White chicken chili is one of our go-to easy weeknight dinner ideas. Chicken, poblano peppers, mild green chilis, corn, and white kidney beans are slow simmered in a savory chicken base. Stir in some sour cream and top it with tortilla chips and cilantro for the perfect white chili recipe!
From a classic chili recipe to a simple slow cooker chili, we love making this deliciously hearty comfort food.
White Chicken Chili
This creamy white chicken chili recipe is a simple dinner that is ready in just 40 minutes, making it a fairly quick and simple dinner recipe that is both healthy and delicious.
Beans for White Chili
The BEANS for white chicken chili used in this recipe are white kidney beans (also known as Cannellini beans). Great Northern beans or or Navy beans are both a bit smaller than the white kidney beans but either can be used in this recipe as well.
- CHICKEN: I use chicken breasts in this recipe but chicken thighs will work perfectly too. If you’d like to use leftover Baked Chicken, add it during the last 5 minutes so it doesn’t overcook.
- VEGGIES: I use my favorite tex-mex inspired veggies, onions, peppers and corn. You can add whatever veggies you like including zucchini.
- SEASONINGS: To boost the flavor in this chicken chili recipe, I add chili powder and cumin. Mild diced chiles add great flavor, if you don’t have them, you can use a little bit extra poblanos or frozen hatch green chiles. To make it spicy, add some diced jalapeno.
How To Make White Chicken Chili
So simple, it practically makes itself! To make this easy white chicken chili:
- Soften the onions and peppers over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add all other ingredients except the sour cream.
- Simmer the chili for 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream (it is added after cooking to prevent curdling). Serve with your favorite toppings.
To Make White Chicken Chili thicker there are a few options:
- simmer uncovered a bit longer (recommended thickening option if you have time)
- add a few crushed tortilla chips (it will change the flavor slightly)
- blend a portion of the mixture (I try to remove most of chicken pieces in the part I’m blending)
To Cook this in the CrockPot
If you’re wanting to turn this into a slow cooker white chicken chili, it adapts easily.
- Cook the onions and peppers as directed, add the chicken and cook a few minutes longer.
- Add the mixture along with remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except the sour cream).
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Voila! Dinner is ready when you are.
Serving Ideas
I love serving this with tortilla chips or even Homemade Garlic Bread. White chicken chili is such a fun recipe to get creative with! Here are my favorite toppings to serve with it:
- Tortilla chips, Cheese, Croutons
- Sour cream, Guacamole, Salsa
- Cilantro, Green onions, Diced jalapenos, or Avocado
To Freeze Leftovers
This Chicken Chili recipe freezes very well! Refrigerate this chili recipe for up to 3-4 days. To store it longer, place leftover chicken chili in freezer bags or a sealed container and freeze up to 3 months.
The BEST Chili Recipes
- The Best Chili Recipe – Truly the best ever!
- Turkey Chili – healthy and hearty
- 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili – full of beans!
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili – hearty and full of chicken
- Instant Pot Chili – Quick and easy!
- Vegetarian Chili – Healthy!
Easy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced or two small
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced
- 2 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 19 ounces white kidney beans
- 4 ounces mild green chilis canned, not drained
- 1 cup corn
- ¾ pound chicken breasts diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
Instructions
- Dice chicken into ½" cubes.
- Add olive oil to a dutch oven. Soften onion and peppers over medium heat until translucent (do not brown).
- Add remaining ingredients except for sour cream & cilantro. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- 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.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Tex Mex© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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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!