White Chicken Chili

This creamy white chicken chili is made with shredded chicken, hearty beans, green chiles, corn and a delicious blend of seasonings. It’s a warm and cozy dinner that’s ready in under an hour and you can make it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.

This one-pot white chicken chili is a wonderful variation of the classic chili with tender chicken, white beans and corn in a rich and creamy broth. The great thing about this chili is each person can make it their own with the toppings they love like tortilla strips, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, sour cream, or jalapenos. Pair the chili with some crusty bread for a hearty dinner on a cold day.

This recipe uses rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken as a shortcut but you can use raw chicken and cook it in with the broth as well. The broth is made creamy with cream cheese and is a great way to offset the heat from the green chiles. Corn adds a little bit of sweetness to compliment the special blend of savory spices like cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika and ground coriander.

If you’re in the mood for more soups and stews, try this creamy tortellini soup, a classic beef stew, or this chicken gnocchi soup.

Ingredients in White Chicken Chili

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI RECIPE TIPS

• Chicken – This recipe uses rotisserie chicken for the sake of convenience and to speed things up. You can substitute rotisserie chicken with any kind of cooked leftover chicken you have on hand. If you prefer using raw chicken, slice the chicken in half to speed up cooking and poach it in the soup until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds easily.
• Green chilies – I used the Hatch brand of green chilies and mixed it up with one can of mild and one can of hot chiles for more flavor.
• Corn – I used canned corn but you can also use frozen corn. One 15 oz. can of corn should be roughly 2 cups of frozen corn.

• Beans – You can use any kind of white beans like cannellini or great Northern beans, or do a mixture of both. Drain and rinse the beans to remove the starch and sodium.
• Paprika – Adding a dash of paprika gives the chili a little more flavor. For a smokier taste, try some smoked paprika instead.
• Cumin – Cumin adds a warm and earthy flavor and should not be skipped.

• Chili powder – Chili powder is a blend of savory spices like cayenne, cumin, oregano, onions and garlic. There’s only a tiny hint of spiciness but it mostly adds an earthy, mildly spiced and smoky flavor. Use 1/2 teaspoon for a milder chili.
• Coriander – Ground coriander is not a common spice most people have in their pantry so you can skip it and it won’t break the recipe. However, if you’re curious or have it at home, I highly recommend including this spice. It adds a lot of warmth and flavor depth to soups.
• Cayenne – A dash of cayenne spices things up but feel free to skip this spice if you want a milder chili, or add more if you’re in the mood for something spicy. You can also try spicing things up by adding some poblano peppers, jalapenos, or ancho chili powder.

• Pureeing – This step is highly recommended for a creamier, thicker chili. I used an immersion or hand blender and blended it in a Pyrex measuring cup. If you don’t own a food processor or blender, remove one cup of chili and mash the beans with a fork, or take a potato masher and mash directly in the pot. You can also puree one cup of the white beans before adding it to the soup if you prefer.
• Cream cheese – Cream cheese adds more flavor and creaminess and paired with pureeing, helps thicken the chili. Try using block cream cheese so you can cube them into smaller pieces. Cubing them helps them melt quicker in the chili.
• Toppings – I love adding tortilla strips for the added crunch factor. Other toppings you can add are cilantro, sour cream, shredded Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, sliced avocados, or jalapenos.

• Slow cooker method – Add all the ingredients, except for the cooked chicken and cream cheese to a 6 qt. slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Add cream cheese and cooked chicken towards the end and cook on HIGH for another 15 minutes or until the cream cheese melts smoothly into the chili. If using raw chicken, add the chicken with the rest of the ingredients, cook, then shred before adding back to the chili with the cream cheese. For a thicker chili, puree or blend a cup or so and stir back in to mix.
• Leftovers – Leftovers will keep up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

And that’s about it. Let me know how you liked the chili, what substitutions you made, or what toppings you used in the comments below.

This post was originally published on December 12, 2016 and updated on January 14, 2024.

MORE SOUPS TO TRY

• Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
• Slow Cooker Cream Cheese and Potato Soup

White Chicken Chili

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: The Cooking Jar
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

This creamy white chicken chili is made with shredded chicken, hearty beans, green chiles, corn and a delicious blend of seasonings.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth, about 3.5 cups
• 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
• 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans (cannellini or great Northern beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: chili powder, oregano, paprika, ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken, about 1 lb.
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

TOPPINGS

• Fresh chopped cilantro
• A dollop of sour cream
• Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• Tortilla strips
• Sliced avocados
• Sliced jalapenos

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Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
2. Pour in chicken broth and add green chiles, corn and beans. Season with cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, coriander, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
4. Remove 1 cup of the chili and puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender for a thicker, creamier chili. Return blended chili to the pot and stir to mix.
5. Add cubed cream cheese and shredded cooked chicken and stir to mix until the cream cheese dissolves fully in the chili. Simmer for 5 minutes until chicken is warmed through.
6. Add in lime juice and cilantro and stir to mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes. The chili will thicken some more upon standing.
7. Dish and serve hot with your choice of toppings.
8. Enjoy!

Notes

• This recipe uses rotisserie chicken for the sake of convenience and to speed things up. You can substitute rotisserie chicken with any kind of cooked leftover chicken you have on hand. If you prefer using raw chicken, slice the chicken in half to speed up cooking and poach it in the soup while it is simmering until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds easily.
• Slow cooker method – Add all the ingredients, except for the cooked chicken and cream cheese to a 6 qt. slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Add cream cheese and cooked chicken towards the end and cook on HIGH for another 15 minutes or until the cream cheese melts smoothly into the chili. If using raw chicken, add the chicken with the rest of the ingredients, cook, then shred before adding back to the chili with the cream cheese. For a thicker chili, puree or blend a cup or so and stir back in to mix.
• Add more flavor – Add a dollop of sour cream before serving for more flavor.
• Add more heat –  Spice things up some more with poblano peppers, jalapenos, or ancho chili powder.
• Choose your toppings – Customize your bowl of chili with toppings such as tortilla strips, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, cilantro, or jalapenos.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins