A delicious bowl of white chicken chili made with white beans, chicken and and roasted green chilies. This easy to make recipe is filled with zesty chilies, chunks of chicken and good for you white beans.
It's a delicious bowl of comfort food.
Creamy White Chicken Chili is just what I needed this weekend! We received our first snow two week ago and it caught everyone off guard. We still had most of our apples on the tree and because the temperatures dropped so low, we lost the rest of the crop. Cold weather just puts me in the mood for warm, cozy food.
We were actually out of town when the snow hit. We had travelled to watch one of our boys play in the state soccer tournament for high school. While they didn't win, they played well and had lots of fun. We didn't have snow there, but their final game was played outside in 20 degree weather! Yep, it was cold.
On the way home from the tournament, we got stuck in the snow storm. The whole team, and all the parents ended upstopping for the night about three hours from our town. The traffic had slowed way down and one of the passes we had to cross was closed due to semitrucks blocking the interstate.
It all ended well and everyone made it home safely the next day, and I have to think the soccer team had fun with one more night hanging out together.
Once the snow hits, all I want to do is curl up with a warm fire, a good book and delicious comforting food. This Creamy White Bean Chicken Chili will warm you all the way through and make you happy to watch the snow coming down while you are all warm and cozy sitting inside!
It's yummy and filling. And it's everything I want when it's cold outside. This white chicken chili is delicious served with Chipotle Cornbread Muffins.
Make from scratch
This creamy white bean chicken chili can be made with everything from scratch starting with dried beans, roasted chilies and homemade chicken broth. On the weekends I usually have time to cook, but when time is tight you can use a few shortcuts. Either way, this chili is delicious.
Shortcuts for making white chicken chili
- Use canned beans in place of the dried beans - rinse and drain
- Buy tortilla chips in place of the homemade baked tortilla strips
- Use store bought chicken broth
- Canned roasted and chopped chilies can be used in place of the fresh roasted chilies
Steps to make chicken chili
- Cook beans
- Sautee onions until soft
- Add garlic and roasted peppers
- Stir in chicken broth and beans
- Add cream cheese
- Stir in corn and milk. Heat until warmed through
- Serve with your favorite toppings
Frequently Asked Questions
I set aside a cup of the cooked white beans and smash them. When they are added to the broth, it helps thicken the broth. If you like your chili a bit thicker, use ¼ cup of flour mixed with ½ of hot broth. Stir until smooth and then add to the hot chili.
Yes, this chili can be made in a crock pot. You will want to use the shortcut ingredients. Add everything and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
This chili is perfect for making ahead of time! The flavors continue to develop the longer this chili sits. After cooking, allow chili to cool for a bit in the pot. Transfer to another container and place in the refrigerator. Because this is a large amount of chili, make certain you give it a stir every 30-60 minutes so the center will cool down quickly. Once cool, cover and keep refrigerated. When ready to use, just place back in a pot and reheat and serve!
Variations on white chili
- Use navy beans or great northern beans. Any white bean will work.
- Chopped chicken or shredded chicken works in this chili
- Use a can of cooked chicken - drain before adding
- Substitute turkey for the chicken
- Control the heat - add more jalapenos or leave out all together
- Add any of your favorite toppings - shredded cheese, fresh cut tomatoes and onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream, pickled peppers and crunchy corn chips.
Budget friendly
If you are looking for ways to save money on this meal, here are a few tips:
- Use dried beans instead of canned. Dried beans are a fraction of the cost of canned
- Cut back on the amount of chicken. A smaller diced chicken or shredded chicken can go a long way. You could reduce the amount of cooked chicken to just one cup!
- Compare prices on hot peppers and substitute as needed. If the cost of peppers is high, consider purchasing a small can of roasted peppers.
- Make and use homemade chicken broth- must cheaper than buying it from the store
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious soup recipes!
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 poblano peppers (roasted and peeled)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (roasted and peeled)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups cooked chicken (chopped)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 8 oz cream cheese (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup whole milk
Tortilla Strips
- 10 corn tortillas
Toppings
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Chopped avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour Cream
Instructions
Beans
- Soak beans in hot water for at least 2 hours or soak in cool water overnight. Place in a stock pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook beans until cooked through. Drain beans and set aside.1 pound dried navy beans
- Set 1 cup of beans aside. When cool, mash the beans with a fork.
Crispy Tortilla Strips
- Stack tortillas together on a cutting board. Cut through all tortillas creating thin strips.10 corn tortillas
- Spray a baking sheet with a cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas strips on baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Check on strips halfway through cooking time and give a stir.
Chili
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and continue cooking.1 medium onion, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Stir in chopped roasted chili peppers.2 poblano peppers, 1 jalapeno pepper
- Add chicken broth, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil.6 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add cooked beans, mashed beans, chicken, corn and cream cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.4 cups cooked chicken, 1 cup frozen corn, 8 oz cream cheese
- Add milk and bring soup back to a simmer.1 cup whole milk
- Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, avocado, fresh cilantro and crispy tortilla strips.
Notes
- Use navy beans or great northern beans. Any white bean will work.
- Chopped chicken or shredded chicken works in this chili
- Use a can of cooked chicken - drain before adding
- Substitute turkey for the chicken
- Control the heat - add more jalapenos or leave out all together
- Add any of your favorite toppings - shredded cheese, fresh cut tomatoes and onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream and crunchy corn chips.
- Use canned beans in place of the dried beans - rinse and drain
- Buy tortilla chips in place of the homemade baked tortilla strips
- Use store bought chicken broth
- Canned roasted and chopped chilies can be used in place of the fresh roasted chilies
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in November 2018.
Biscuitboogie says
How many cans of beans to replace the dried cooked beans?
Thanks!
Kathy says
Hello,
The dried beans equals about 6 cups of cooked beans. A 15 ounce can of beans has about 1.5 cups of beans. You'll need 4, 15 ounce cans of navy beans.
Enjoy,
Kathy
Suzi says
This was so good! We didn't have green chilis, so I added a can of mild rotel. Such a hearty meal....and I couldn't stop eating those home baked tortilla chips!
Kathy says
Thanks! It's one of our favorites and I usually make double the amount of crispy tortilla strips because they keep disappearing with all the nibbling! 🙂