adults just added extra canned jalapeños at the table, maybe not quite the same but it worked). But it took much longer than advertised to make. About 2 hours. I made twice the amount and added 2 yellow bell peppers - maybe it was just the extra chopping time? Maybe I’m just slow.. It was worth it though!

jbo

Can I make this in a slow cooker? What temp?

Clare

Easy and very good! Would make again!

TWeber

This is quite tasty and not that spicy (to my taste buds anyway). I prepared it for a chili cook off as something different than the red chilis other people brought. It was well received.

Charlotte

Great recipe. Very tasty. We made 1/2 recipe and it was ample for four servings. I added a bit more heat.

girlchef

Follow the instructions. Don’t deviate. The best and easiest recipe. Freezes real nice.

Carolyn

Always good. This last time I grabbed diced jalapeños instead of chilis. Wooh, that brought some heat. I won't do it again, but it was pretty amazing.

Jim

Yum! I made this as written. Cooked everything in the morning but stopped before adding the chicken and put it in the fridge for the day. Just before dinnertime I reheated and added the chicken and lime. I used a tbsp of chipotle chili powder (in place of 1 tsp paprika/chili powder) and skipped the cayenne pepper and it had a nice medium amount of heat - I offered hot sauce for people who like extra. Tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado and tomatillo salsa as add ins. I wouldn’t change anything.

Servings?

This recipe tastes so good! What I was confused about was the serving size. It says it serves 4-6 but we had 6 cups between the 3 of us and we still had about the same amount left! How big is a serving according to the recipe?

Carolyn

Made this for the third time but accidentally bought dived jalapeños, not chilis. The finished product brings heat but it was great! I won’t do this again but what fun.

HC68

Made with 1 lb ground turkey. Add after cooking onions and jalapeño. Used 1.5 times broth and beans.

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White Chicken Chili  Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken white chicken chili? ›

How to Thicken Chili
  1. Simmer down. ...
  2. Stir in some finely ground cornmeal or masa harina. ...
  3. Mix in a scoop of cornstarch, all-purpose flour, or oats. ...
  4. Pile on the vegetables. ...
  5. Try more tomato paste. ...
  6. Mash some beans. ...
  7. Crumble up some corn chips.
Oct 28, 2023

How can I make my white chicken chili less spicy? ›

Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. For tomato sauces and stews that don't want dairy, try shredding some cheese on top. Photo by Meredith.

Should chili be thick or soupy? ›

Chili should be thick and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there's just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot. While you can simply keep simmering the chili, that method risks overcooking softer ingredients like the beans, losing all your nice texture to mushy monotony.

How do you make chili taste better? ›

How to Give Chili a Flavor Boost
  1. Add something acidic. ...
  2. Try to identify what about your chili is boring. ...
  3. Add tomato paste. ...
  4. Drop in some chocolate. ...
  5. Embrace pickling liquid. ...
  6. Stir in some molasses.

How much cornstarch to thicken white chicken chili? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry: Mix together 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water, stirring well to remove any lumps. Then, stir the slurry into your chili and let it simmer for another 10 minutes to fully thicken.

Should you add sugar to chili? ›

The chili tastes completely different without the brown sugar so if you like a subtle sweetness in your chili then you've just got to go for it! Trust me, it will not make your chili taste like candy. It's all about balance between spicy, smoky, and sweet.

Can you put butter in chili? ›

"This recipe gives you the choice of ground meats or cubed meats For the ground meat type, after browning the ground beef, just drain it, toss the stick of butter in, and continue on with the recipe. The butter makes the chili, believe me.

Does tomato paste make chili thicker? ›

Not only will tomato paste add a tangy flavor to the dish, but it will also act as a thickening agent. For this purpose, you can use homemade or store-bought tomato paste. Add 1 can of the paste to your pot of chili, stir the mixture, and let it cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

What liquid to add to chili? ›

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

How do you add volume to chili? ›

Farro: farro is a whole grain that can be used in chili to add volume. I recommend cooking the farro separately and then adding it to the pot. Cooked Rice: add 1 ½ cups of cooked rice to the chili per can of beans. Mushrooms: dice them in slightly bigger pieces and add 1 ½ cups of mushrooms per can of beans.

What is the secret to really good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

What is the secret to amazing chili? ›

Here Are Our Six Secret Ingredients for the Best Chili
  • Canned Puréed Pumpkin. You already use this to make pumpkin-infused quick breads and waffles, but did you know you can add it to chili too? ...
  • Cocoa Powder. ...
  • Coffee. ...
  • Maple Syrup. ...
  • Pepperoncinis (Plus Liquid) ...
  • Root Beer.
Sep 2, 2022

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

Spices: While cumin, chile powder, and cayenne pepper tend to be common additions to many chili recipes, there's a broad world of flavor out there to experiment with. Try a little fenugreek, turmeric, garam masala, or sumac to layer in more complex flavors.

How do you thicken chicken chili without cornstarch? ›

Cornmeal: Add a tablespoon of cornmeal or masa harina while stirring continuously. Mashed Beans: Mash a portion of the beans and stir them into the chili to thicken it. Crushed Tortilla Chips: Crushed tortilla chips can also be added as a thickening agent.

What can I add to chili to make it more soupy? ›

When your chili is too thick, it's easy to thin it out a bit. Just add some liquid. You can add beef, chicken, or veggie broth, or you can add a can of tomato sauce. You could add water, too, but it will dilute the flavor of the chili.

How do you thicken white sauce quickly? ›

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

How do you thicken creamy chicken? ›

If you want to thicken up Campbell's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, here are a few simple methods you can try:
  1. Add Cornstarch or Flour: Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch or all-purpose flour with a small amount of cold water to create a smooth paste. ...
  2. Use Mashed Potatoes: Mashed potatoes can be an excellent natural thickener.
Dec 5, 2023

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