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This Creamy White Chicken Chili is packed with tender chicken, cannelini beans, and a rich creamy sauce that screams comfort-food in a bowl. It’s a lighter twist to the traditional classic beef chili but still incredibly satistying for a dinner meal.
I use heavy cream for a smooth, rich broth and cream cheese for a thicker consistency. It’s an easy one-pot meal with simple prep and easy cleanup. Serve it with chips, jalapenos, cheese, avocado, cilantro and you have a warm and cozy meal
For another soup to serve for lunch or dinner, try my Chicken Enchilada Soup or Creamy Tomato Soup.
Why This White Chili Recipe Is a Favorite
- One-pot meal. Everything cooks in one Dutch oven for easy cleanup.
- Quick to make. This chili comes together in about 40 minutes, perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Easy to customize. Top each bowl with avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, or your favorite chili toppings.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Use cooked, shredded chicken for this recipe. Rotisserie chicken works well and saves prep time.
- Onion and Garlic: Yellow onion and fresh garlic add savory flavor to the chili.
- Seasonings: Paprika, ground cumin, oregano, black pepper, and salt give the chili a warm, savory flavor with mild heat.
- Chicken Broth: Use your favorite chicken broth or stock. Low-sodium broth is a good option if you prefer more control over the salt.
- Green Chilies: Canned green chilies add mild heat without making the chili too spicy.
- Cannellini Beans: Cannellini beans have a soft, creamy texture. Other canned white beans can also work.
- Corn: Frozen corn adds sweetness and doesn’t need to be thawed first.
- Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream: Cream cheese thickens the chili, while heavy cream gives it a smooth, creamy texture.
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Creamy White Chicken Chili
Step 1: Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 2: Season and simmer. Sprinkle the paprika, ground cumin, oregano, black pepper, and salt over the onion and garlic. Stir to combine, then pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Step 3: Combine the beans, corn, and cream cheese. Stir the canned green chili, cannellini beans, frozen corn, and cream cheese into the broth. Cook for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add the chicken. Add the shredded chicken to the chili. Cover the pot and simmer for another 7-8 minutes.
Step 5: Finish with the cream. Pour the heavy cream into the chili along with the chopped cilantro. Stir until combined, then turn off the heat.
Step 6: Garnish and serve. Transfer the chili to a serving bowl. Top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and diced or sliced avocado.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker: Sauté the onion and garlic in a skillet, then transfer them to a slow cooker with the seasonings, chicken broth, green chilies, cannellini beans, corn, and cream cheese. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, then add the shredded chicken and heavy cream during the last 30 minutes. Finish with cilantro before serving.
Instant Pot: Use the sauté function to cook the onion and garlic, then add the seasonings, chicken broth, green chilies, cannellini beans, corn, cream cheese, and shredded chicken. Continue cooking on the sauté setting until everything is heated through, then add the heavy cream and cilantro before serving.
Tips for Making Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Soften the cream cheese before cooking. Bring it closer to room temperature to help it melt smoothly into the chili without leaving small lumps.
- Keep the chili at a gentle simmer. Avoid a rapid boil as the chili thickens to keep the creamy mixture from catching on the bottom of the pot.
- Shred the chicken with two forks. Hold the cooked chicken with one fork and pull the meat apart with the other until you have similar-sized pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Remove the skin and bones, then shred the meat before adding it to the chili. Rotisserie chicken is a convenient option since the recipe calls for cooked, shredded chicken.
Yes. Great Northern beans or navy beans can replace cannellini beans. The texture may vary slightly, but either option works well in this chili.
Cream cheese and heavy cream give this white chicken chili its creamy texture. The cream cheese adds thickness, while the heavy cream gives the chili a smooth, rich texture.
No, chili seasoning/powder is a pre-made seasoning mix made specially for chili recipes. It’s a blend of spices like ground dried chiles, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and onion powder. Chile powder is more of a darker red colored powder made from ground dried chile peppers.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover Creamy White Chicken Chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
You can also freeze the chili in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months. The creamy base may separate slightly after thawing, but stirring the chili as it reheats will help bring the texture back together.
To reheat, warm the chili in a pot over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through for even heating.
More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes
- Best Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Lemon Chicken Rice Soup
- Chicken Lentil Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Easy Vegan Chili
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rate the recipe! Also follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on Facebook |Instagram |Pinterest for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz canned green chili
- 14 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and washed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- cilantro, to garnish
Optional Toppings
- sour cream, to serve
- crushed tortilla chips, to serve
- avocado, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the paprika, ground cumin, oregano, black pepper, and salt over the onion and garlic. Stir to combine, then pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir the canned green chili, cannellini beans, frozen corn, and cream cheese into the broth. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken to the chili. Cover the pot and simmer for another 7-8 minutes.
- Pour the heavy cream into the chili along with the chopped cilantro. Stir until combined, then turn off the heat.
- Transfer the chili to a serving bowl. Top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and diced or sliced avocado.
Video
Notes and Recipe Tips
- The chili will thicken as it cools. Keep that in mind before you simmer it longer.
- For a thinner consistency, adjust with a small amount of chicken broth.
- If you use rotisserie chicken, remove the skin before you shred the meat.
- For extra heat, serve sliced jalapeños or hot sauce on the side.
WOW, tasty
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I make this for my family multiple times and it’s a go to recipe when writing want something real quick. I usually add a little 505 green Chile salsa to give it a little kick. Top it with some cilantro and tortilla strip 😋
Thank you Tracy for the review. Glad you enjoyed it