Creamy White Chicken Chili

I’m all about cozy soups and stews this time of year, and my slow cooker white chicken chili has always been one of my favorites. But I decided to change it up by making a faster stovetop version with no jarred salsa and a super creamy finish. The result is an extra cozy, creamy, and lush White Chicken Chili that is easy enough for a weeknight. It’s so good; I think you’re going to want to make it all season long!

“This was by far one of the easiest and best chili recipes I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it. I had only chicken breasts and browned them in a little oil and garlic before continuing the process. Delicious!!!” Donna

Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe

White chicken chili is a thick and rich chicken and bean stew made with tender chicken thighs, beans, corn, green chiles, jalapeño, onion, garlic, and a medley of southwest-inspired spices. Rather than using a tomato-based broth, like beef chili, white chicken chili uses chicken broth thickened with a little cream cheese and sour cream to make it extra rich and delicious. But my favorite part? This recipe is really easy to make, hot OR mild, depending on your spice preferences! I’ve shared exactly how to do that in the recipe card notes below.

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Creamy White Chicken Chili

This creamy White Chicken Chili is easy and extra cozy for those cold fall and winter nights. The leftovers are great, too!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southwest

Total Cost $12.81 recipe / $1.60 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 1.25 cups each

Calories 403kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion $0.70
• 4 cloves garlic $0.16
• 1 jalapeño $0.24
• 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs* $3.48
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (drained) $1.88
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans (drained) $0.94
• 1 7 oz. can diced green chiles $0.97
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin $0.30
• 1 tsp dried oregano $0.10
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika $0.02
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper $0.02
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder $0.02
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
• 3 cups chicken broth $0.39
• 1 cup frozen corn $0.78
• 4 oz. cream cheese $0.93
• ½ cup sour cream $0.49

Instructions

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Deseed then dice the jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.
• Add the chicken thighs, cannellini beans, pinto beans, diced green chiles, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pepper, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
• Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After 30 minutes, remove the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Add the shredded meat back to the pot along with the corn. Stir to combine and heat through.
• Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the chili until melted. Stir in the sour cream. To further thicken the chili, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
• Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve hot with your favorite toppings!**

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they’re super forgiving and always stay tender and delicious. Chicken breasts, on the other hand, can be a bit finicky and can dry out if overcooked. You can use chicken breasts for this recipe but you’ll want to be very careful not to cook them over too high of heat. Keep the chili on a gentle simmer so the breast meat cooks slowly without getting tough and dry.

**My favorite part of this chili is the toppings. Sure, you can eat (and enjoy) a bowl of this chili plain, but I love to pile on the toppings to make my bowl my own. Some of my favorites are sour cream, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese, green onions, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, hot Sauce, fresh or pickled jalapeños, avocado, or lime!

• A Note on the Spice Level: You can make this white chicken chili either spicy or mild! If you prefer a mild chicken chili, simply skip the fresh jalapeño, make sure to buy mild canned diced green chiles, and skip the cayenne pepper. If you’d like a spicier white chicken chili, make sure to include some of the seeds from the jalapeño, buy hot diced green chiles, and add more cayenne pepper to your liking. A few dashes of hot sauce would be awesome, as well!

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25cups | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 701mg | Fiber: 9g

How to Make White Chicken Chili Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Sauté the veggies: Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Deseed then dice one jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.

Assemble the chili: Add 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, one 15oz. can of pinto beans (drained), two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans (drained), one 7oz. can of diced green chiles, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 3 cups chicken broth to the pot.

Simmer: Stir everything together until combined. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Shred the chicken: After simmering for 30 minutes, remove the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred them with two forks.

Add the corn: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. Stir to combine and heat through.

Make it creamy: Add 4 oz. of cream cheese (cut into chunks) to the chili and stir until it has melted in. Stir in ½ cup sour cream.

Finish and serve: To thicken the chili further, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. The chili will thicken even more as it begins to cool. Taste the chili and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve it hot with your favorite toppings!

Storage and Reheating

This white chicken chili is amazing as leftovers because the flavors continue to develop as it sits. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, stirring occasionally until warmed through. As this recipe contains cream cheese and sour cream, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it as the texture may change upon thawing and reheating. If you really want to freeze this recipe, you can try making the chili, but leave out the dairy until you’re ready to reheat and serve it. Just add the cream cheese and sour cream in at that point, stirring until melted and incorporated.

More Delicious Chili Recipes

Classic Homemade Chili

$9.28 recipe / $1.55 serving

Easy Pumpkin Chili

$9.73 recipe / $1.62 serving

Black Bean Chili

$9.19 recipe / $1.53 serving

Turkey Chili

$11.55 recipe / $1.78 serving

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