Chicken Chili with White Beans
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I has so enthusiastic of doing this recipe, but it was a disappointment.first didn’t thick up. And second it has too much liquid I think it needs to be less . I like thck chili is look more a soup.
Wont do it a again:(
You could just use less broth:)
This was excellent!
Hello Jen: I love this recipe. I’ve just volunteered at a new soup kitchen which serves a minimum of 50 people per day. I’d love to prepare your recipe for one of their meals. Would you have any tips or suggestions other than just increasing the ingredients by 10. It’s a lot more than just doubling a recipe and I want it to turn out delicious. I will be using dry beans, to keep costs down.
Hi Sandra, How nice that you volunteer in a soup kitchen! While I’ve never made this in such large quantities, I think you could do it without other changes. Hope everyone enjoys! 💗
I confess, turkey was substituted for Chicken. That said, the only reason I rated this recipe 5-stars is because it was not possible to give it 6-stars. The texture and flavors are outstanding. Another winner.
Excellent! Made tonight but tweaked other ingredients for just 1 1/2 lbs of ground chicken.
Added a bit more red pepper flakes. Thanks!
I have made this chili recipe 2x in a week because it’s that good. Perfect for a winter evening- so excited to try some other recipes by Jenn.
It is a snowy, New England night and this looked like the perfect thing to make for dinner! I was right…it is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. It would be great for a crowd or to make and freeze. I added green onion and cheese for sprinkling on the top….yummy!
First, let me say I don’t like chili. Well, I didn’t like chili before I made this recipe. It’s so delicious! I follow the recipe except I use ground turkey because my grocery never has ground chicken. I’ve made this recipe several times and am going to make it again tomorrow for the rainy weather we are having. I’ve made if for camping trips and for potlucks. I love the white beans. It’s full of flavor and so good over a baked potato. Another winner!
I could eat this every day it is so good! My whole family gets giddy when they find out it is Chicken Chili night, especially if it is being served with the Savoury Cornbread with Cheddar & Thyme (which it almost always is!). Hearty and warm and delicious, it brings back childhood memories of my mother’s homemade chili after a day of skiing. What could be better?!
This Chicken Chili recipe is a GO TO in our house. Husband is a former chef and quite discerning about even weeknight meals and he often requests this one.