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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Excellent — fresh peppers are the stars in this recipe. Substituted a can of rinsed & drained black beans for one of the white bean cans.Very colorful & tasty.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I roasted my own chicken instead of a rotisserie and used frozen corn from Trader Joes. I couldn’t find poblano peppers at the store and just used a red pepper instead. I even added in one carrot to sneak in a little more vegetables for the kids. It was great!
I’m taking this most awesome chili to a chili cook off this Sunday. Do you think I should make it Sat night or Sun morning?
I’d make it Saturday night to let the flavors meld together. Hope the cook off is fun!
I just made this last night! My family loves the White Chicken Chilli and I make this year round. It is light enough to have throughout the summer and yet satisfying enough for a winter meal. I love the layers of flavor in this meal and it is healthy . I usually boil the skinless chicken breasts and then add.. Thank you .
Delicious, easy to make and tastes even better the next day! Plan to make this tasty chicken chile for Book Club! Perfect with corn bread!
Will this recipe work with leftover smoked turkey?
Absolutely – that sounds wonderful!
Would ground chicken work? I happen to have a ton of the stuff and would love to find a few uses for it – and your recipe would be ideal.
Thanks.
Hi Rob, unfortunately, I don’t think ground chicken is right for this recipe, but you could use some in this Chicken Chili with White Beans.
I just had the best chili I’ve ever eaten! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction and thanks for the incredibly awesome and simple Chicken Chili with White Beans recipe. AMAZING!!!!
I tried ground meat and I can confirm, it doesn’t work so well. Everything else was great, though — the broth had a nice layered and complex flavor. I couldn’t find ancho chili powder, but I did find dried ancho chilies. So, I ground them myself. It worked very well. I look forward to trying this as intended, with a rotisserie chicken.
I just found your response to my question regarding the pumpkin leek soup — since I’ve already made it (4 days ahead of time) I will freeze it rather than refrigerate it, according to your instructions, and will add some broth if it becomes too thick. Thank you for your advice! Now I need help on that kale, apple, pancetta salad question that I just sent to you. You are such a fantastic resource and are much appreciated!!
I have just finished preparing your pumpkin leek soup, which is delicious! I have refrigerated it until Thanksgiving. But I have a problem with another recipe. I am also making your kale, apple & pancetta salad for Thanksgiving, preparing the appropriate parts of the recipe ahead of time. I have cooked the pancetta & set it aside to re-crisp before serving. I have strained the pan drippings (which include that olive oil) and added the champagne vinegar, maple syrup, & salt & pepper. This is the dressing which is supposed to be tossed with the kale & apple before serving. I have tasted it, however, and it seems very greasy and tastes quite unpleasant, even though it includes those good ingredients. What has gone wrong? Please help! I will make the dressing over again if you can tell me what is amiss. Thank you very much!
Hi Toni, Did you whisk the dressing together well so that it emulsified, or is it separated?
This soup looks so good, as do all your
recipes. I’d like to use it as a first course for Thanksgiving — how far ahead can I make it? Is it possible to make it a couple of days (or more) ahead and then reheat it and add the garnish just before serving? for Thanksgiving dinner? Thank you for your wonderful website — it’s my very favorite!!
Hi Toni, It’s fine to make this recipe a 1-2 days ahead but keep in mind it will thicken up quite a bit in the fridge. To thin it out, just add a little more chicken broth and season again to taste.