Change up your next chili night with this delicious recipe!
This White Chicken Chili recipe is packed with flavor. A blend of poblano peppers, green chiles, and sweet corn are cooked with diced chicken breasts and beans in a creamy chicken broth
It’s hearty, satisfying, and perfect for topping with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
A Warm and Hearty Meal
- ‘Tis always the season for hearty chili recipes!
- This white chicken chili is healthy and packed with protein and fiber.
- One pot means easy cleanup and less mess.
- Perfect for busy weeknights, this white chili recipe is ready in under an hour.
- It’s a versatile recipe, make it spicy or mild and add your own favorite toppings.
- Perfect for parties, double the recipe and serve with shredded cheese, sliced black olives, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Ingredients for White Chicken Chili
Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or even rotisserie or shredded chicken for this recipe.
Veggies – Tex-Mex-inspired veggies like onions, corn, and peppers are just the basics! Use fresh or frozen corn or even canned.
Try diced bell peppers, diced potatoes, and even healthier veggies like zucchini and chopped baby kale.
Beans – White kidney beans are also known as Cannellini beans. Substitute with other white beans like navy beans, great northern beans, or even chickpeas. Simply open the cans, drain and rinse them; no need to soak them!
Seasonings – Use the spice in the recipe below or use your favorite chili seasoning mix, or try taco seasoning or fajita seasoning.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Saute onions and peppers in oil until softened per the recipe below.
- Add remaining ingredients except for sour cream. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cilantro.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
- Set out lots of toppings like cilantro, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.
- Add in some bread to soak up all that delicious spicy sauce, cornbread is our top choice! You can also try homemade garlic bread or 30-minute dinner rolls.
- For some fresh and tangy contrast, consider serving with a crunchy cucumber onion salad or cucumber tomato salad.
More Great Chili Recipes
Easy White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Dutch Oven OR
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced, or two small onions
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced
- 2 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 15 ounces canned cannellini beans 1 can, also known as white kidney beans
- 4 oz canned mild green chiles 1 can, with juices
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ¾ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts ½-inch diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot.
- Soften diced onions and peppers in the oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, white kidney beans, mild green chilis, corn, diced chicken, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
- Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cilantro.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Can the sour cream be substituted with Greek yogurt?
Hi Deborah. I have never tried making the chili with Greek yogurt. If you do try, it will still be creamy but with a little less of a sour taste. Let me know how it turns out.
i love spend with pennies recipes. Very affordable and inexpensive. to make. thank you Holly for sharing all your recipes.
Thanks Debbie! I am glad you have been enjoying them.
I was so amazed with how flavorful and good this chili was!! Next time we make it we’re making a double batch so we can have even more leftovers!
So happy to hear that, Lily ❤️
My friend has gout so this would be perfect for he and I to share – but have to leave the poblano peppers out cause he can’t do spicy. But I still can’t wait to make it for him. Oh – and I have cut the servings down to 2 so he can try it. Will increase the servings to 4 if he really likes it. I know that I will love it. Thanks for posting.
I hope he enjoys it, Kathi!
I doubled the cumin and oregano, used white pepper instead of black, and won 2nd place in my church’s chili cook off with this recipe! I also made it in the evening and let it sit overnight in the fridge, reheating for lunch. it was delicious!!
Amazing recipe entire family loves!
Family loved this one. Maybe your 20th I try.
So happy you are loving our recipes, Jam!
Really love your recipes. Would it be possible that you add instructions to us the Instant Pot?
That would be great if you would.
Hi Eric, some recipes have instant pot instructions available but this one does not at this time. You can see an instant pot chili recipe here!
I made this chicken chili and it was so yummy! Had just cooked a turkey, so used about a cup of those juices, leftover turkey and used a jalapeño pepper! Plan to make again for lunch at my brothers for Thanksgiving-sure it will be a hit!
It was so easy and quick to put this recipe together since we had all the ingredients from our night before Mexican dinner.
Ours was done on the stove top instead of the crock pot since we had cooked shredded chicken.
We could have had it spicier so will doctor the left overs.
I would love to have all the recipes on this page, but I can’t figure out how to get one at a time. I want to try some of these right away. If you could help me I would appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Monica
Hi Monica, you can select the post you want to view (by clicking on the name of the recipe) then scroll down to the bottom, or use the jump to recipe button at the top. On the recipe itself you should see a print option where you can print out that individual recipe. Let us know if you have any questions!
Holly loved this dish! The weather has changed here in California and it’s getting cooler. Today was a perfect day to try this delicious meal! Was another hit!
So happy you loved it Kim. It is perfect for a cooler day!
This recipe is very similar to a magazine-ad I found from McCormick for “Southwest White Chili” and have considered it a staple 15-minute-meal recipe for a couple decades. Add a sweet cornbread on the side…zowies!
I found that it actually gets better the next day(s). I make a double batch now and put a quart or so into a Ball jar. Spices have no where to go but deeper, and boy is it good!
So happy you like it JJ!
I am excited to try your recipes . expecially the soups
I hope you find many to try here Inge!
I love this recipe
So happy to hear that Cesar!
Making this as a slow cooker recipe now… I usually ladle out some broth and mix it with sour cream in a separate bowl, prior to adding it back to the main dish. This makes a much better blend and a creamier sauce. We shall see how that goes. Learn something new every day… I did not realize that green chilis came in a can! Glad the recipe called that out. I also found white corn instead of the standard yellow corn, and used a bit more chicken than the recipe indicates.
Mixing some broth with sour cream sounds really delicious Jay! Thanks for sharing!
Everything turned out GREAT! The dish was a wonderful meal. Couldn’t find white kidney beans, so used navy beans instead. Ended up using a LOT more chicken broth because of the volume of solids in the dish (mostly too much chicken). Not a problem, as this recipe adapts nicely to different portions of different ingredients. Loved eating a chili that was not a tomato based sauce.
Next time I will use a bit more sour cream to make the sauce a little bit creamier/thicker.
I’m so glad you loved it Jay!
Hi Jay,
Did You Have To Adjust Your Time Or Ingredients When Making This In The Crock Pot Rather Than On The Stove? If So Could You Tell Me How ? I Would Prefer The Crockpot As Well
Daynah, please take a look at the slow cooker white chicken chili recipe!
I love saving pennies though in Canada we no longer have them, So I’m interested in all recipes that make life easier an my make my money stretch.
Enjoy, Greta!
LOOKS GROSS THROW IT IN THE TRASH!
Fresh chicken breasts, beans and vegetables in the trash?
To the contrary, I think it looks delicious! That comment seems a bit harsh, don’t you think?
i added a little more chilli a bit more bite
I am always a fan of spicing things up Greg.I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Some good recipes
Thank you Anthony!