White Chicken Chili
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wow, this was exceptionally good. This has been on my to-try list for ages, and the only bad thing is that it took me so long to get around to trying it. The recipe was really easy to follow and it tasted amazing. I’d give it 6 stars if I could and will definitely be making this again and again. This is going into my regular dinner rotation. Thanks, Jenn!
A bit over 4 months since I left this comment, and I have made this dish so much because it continues to be really easy and really tasty! It’s very forgiving for substitutions, which has been important lately when the stores have invariably been out of *something* I need — in different batches, I’ve replaced the whole white beans with black beans, and the jalapeño with chipotle chili powder. And if I don’t have a rotisserie chicken, I poach a couple of chicken breasts in a cup of the broth and shred them. I freeze leftovers in single portions, and they reheat well and taste just as amazing. I recommended this to my mum and got her hooked too. Thanks again, Jenn, for this winner.
Hi Jenn,
Could I add some of your salsa verde to this? I have a garden full of tomatillos!
Thank you for all your recipes!
Kristen Berry
Sure – that would be an interesting twist!
The soup was delicious and on the second night I added a cup of your salsa verde to it and it was wonderful! THANK YOU!
This recipe was so effortless and turned out so tasty!
I had to substitute the Poblanos peppers with Capsicum (ie Bell Peppers) because it was not available here in Australia. Highly reccomend this quick, easy, nutrition and tasty recipe. You never fail me, Jenn!
Another 5 star recipe that’s easy to prepare! Thanks again!
Really delicious and simple to prepare. Definitely a keeper!
Hi! What can I substitute if I can’t find poblano peppers?
Hi Ju, you can use bell pepper in place of the poblano. Hope you enjoy the chili!
My boyfriend who doesn’t like chili in general loves this recipe!!! He even fought over the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow. That’s how much he (and I ) like this. Cannot wait to make it again for friends and family. Thanks so much!
Jenn, your blog and cookbook are my new favs! My 4 kiddos and husband (and I!) have LOVED your recipes! And you make me look like a good cook. 😉 Thank you for sharing your culinary passion & giftedness with us!
About the white chicken chili recipe, I made it last night for the first time and it was a huge hit! So I plan to make it again this weekend for company, which will be a family of 7. For 13 people (4 adults + 9 kids), I’d like to make it ahead of time in several batches on the stove top and then reheat later. Would it work to triple the recipe the night before, store it in the fridge overnight, and then reheat it all together the next day in a crock pot? To ensure that it stays warm while being served? Or would the crock pot method make it mushy?
Thank you again for being such a blessing my family and me!
Glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Carrie! Yes, what you’re suggesting for the chili will work just fine. Hope everyone enjoys!
Another five star recipe we loved it and was very easy to make. Again thanks, Greg
This recipe is unbelievably delicious! I added an extra jalapeño and left seeds in because we like some heat. We had it for dinner last night and I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I’m now eating it again for breakfast:)
This is most definitely a keeper
This is very delicious! I made it a month ago and my picky son came with his friends tried it and my whole pot was gone. This morning my son woke up under the weather and asked if I can make it! I’m happy my son request something. So far every recipe of your has been a favorite! You are an excellent chef. Thank you Jenn.
💗
Being culinary trained, I perused the ingredients and decided to give it a try. I turned this version into a soup, due to having a family of four with friends. I added the chicken carcass from the rotisserie to the pot of stock, added water and reduced to 2/3rds, removed the bones, added a 1/2 cup of half and half and thickened with a corn starch slurry. Finished with a soaked, cooked bag of dry Great Northern White beans and frozen corn. Served with shredded Colby cheese, dollops of sour cream and yellow corn tortilla chips. It was arguably one the best we’ve ever had.