Chicken Chili with White Beans
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This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.
If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to my classic chili recipe, this chicken chili is just the ticket. It’s made from scratch, loaded with veggies, and packed with protein-rich chicken and beans. But don’t worry—it’s still hearty and satisfying, even for the biggest football fanatics in your life. The ingredient list might look a bit long at first glance, but don’t let that scare you off. It’s mostly spices, and the active cooking time is only about 30 minutes, though it simmers on the stove for nearly two hours to develop that deep, rich flavor. And here’s a tip: be sure to use regular ground chicken, not the lean variety, for the best texture and taste. For a tasty variation, check out my favorite turkey chili recipe too!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Chili With White Beans
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or nonreactive soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt.
As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined.
For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Note that this chili is moderately spicy; feel free to adjust to your liking by increasing or decreasing the cayenne and red pepper flakes.
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Chicken Chili with White Beans
This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions, from 2 medium onions
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds ground chicken (preferably not labeled "lean")
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit for milder chili)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 (26 oz.) cartons Pomi chopped tomatoes or two (28 oz.) cans chopped or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large nonreactive pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined. For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Note: Pomi boxed tomatoes are available at some regular grocers, Whole Foods and gourmet food shops.
- Note: A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not react negatively with acidic ingredients. Stainless steel, enamel, glass and nonstick (as long as there are no scratches in the nonstick coating) are all safe to use. Do not use cast iron or aluminum.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. (The chili will thicken up some when frozen, so you’ll likely need to add some broth when reheating.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (1 3/4 - 2 cups servings)
- Calories: 374
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 1110 mg
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can I also use a mixture of ground turkey and spicy Italian sausage
Yes, that should work. Enjoy!
I have a Hamilton Beach 4 qt. crockpot how long would i cook it for on LOW or HIGH
Hi Jerrika, I don’t have a slow cooker so I don’t know how long it would take in one. These conversion tips may help. That said, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the trouble to make it in a slow cooker because you’d need to follow the same process, and as is, it cooks very quickly on the stovetop.
I converted my regular chili recipe to a crockpot as I like getting it ready, go skiing and come back to dinner. That being said I do it on low for 4 hours and it works great. I’ve also had it in there for 6 and still perfect.
Will be trying this recipe the same way. I don’t see why it would be anything but perfect.
This chicken chili is DELICIOUS!! My husband and I have made it 3 times in the past month!! If that doesn’t say 5 stars, I don’t know what does 😉
Made this tonight. Followed recipe exactly as written, and it was perfect. For anyone who thinks it might be missing something, maybe top it with some shredded cheddar and/or low fat sour cream.
This chicken chili is simply amazing! My family loves it each time I prepare it. I followed the recipe exactly & it turn out perfectly every time. Definitely a favorite in this household!
Thank you, Jenn!!!👍🏼😍
Very easy and yummy. Made a considerable amount. I will halve it next time. I served it with cornbread which was perfect.
I loved the ground chicken chili recipe. I only had 1# of ground chicken and it turned out great. Perfect meal for a cold day!
I used half beef and half chicken. So delicious! Thanks Jen 🙂
It was amazing, the peppers made it sweet without adding sugar. I had orange peppers but worked perfectly. Great blend of flavors. My family loved it.
Hi Jenn,
My son won’t eat anything with pieces of tomato in it. Could I puree the tomatoes or would significantly alter the texture, taste of the chili? Is there something else I could use in their place?
Thanks!
Hi Katy – my daughter is the same. You can definitely use crushed tomatoes (or puréed) instead of diced. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Same! 😂😂😂. I puréed San Marzano canned tomatoes and it was fine! I also have to use a chopper to cut onions and peppers so small that they are almost liquified 🙄.