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.
My experience with this recipe began as A Series of Unfortunate Events (which I’ll detail below), but it ended with a culinary EXPLOSION!
First off, I’d taken out 2 lbs of ground chicken breast to thaw and then decided I was craving a chili recipe. I came across this one – and of course Jenn warns MULTIPLE times in the recipe NOT to use lean chicken meat. But, it looked SO good. So, I sent her a message and she replied within MINUTES telling me it’d be fine, but just a bit more dry. BTW who replies that fast? (Answer: No one) Also, for those who are using c.breast, I just used a little more oil when I sautéed it and it was fine.
Anyway, I go to Sprouts bc I need to purchase beans and the Pomi tomatoes. I pick up what I think I need and head home. I’m in the grind, cooking away, and I put in the Pomi tomatoes and I’m thinking, AMAZING consistency. Then I pour in the second carton – and it’s STEWED tomatoes, not chopped. Ok, ok.. no problem. Same taste, different texture, right?
Except that I open up my spice cabinet and I HAVE NO CHILI POWDER OR CRUSHED RED PEPPER. What? I’m ethnically Pakistani, so this may actually make me lose my ethnic card. At any rate, I doubled up on the cayenne pepper, and I used paprika 1.5 tsp and .5 chipotle to pizzaz it up.
I was making bread bowls for the first time simultaneously and almost burned those suckers as well. Thankfully, all was well and I managed to save them.
Conclusion: I have four children who DEVOURED this meal. They are not happy, easy going eaters. And they LOVED it. I loved it too. As I mentioned, I’m ethically Pakistani and our cuisine is bursting with robust flavors that combine perfectly – this one definitely hit the spot.
It seems to be a pretty fool proof recipe. So much so that I’m writing a review – and I never write reviews. So, go make it. Right now 🙂.
So glad it turned out well, Huma!
Where can I purchase the small can of Cannellini beans?
Hi Jane, Sorry for any confusion– the cannellini beans are the normal/standard size. I removed the word “small” from the ingredient. You’ll be able to find them at any grocery store. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this recipe many, many times! I have followed the recipe exactly, and I have made other versions with different proteins. It is currently on the stove using ground pork from our farm share. It is always my go to chili recipe and we love adding corn to it! Wonderful recipe! Jenn you never disappoint!
I used this chili recipe, which I love, and turned it into a tamale pie. I thickened it up just a bit by adding a little masa, then poured it into a casserole pan. I topped it with some grated cheddar cheese and then covered with a cornbread batter and baked until the cornbread was golden. It was a spectacular hit at the office potluck.
This chili is perfect. The seasoning really works and I love the added spice of red pepper. I added a can of Rotel tomato/chilis for an extra zing. It’s a great cold weather warm-me-up meal.
Just like every dish of yours that I’ve made this was amazing. This was my first time making chili and it was awesome. I followed our directions exactly. I like that fact that i was in control of every ingredient added. And by making sure the ground chicken had some fat in it I didn’t miss using beef.
Thanks as always!
Can I use shady Brooke ground turkey?
Sure, that’ll work!
When you cook any of your recipes are you using table salt, kosher salt, or sea salt? What kind are you using for this recipe?
Hi Jerrika, if any of my recipes just say “salt” you can assume it’s table salt (like in this recipe). If you need to use a different type of salt, I will specify that in the recipe. Hope you enjoy the chili!
What kind of salt? kosher salt, table salt, or sea salt ?
Just regular table salt.
Can I use black or kidney beans instead of the white beans?
Definitely!
Perfect question thank you for asking. I love kidney beans in my chilli