Can we all agree that chili is THE comfort food staple? Whether I’m looking for a cozy weeknight dinner or an addition to a game day spread, it always hits. We’ve created our fair share of variations on the classic here at Delish, but this white chicken chili is one of my all-time favorites. Adding white beans makes this heartier than your average chicken noodle soup, and the addition of green chiles, jalapeño, and sour cream add the perfect amount of heat and creaminess to switch up classic chili. Plus, everything comes together in less than an hour (!!), making it an easy, no-stress dinner to cozy up to any time of year.
What People Are Saying:
“This recipe makes EVERYONE happy. It’s SOOOOOO good…I made it 3 times in the past 5 days. My family can’t get enough of it! You MUST make it! So easy and oh, so yummy.” – Leighdia
“Made this last night with some cornbread on the side, and it was absolutely delicious! So excited to eat the leftovers during the next week. Will definitely be a staple during the upcoming fall/winter months.” – jrf134
How To Make White Chicken Chili
INGREDIENTS
- Neutral Oil: I prefer to use a neutral oil like vegetable or sunflower here because they’ve got a mild flavor that won’t overpower the seasonings, but extra virgin olive oil will work if that’s what you’ve got.
- Jalapeño: This chili isn’t too spicy, but if you or your family are quite sensitive to spice, feel free to omit these. I do recommend keeping the green chiles though, since they bring a lot of flavor without a ton of heat.
- Chicken Breasts: You’ll be cooking these in your pot alongside your aromatics and broth, so cut them small enough to fit but not so small that they’ll get lost—into thirds is what I found to be best. Don’t want to both with raw chicken (or have some leftover cooked you want to repurpose)? Leftover or rotisserie chicken works great here, just wait to add it with your beans and corn, when the chili is done cooking.
- Chicken Broth: When choosing my broth for any recipe, I almost always go low-sodium so I can control the salt levels. If you’ve only got full sodium, make sure you’re accounting for that when you’re seasoning with salt during cooking.
- Green Chiles: I LOVE canned green chiles because they bring so much flavor to whatever dish they’re in, and especially to this chili. They really help cut through the creaminess here.
- White Beans: Any beans labeled cannellini, great Northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans should work here.
- Corn: I like frozen for convenience (and so I can make this year round with ease), but feel free to use fresh if you’ve got it! I haven’t tried with canned, but if you do, let me know in the comments below.
- Sour Cream: This serves two purposes—to help thicken the chili and make it extra creamy. Want it even creamier? Feel free to add more, or even better, stir in some extra Monterey Jack directly into the chili before serving.
- Toppings: Speaking of cheese, I love topping my bowl with chopped cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and lots of Monterey Jack, but feel free to add whatever you please! Add an extra dollop of sour cream or sliced avocado for even more creaminess, lime wedges for a citrus boost, or sliced jalapeño for more heat.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
This chili is super easy to make. You’ll start by cooking your aromatics (i.e your onions, jalapeños, garlic, and spices) until everything is softened and fragrant.
Next you’ll add your broth, chicken pieces, chiles, and a little salt and pepper, then bring everything to a boil. The goal here is to cook your chicken through, which should take around 10-15 minutes, depending on how large your pieces are.
Pull your cooked chicken out of the pot and let it cool for a few minutes to make it easier to shred. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks and pull breasts apart. Check out our guide on how to shred chicken for more tips on how to do it if you need.
In the meantime while you’re waiting for your chicken to cool, add your beans to your pot and bring everything to a simmer. Once your beans are heated through, you can smash some of them (I’ve also been known to pulse an immersion blender in there a few times) to get your chili as thick as you want.
You’re almost done! Add your shredded chicken and corn to the pot and let it cook through (check those corn kernels to make sure they’re no longer frozen).
Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream (and some cheese if you like!). Ladle into bowls and top with whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe above.
Recipe Tips
- Can I make this vegetarian? To make this chili vegetarian, swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the chicken, and sub in an extra can of beans like pinto or chickpeas to round out the chili.
- Can I make this in the slow cooker? Absolutely! Check out our Crockpot white chicken chili recipe to make this recipe even more hands-free.
What To Serve With White Chicken Chili
- Homemade cornbread: I like my cornbread thick, tender, just a little bit sweet, and not at all dry—this tried-and-tested recipe checks off all the boxes.
- Homemade biscuits: Can anything beat a warm, flaky biscuit straight out of the oven (or air fryer 🤯)? The only thing I can think of is a warm, flaky biscuit straight out of the oven…then dunked into this chili.
- Baked potato: While baking a potato in the oven is relatively straight forward, there are a couple of steps you don’t want to miss to achieve that ideal crispy outside and tender, soft middle. Our guide has all the tips and tricks you need.
Storage
Sealed in an airtight container, white chicken chili leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
