White Chicken Chili
This delicious White Chicken Chili recipe is a hearty, cozy and flavorful 35 minute meal perfect for cold weathers. It features shredded chicken, beans, corn, and green chilis in a thick creamy chicken broth, paired with savory and warm spices.
Creamy white bean chicken chili is a flavor-burst of zesty seasonings and savory flavors. It is cozy and comforting, yet not overly creamy.
If you love this recipe, you will also love Beef Noodle Soup and Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup, two comforting and cozy meals for the colder weather as well.
35-Minute White Bean Chicken Chili
With cold weather surrounding us, I find so much comfort in the simplicity and tastiness of this white chicken chili recipe.
White chicken chili has been one of my favorite winter/ cold weather dishes. It is heartwarming, delicious, and so simple to make.
I will say though…we don’t just make white chicken chili in the winter months, but also when we just want to make a quick dinner. Yes, I blast that air conditioning and enjoy warm soup as if it’s cold outside because it’s such an easy and yummy one-pot meal that requires little prep work.
If you like a gorgeous bowl of chunky soup or stew, there’s almost really nothing like a good pot of white chicken chili on the stove top.
The savory creamy chicken broth compliments the chunks of chicken, green chilis, white beans, corn and Mexican inspired spices in the most perfect way.
It’s a well rounded, light yet filling meal that leaves you feeling nice and cozy on the inside on a cold day.
White chicken chili is really the dream, friends.
Oh, I almost forgot – in true food fashion, it’s always important to garnish your white bean chili. Whether it is cilantro, avocados, jalapeños, tortilla chips, lime juice, or all of the above, you need to garnish your white bean chili to take it to the next level.
Trust me on this! Garnishes give it additional textures and flavors, and makes it so much more yummy, I promise you. 💜
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make white chicken chili:
- Diced green chilis – canned diced green chilis are notes of green chilis that are already cooked. This will bring some mild spice to the dish
- Olive oil – or a neutral oil such as vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Spices – using dried cumin, coriander and smoked paprika for this recipe. Feel free to substitute with your other Mexican spices and seasonings such as chili powder or even taco seasonings. If you like spicy, add a dash of cayenne.
- Chicken broth – buy good quality chicken broth for best flavor. If preferred, you can substitute with vegetable broth.
- Chicken breasts – I use boneless and skinless chicken breast, but feel free to use dark meat if you prefer
- Cream cheese – this melts into the soup and gives it a rich and velvety texture. Make sure you cube the cream cheese before adding it instead of dropping the whole block into the soup.
- Northern beans – a.k.a white beans or cannellini beans. I use store-bought canned Northern beans – be sure to drain the excess liquid.
- Corn – canned corn (drained as well), frozen corn or fresh corn kernels work great!
- Lime juice – lime brings a note of freshness that compliments the dairy and fat well.
How To Make Creamy White Chicken Chili
If you have 35 minutes, you can make this delicious Creamy White Chicken Chili!
It is such a great option to put together a quick one-pot dinner for the fam…without using up too much mental or physical energy!
Also, you will most likely have minimal post-cooking clean up since you are only cooking with one pot – which is my favorite always!
First, grab that pot, or a Dutch oven that is at least 6 qt or larger, and heat it on the stove top with some neutral oil under medium heat.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant, but do not brown it.
Immediately add green chilis (drained), and stir to saute for 1 minute.
Next, pour in chicken broth along with spices such as ground cumin, coriander and paprika, and bring to a rolling boil.
Add whole chicken breasts into the pot, and let it cook for 15 minutes or so.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from pot and shred chicken.
Bring shredded chicken back in the pot.
Add cubed cream cheese to the pot, and stir and and allow it to fully melt. This is how you get that delicious creamy texture to your white bean chicken chili!
I straight up licked the spoon after I stirred the cream cheese. It’s always so good!
Next, add the two cans of white beans (make sure to drain the liquid from the beans), canned corn (drain liquid as well), and juice one lime into the soup.
Give the soup a stir and let it come to a boil again.
Taste the soup then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Always tastes your cooking at the end before serving!
Remove white chicken chili from heat promptly and serve warm.
Don’t forget to garnish with your favorite garnishes. I love garnishes and thinks they really elevate any chili recipe! Here are some ideas for garnishes:
- chopped cilantro
- avocados
- jalapenos
- sour cream
- cheese
- lime wedges/ lime juice
And TA DUH! Creamy White Chicken Chili in all its glory!
So yummy. So light while still being slightly creamy and filling. Quick to make, and even quicker to eat! 🙂
It never takes me much time to inhale it. 😉
Storage and Reheating
Store white chicken chili in sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat white chicken chili, simply bring to a boil (this can be done in the microwave or on stovetop). Add a few drops of water to the chili if it’s too thick.
You do want to make sure it’s fully heated and boiling to ensure the chicken is heated thoroughly.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use either chicken breasts or thighs. Both will work well. As for skin on/bone in chicken, you can use that as well. It’s just a bit more work when shredding the chicken as the skin and bones will need to be discarded.
1) Add cayenne to the soup when you add the other spices.
2) Use more green chilies
Yes you can. However, because there’s dairy in it, the dairy may separate and become grainy when frozen and reheated. This will not change the taste of the soup.
Bring all the ingredients into the slow cooker (cream cheese included, but excluding lime, salt and black pepper), and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove chicken, shred and add it back into the slow cooker. Garnish with lime juice and add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve by garnish with toppings.
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More Hearty Soups and Stews You’ll Love
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 7 oz diced green chilis
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 large chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese cubed
- 30 oz canned Northern beans drained
- 15 oz canned corn drained
- 1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
Garnish
- 2 avocado sliced
- 1 tbsp cilantro minced
- 1 jalapeno sliced, optional
- 2 limes sliced into wedges
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, then add green chilis and cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth, ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika. Bring to a boil.
- Once the broth begins to boil, add chicken breasts. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉ measured using a meat thermometer.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from soup and shred. Once chicken is shredded, add them back into the soup.
- Add cubed cream cheese to soup and allow to fully melt.
- Add beans, corn, and lime juice.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Don't forget to garnish and enjoy!
