White Chicken Chili
This White Chicken Chili is a spicy, comforting dinner to enjoy at home It’s a terrific game day chili option featuring chicken & cannellini beans!
This Chicken Chili Recipe is destined to become a family favorite! Load it with gooey cheese, sour cream and even tortilla chips for a delicious alternative to traditional beef chili.
Why You Must Make
I bumped into a mom of one of Tom’s grade school classmates at an event recently. She pulled me aside and thanked me for sharing my chicken chili recipe in the school cookbook years ago, as it had become one of her family’s favorite soups.
For years, this Black Bean Chili was my go-to recipe, but this white chicken chili recipe is a bit lighter and just as delicious! It was due for some tweaking and after approval from the hubby, it was ready to share with you all.
Recipe Tips
Spicier than my original, I was afraid Bill, the picky hubby, would call it a 3-alarm chili, AKA “I need 3 beers to wash it down!” I shouldn’t have worried, but here are some tips on how to tone down this white bean chicken chili or spice it up, and more.
- PRO-Tip: A little dollop of sour cream is the perfect way to lessen the heat. Dairy is known to have a “cooling” effect and makes a delicious topping whether your mouth is burning or you love the spice!
- Feel free to up the red pepper flakes if you want a fiery soup, as we have tender palates in this household. Well, one of us does. Adding some diced fresh jalapenos would also be a tasty addition.
- Use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken (only if the seasonings complement the chili) or poach some chicken the day before to make preparation even easier on the day you plan to serve the chili.
- I prefer cannellini beans to red kidney beans, but any favorite canned bean would work. Adding black beans would be delicious, though this technically wouldn’t be a “white” chili. This is chicken chili is perfect on a chilly winter night or on game day. Give it a try!
Frequently Asked Questions
White Chili is usually made of chicken, white beans, and mild green chiles.
A small can of chopped mild green chiles provides a touch of heat and depth of flavor without overwhelming the chili.
Cannellini beans are the best white chili beans. They keep their shape and texture well.
You May Also Like
- Hearty Pepper Chili from Barefeet in the Kitchen
- 20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall from Foodie Crush
- Black Beans Chili
- Ina’s Chicken Chili
- More Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes
White Chicken Chili
A terrific game day chili featuring chicken and white beans.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 4 cups cooked and chopped chicken
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- Salt, optional, to taste
- Green onions, Monterey jack cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, cilantro to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook onions in oil till soft. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add chiles, beans, chicken broth, spices, and chicken and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spinach and cook till wilted.
- Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
- Serve with garnishes of your choice.
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Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 643Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 802mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 8gSugar: 8gProtein: 45g
36 Comments on “White Chicken Chili”
White Chicken Chili used to be a part of our Christmas Eve celebration and one that I’m ready to bring back. My daughter usually makes it but without spinach. I will share this new version with her and I know she’ll love it.
Love this! Very comforting. And I like that it’s brothy, so it’s not too heavy, like regular chili.
I think we’re all looking for hearty and comforting dishes like this one, Liz!! It sounds terrific!
Hiya Liz! A big pot of soup on the burner is just what we need during these odd change of seasons. One day snow , the next day warm. Really like your idea of adding a dollop of sour cream to cool the heat. Stay well and take care
Green chiles can be like Russian Roulette sometimes. Especially fresh ones—even if they’re labeled mild. I made a white chili that called for 3 T. of cayenne. Talk about needing beers!!!!!!
We’ve been craving chili lately — but we always do in stressful times. White chilies are good, and chicken is perfect in them. Thanks!
This looks so good, Liz! And I have everything on hand to make it – yay!! Thank you for the inspiration! Be safe and well, my friend!
This is exactly what I want to be eating these days. Healthy, comforting and delicious! I believe I have everything I need to make it, too! Yay. Stay well! 🙂 ~Valentina
I was really hoping that soup/chili days would be numbered by now. Yesterday we woke up to a light dusting of snow. This recipe has all the ingredients of comfort food without the calories. I’m due for a major shopping on Thursday when we come out of isolation, I’ll make sure these ingredients find their way to my list.
I’m all about the comfort food these days… Sounds like a winner:@)
The veggies here are perfection! Love this comforting chicken chili!
We had this chili for dinner last night and it was delicious! It will definitely be on our regular rotation from now on!
I’m about to print this Liz. Thank you~!! This soup looks outstanding.
YUM! I think this one is light enough to serve anytime! THANKS!
Fantastic! I tweaked the recipe a little to reduce the calories. I put everything but the beans and the spinach in the slow cooker. Cooked for 3 hours on high. Removed the chicken and shredded it then added back to the pot along with the beans and 1/2 c corn. Also, I used 2 cans of beans. The flavor is DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing. It will be a regular meal in my house.
Oh, I’m delighted! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂