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    Home » Soup

    White Chicken Chili

    February 23, 2018 Updated March 25, 2020 BySam 42 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Creamy White Chicken Chili

    A hearty recipe for White Chicken Chili!  This recipe is great for using up leftover chicken (or you can follow my quick & easy steps for shredding your own chicken breast) and is a filling comfort food with a creamy base!

    A bowl of white chicken chili topped with chips, jalapenos, cilantro, and shredded cheese

    After a 75 degree day Wednesday (not at all a typical February day for southern PA) , I thought I might have missed my opportunity for sharing hearty, warming soups and chilis like this white chicken chili with you!

    I thought (/had kind of hoped — I much prefer warm weather…) the groundhog had gotten it wrong and spring was here, but we’re back down in the 30s today, and so chili weather is officially still on. See also my classic best chili recipe and turkey chili.

    I have a nice, quick and easy recipe for you today, so let’s dig right in.

    Overhead of chili in a blue enamel Dutch Oven

    Tips:

    • I always prefer my soups and hearty chilis to have a creamier base. For this recipe you’ll puree together part of your white beans with a bit of chicken broth and then stir it back into the mix.  This technique is similar to the pureeing that I do in both my corn chowder and my potato soup, but rather than pureeing a large portion of the finished soup we’ll just be pureeing two of our base ingredients.
    • This recipe is great for using up leftover chicken or you can pick over a rotisserie chicken or you can use my super simple Crock Pot shredded chicken (👈🏻recommended 👌🏼).
    • I do not used a reduced sodium broth for this recipe.  If you choose to do so, I recommend taste testing as you go to make sure your white chicken chili has enough flavor.
    • This chili tastes great on its own, but I like it even better when topped with crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and a heaping dollop of sour cream.  Add-ons are everything!

    What to Serve with White Chicken Chili:

    • Buttermilk cornbread
    • Homemade Biscuits
    • Dinner Rolls

    A white bowl of chicken chili topped with jalapeno slices

    Alright, that’s it for today, just a super easy, super comforting chili that is perfect for this rainy weekend.

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes You Might Like:

    • Broccoli cheddar soup
    • Turkey chowder
    • Chicken Tortilla Soup
    • Homemade bread bowls
    White Chicken chili in a bowl with toppings

    White Chicken Chili

    This recipe is great for using up leftover chicken (or you can follow my quick & easy steps for shredding your own chicken breast) and is a filling comfort food with a creamy base!
    5 from 30 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 286kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ lbs shredded chicken (you can use rotisserie chicken or shred your own chicken breast in the crock pot)
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon salted butter
    • 2 Jalapeno peppers seeds removed and finely chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)
    • 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 heaping cup)
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 3 cups chicken broth
    • 2 15 oz cans Cannelini beans rinsed and drained
    • 1 7 oz can diced green chilis (I use mild)
    • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • additional sour cream, corn chips, Monterrey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and/or jalapeno slices for topping, optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Blender
    • Dutch Oven
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place half a can of cannelini beans (about ¾ cup) and ½ cup of chicken broth in a blender and puree until smooth.  Set aside.
      2 15 oz cans Cannelini beans, 3 cups chicken broth
    • Combine olive oil and butter in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Once butter has melted, add chopped onion and jalapeno and cook until softened (about 3-5 minutes)
      1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon salted butter, 2 Jalapeno peppers, 1 medium yellow onion
    • Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
      3 cloves garlic
    • Add pureed been mixture to pot and also add shredded chicken, remaining chicken broth, remaining beans, diced green chilis, lime juice, cumin, onion powder, ancho chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  
      1 ½ lbs shredded chicken, 1 7 oz can diced green chilis, 1 Tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
    • Stir in sour cream.
      ½ cup sour cream
    • Simmer 15 minutes before serving, topped with additional sour cream, jalapeno slices, monterrey jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and crushed corn chips.
      additional sour cream, corn chips, Monterrey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and/or jalapeno slices for topping, optional

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 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 will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    White chicken chili in a bowl with toppings

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eileen

      March 19, 2024 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      Five stars. Delicious! Love love love!

      Reply
    2. Miriam Rose Blanar

      October 03, 2023 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      just made this and my husband ate literally 3 bowls of it. he loved it so much! thank you for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 04, 2023 at 9:53 pm

        I’m so glad he enjoyed it so much, Miriam! 🙂

        Reply
        • Carol

          November 06, 2023 at 10:26 pm

          5 stars
          Made this for my Book Club. Everyone has seconds and raved about it. I started this two days before serving, and made about 1-1/2 times the recipe. I used a little over 3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that had been marinated in my favorite butcher shop’s Baja seasoning, used all the marinade plus 1 cup of chicken broth, and cooked it in my Crock Pot on low heat for 8 hours, until the chicken started to fall apart when poked with a fork. I cooled the pot until I could touch it, and put it in the refrigerator overnight, including the juices. The next day I shredded the chicken, and made the chili recipe, using all the cooked chicken broth, plus another 2 cups of broth. I followed the recipe, except that I used only two cans of beans, rather than the three cans it would have called for, due to the increased recipe. (I used 24 oz. of frozen sweet corn instead), and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. I cooked it to a boil and let it simmer for 15 min. Then I put it in the refrigerator overnight, to let the flavors blend.

          About three hours before serving, I took it out of the refrigerator, heated it covered, to simmering, removed the cover, and let the mixture simmer down to the point that the mixture was thick enough to slightly hold its shape when I pulled my mixing spoon through it. I then mixed in the sour cream. I served it with crushed Fritos, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, extra sour cream, and fresh chopped cilantro (which no one touched). It was a huge hit, and everyone wanted the recipe.

        • Sam

          November 08, 2023 at 9:59 pm

          I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Carol! Sounds like you took a lot of time to care for the chili. 🙂

        • Jamie

          January 26, 2024 at 6:24 am

          Hi Sam! I can’t wait to give this a try! I was curious, is there any way this could be turned into a slow cooker version? Would you follow the same recipe, just let everything cook together on low for 4 hours or so? Any tips would be appreciated, unless this is just a recipe that begs for the stovetop. I’m fine with that, was just wondering! Keep up the great recipes!

        • Sam

          January 29, 2024 at 9:46 am

          I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jamie! Unfortunately, I am not sure how to turn this into a crock pot version. Cooking the onion and garlic are key here to provide a great flavor. You could always make it and then transfer it to a crockpot.

    3. Jack

      September 16, 2023 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for the first time this evening. The recipe was easy and it was delicious! I did add more broth but it was amazing! A new favorite and will be making it again!’

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 16, 2023 at 9:20 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jack! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lori

      November 20, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is a very easy, quick & satisfying dish! We are eating healthier these days & I made as recipe was written, but did add a little more of the spices, for our taste. Also has some spinach that needed to be used up, so chopped that fine and added it at the end to cook down.. Can’t taste it but it added some color to the otherwise white/light dish.
      This will go into our winter soup rotation & happy that it is so easy to make. One could easily put everything in the slowcooker, (minus the sour cream) & have a great meal waiting at the end of the day!
      Healthy & hearty!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 20, 2022 at 8:35 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lori! 🙂

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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