White Chicken Chili
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Craving a lighter take on classic chili? This white chicken chili swaps out the usual ground meat and tomatoes for pulled chicken and white beans in a savory, flavorful broth—comforting and delicious in every way!
White chicken chili is a flavorful twist on classic chili, made with pulled chicken and white beans in a savory broth instead of the usual ground meat, kidney beans, and tomato base. It has a lighter color and a more soup-like consistency than traditional beef chili, turkey chili, or chili con carne, while still delivering the same rich and comforting flavor.
I have tried countless white chili recipes over the years—from super-easy crockpot versions to more authentic, time-consuming ones with dried chili peppers and hominy. This white chicken chili recipe strikes the perfect balance between ease and depth of flavor—and it’s my family’s favorite by far. Pair this hearty one-pot meal with warm, buttery cornbread, and you’ve got a perfect dinner on the table in under an hour.
Table of Contents
“This was amazing! So easy and pleased the whole family. Simple with complex flavors and comes together in a snap. Great for a cold day or after a busy day at work.”
What You’ll Need To Make White Chicken Chili
- Canned White Beans: Add creaminess and a hearty texture to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: Provides the flavorful liquid base for the chili. Since canned beans are fairly high in sodium, using a low-sodium variety broth helps to keep the flavor of the chili from being overly salty.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic ingredients form the flavor base of the chili.
- Jalapeño Pepper and Poblano Peppers: These peppers add heat and a mild smoky flavor to the chili. Jalapeños provide spiciness, while poblanos offer a gentle kick.
- Spices (Cumin, Coriander, Ancho Chile Powder): The spice blend lends earthy, smoky, deep flavors to the chili.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Adds a convenient source of protein. Pro tip: shred the chicken as soon as you get home from the grocery store; it’s easier to do while the chicken is still warm, eliminates a step at dinnertime, and also takes up less room in the fridge.
- Corn: Adds a touch of natural sweetness and a nice textural contrast to the beans and chicken. Frozen corn is convenient and fine to use; if you’d prefer to use fresh, you’ll need one ear of corn.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Brightens the flavors of the chili.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a burst of vibrant herbal freshness, enhancing both the flavor and appearance of the dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining half of the white beans in a food processor with one cup of the chicken broth. Process until you have a smooth purée. This is what will thicken the broth. Set aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and add the the onions and peppers.
Cook until soft, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic.
Cook a minute more, then add the spices.
Continue cooking for another minute to toast the spices.
Add the chicken broth, salt and puréed bean mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the shredded chicken, beans, corn, and lime and simmer until everything is warmed through.
You will notice that the chili is quite soupy. This is intentional. It thickens as it sits — in fact, if you make it ahead of time, you will likely need to add some broth or water to thin it out. Plus, I find that if the broth is too thick, the chili gets gloppy and unappealing. A soupy broth is good!
Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Pepper Jack are all great options) and crushed tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers with a subtle earthy flavor. They resemble green bell peppers but they are a bit darker and thinner with a pointy tip. They’re readily available in the produce section of most supermarkets, but green bell peppers are a suitable substitute.
Sure! You can use any leftover chicken, or my poached chicken makes a great substitute.
Yes, the chili will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that it will thicken up as it sits in the fridge. When you reheat it, you will likely need to add more broth or water to thin it out. The chili can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
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Video Tutorial
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce (439-g) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (see note)
- 2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced (see note)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- Salt
- 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded (about 4 cups)
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Optional For Serving
- Sour cream
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend half of the beans (1 can) with 1 cup (240 ml) of the chicken broth. Set aside both the puréed beans and the remaining whole beans.
- Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeño pepper and poblano peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the cumin, coriander and ancho chili powder and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for one minute more to toast the spices. Add the chicken broth, puréed beans and ½ teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken, reserved whole beans, corn, and lime juice; bring back to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and lime juice, if necessary. Stir in the cilantro. (Note that the broth will be somewhat soupy -- that's how it is supposed to be. It thickens the longer it sits; see note below.) Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and lime wedges.
- Note: The seeds and ribs in the peppers hold all of the heat. I don't use them to keep the chili mild and family-friendly, but if you like a spicy chili, save them and stir some in at the end. (If you do touch the seeds, be sure to wash your hands well and avoid touching your eyes.)
- Note: The chili thickens as it sits. If you make it ahead of time, you will probably need to add more broth or water to thin it out.
- Note: Nutrition info does not include optional toppings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Yes, the chili will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that it will thicken up as it sits in the fridge. When you reheat it, you will likely need to add more broth or water to thin it out. The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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Hi Jen,
Made this tonight exactly as written…in a word, it is FABULOUS. Just the right amount of spice and tiny bit of heat that’s just right. I made the corn muffins too. Oh my! Will be making for our Bible Study group next weekend so plan on tripling it. Hubby has already asked to take it to work when they have their chili cookoff. It’s a winner!
So glad you liked it Charlene!
Very Very good recipe. Don’t skip the pablanos by using green peppers – the taste is worth the extra price. I wanted it a little “beanier” so I added a can of white navy beans and a cup of water.
I have made dozens of your recipes, all slam dunks. This is MUCH more fresh tasting than all other white chili I’ve eaten, which is a lot. Mine didn’t thicken up as much as I thought it would and I also could not find adobo chili powder anywhere. Turns out the people loved it anyway. What is an adequate sub? I put in a bit of ground jalapeño powder, but I’d love a suggestion. Love love the simplicity of using rotisserie chicken. It won the chili cook off contest at a church event, and was the only chili that disappeared, after tripling the recipe. I think the older ladies were a wee annoyed! Directed lots of people to your site that evening. I am making it again for a girls weekend with my in laws. Thanks much
Hi Holly, so glad you (and the chili eaters at church) enjoyed this! In place of the ancho chili powder, you could try chipotle chili powder (if you like heat) — otherwise just use regular chili powder or smoked paprika. Or you can always order the ancho chili powder online 🙂
Could this be made with raw chicken? Say chicken breasts? If so should I cook the chicken before hand or can I throw it in with the soup? Thanks!
Hi Chrissy, sure you could definitely use raw chicken, but I would cook it before adding it to the stew. Hope you enjoy!
Hi there! I was wondering why you (Jen) recommend cooking chicken prior to adding it to the stew, when starting with raw chicken? I followed your recipe with the exception of adding raw chicken thighs at the time I added the broth, then removing, cooling and shredding them once they were cooked. Then I added them back at the end, per the recipe. It was delicious. Is it a food safety concern? Thank you so much!
Hi Miriam, Glad you liked it! I suggested cooking the chicken first if you’re not planning on using rotisserie, as I was concerned that it wouldn’t fully cook in the amount of time the stew simmers. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
Best white chicken chili ever!!!
I did not use rotisserie chicken because we like larger pieces in our chili.
Corn and lime only added to the taste!
So happy to find a recipe not only my fam enjoyed, but great to serve to guests.
I’ve never been a big fan of chili, but I made this recipe for a chili cook-off for my neighborhood block party, and I won the tacky chili cook-off trophy! It didn’t quite win me over to the chili side but everyone who tasted it LOVED it, so I’ll give it five stars!
This is a great alternative to tradional chili. I love it! It pairs nicely with jalapeño cornbread.
can I make this in the crock pot ? How long to cook
Hi Pam, Yes, I think this could be made in a slow cooker. I’m not terribly experienced with slow cookers, so I’m not certain about the timing, but these tips may help. Enjoy!
Thank-you for a very delicious White Chicken Chili recipe!! The flavors were wonderful! I made this yesterday and took a bowl to my Son. He texted me back “EXCELLENT” This is a wonderful compliment since my Son is a fabulous cook! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I will be making this for dinner. Just a note: after you pull the meat from your rotisserie chicken, put the bones & skin in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to boil, then simmer for about half hour, I salt and pepper mine. Strain out all the bones etc. stick in fridge, overnight is good. The fat will all congeal on top, take that off and you have some really good homemade broth to use.