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.

Chicken Chili Recipe

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.

Tips for Making this White Chicken Chili

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!

More Chili Recipes You’ll Love:

• Hearty Pepper Chili from Barefeet in the Kitchen
• 20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall from Foodie Crush
• Chili Blanca 
• Black Beans in Chili
• Ina’s Chicken Chili 
• More Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes

This recipe was first shared in January 2015. Text and photos were updated in 2020.

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The Recipe:

White Chicken Chili

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Yield 4 servings

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

1. 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.
2. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
3. Serve with garnishes of your choice.

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Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 643Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 802mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 8gSugar: 8gProtein: 45g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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Skinny Tip

I’m offering a series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’m featuring some of my past tips to help you start 2015 on a healthy note. 

Tip #55: I eat numerous times a day. Squeezing in a healthy snack between meals helps stave off intense hunger pangs which can lead to overeating.