It’s time to level up your traditional chili recipe game because this creamy and flavorful White Chicken Chili recipe is all you can ask for! It’s hearty, comfy, rich with flavors, loaded with shredded chicken, white beans and has the perfect amount of heat. This dish is so delicious and comes together very quickly for those busy weeknights.
If you are not into the traditional beefy chili, this Easy, Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe is the perfect alternative to that. It’s made with a creamy white chili sauce and has all the delicious ingredients you find in regular chili recipes.
If you love comforting recipes, check out my Chicken Enchilada Soup and Creamy Tomato Soup. You will love them!
Why you’ll love this Easy White Chili Recipe
- Full of flavor: This white chicken chili recipe is packed with flavors! It’s perfectly seasoned with a creamy tangy base sauce.
- Packed with proteins: The shredded chicken and beans add so much proteins to this dish. It’s a perfect healthy meal option to have at any time.
- Gets on your table fast: From start to finish, this recipe takes less than an hour to make, making it a great option to add to your busy weeknight menu.
Chicken Chili Ingredients
- Shredded Chicken- Use store bought rotisserie chicken to save time or left over chicken.
- Spices- The best to flavor any dish. I used paprika, cumin, black pepper, chili seasoning (pre-made store bought), salt, and oregano.
- Olive Oil: Use light tasting olive oil or canola.
- Onion- Dice them as small as possible.
- Garlic- minced. Use only fresh, no jarred garlic.
- Chicken Broth- If you don’t have chicken broth, swap with water or vegetable broth. But broth or a chicken bouillon cube will add more favor to the dish.
- Green Chili- use canned green chili to add some spicy kick to the dish
- White Beans- I used cannellini beans. You can use something similar if you don’t have that.
- Frozen Corn- Adds a sweet flavor to the dish.
- Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream- Gives the dish a creamy texture.
- Cilantro-For garnishing and adding some into the dish.
- Lemon or Lime juice- Optional to add into the dish when you serve.
- Toppings- Some great topping options are tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cubed avocados, sour cream and cilantro.
How to make the Best Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Sauté garlic and onion: Heat a Dutch oven on a medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onion and garlic, sauté until they turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the spices: paprika, ground cumin, chili seasoning, oregano, black pepper and salt. Mix well, then add the chicken broth and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add other ingredients: Stir in the canned green chili, cannellini beans, frozen corn and cream cheese. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Shredded Chicken: Add the shredded chicken, close the pot and allow the chili to simmer for 7-8 minutes more.
- Add the heavy cream: Finally stir the heavy cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes and turn off the heat.
- Serve: Transfer the chili to a serving bowl and top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and diced or sliced avocado. If you like, you can also top with some shredded Mexican cheese.
Tips to make the Stovetop Creamy Chicken Chili
- To add more heat, add some diced jalapeño peppers while sautéing the onion and garlic.
- To make it vegetarian, omit the shredded chicken and add extra white beans or another bean of your choice like Northern White Beans or Red Kidney Beans.
- To lighten the recipe, use half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Load it up with toppings to experience the best flavors.
- Feel free to add some bell peppers if you have some. They add a great flavor to the dish.
- If you don’t have chicken, you can use left over turkey.
- Store leftover Chicken Chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Only add toppings before you serve. Do not add toppings and store them in the fridge or freezer.
Cooking Variations
How to make White Chicken Chili Recipe In Instant Pot
When cooking chili chicken in an instant pot, you can go ahead and use some raw chicken breast instead of shredded chicken breast. Follow these steps.
- Starting with the 2 raw chicken breast, place at the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients on top ( onions, green chili, spices, beans, corn, chicken broth) except for the cheese and heavy cream. Stir together.
- Add the cream cheese to the top and cover the pot. Set on high pressure for 15 minutes. Cook for 15 minutes and release pressure naturally (takes more time) or by using the venting valve.
- Once the pressure has released, remove chicken from the pot, shred them, and then put them back into the pot. Add the heavy cream, chopped cilantro and and stir everything together. Cook again for 3 more minutes on high pressure.
- Once the pressure has released, serve the white chicken chili in bowl and top with your favorite toppings.
How to make White Chicken Chili in Crockpot (Or Slow Cooker)
When cooking chili chicken in an a Crockpot, you can go ahead and use some raw chicken breast instead of shredded chicken breast. Follow these steps.
- Add 2 chicken breasts first to bottom of slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, cumin powder, oregano, and chili seasoning.
- Add in the diced onion, garlic, white beans, green chilies, frozen corn, and chicken broth. Stir everything together.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on low heat or on high heat for about 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken and add into bowl, shred and the return them back into the slow cooker.
- Add cream cheese in cubed form, heavy cream, chopped cilantro and stir. Cover and cook on high heat for 15 minutes, or until the chili sauce has thickened up and the cheese has completely melted.
- Remove from the Crockpot and serve into a bowl. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
The easiest and fastest way to thicken up Chicken Chili is using cornstarch. Mix 1 tablespoons of corn flour with 3 tablespoons of water and whisk it carefully into the chili to make sure there are no lumps.
Another way to do this is by adding crushed white beans into the chili to make it thicker.
White chili is mostly made of white beans, shredded chicken, sour cream or cheese, heavy cream, seasonings, green chili and other veggies.
The best combinations to serve with this chicken chili are tortilla chips, avocado, shredded cheese and sour cream. You can also serve with a side of French baguette to dip into the chili.
You can store chicken chili in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or over medium low heat on the stovetop until heated through.
Yes, you can freeze chicken chili for up to 3 months in an air tight container or in double bagged freezer bags. Simple defrost in your refrigerator overnight and reheat over medium low heat on your stovetop until heated through.
More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes
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Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion petite diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ¾ tsp. black pepper fresh ground
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz. canned green chili
- 14 oz. can white cannellini beans drained and washed
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 oz. cream cheese full fat, cubed
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Sour cream to serve (optional)
- Crushed tortilla chips to serve (optional)
- Avocado to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven on a medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onion and garlic, sauté until they turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the paprika, ground cumin, chili seasoning, oregano, black pepper and salt. Mix well, then add the chicken broth and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the canned green chili, cannellini beans, frozen corn and cream cheese. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, close the pot and allow the chili to simmer for 7-8 minutes more.
- Finally stir the heavy cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes and turn off the heat.
- Transfer the chili to a serving bowl and top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and diced or sliced avocado. If you like, you can also top with some shredded Mexican cheese.
Video
Notes
- Add 2 chicken breasts first to bottom of slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, cumin powder, oregano, and chili seasoning.
- Add in the diced onion, garlic, white beans, green chilies, frozen corn, and chicken broth. Stir everything together.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on low heat or on high heat for about 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken and add into bowl, shred and the return them back into the slow cooker.
- Add cream cheese in cubed form, heavy cream, chopped cilantro and stir. Cover and cook on high heat for 15 minutes, or until the chili sauce has thickened up and the cheese has completely melted.
- Remove from the Crockpot and serve into a bowl. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
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