White Chicken Chili
intro
Creamy, hearty white chicken chili loaded with tender chicken, white beans, and mild green chiles, brightened with lime and warm spices for cozy cold-weather comfort.
Ingredients
Steps
Sauté the aromatics
Heat 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil in a 5.5L heavy Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat (175°C/350°F). Add 150g diced yellow onion and 15g seeded, finely diced jalapeño, and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add 10g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic.
Toast the spices
Add 6g (1 tablespoon) ground cumin, 1g (1 teaspoon) dried oregano, 3g (1 teaspoon) garlic powder, 5g (1 teaspoon) kosher salt, and 1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground black pepper to the pot with the cooked aromatics. Stir constantly over medium heat for 1 minute to toast the spices, until their warm, earthy aroma is fully released to build a deep flavor base.
Simmer chicken and beans
Pour 960ml (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth into the pot, then add 450g whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, 800g drained, rinsed Great Northern white beans, and 240g undrained canned mild diced green chiles. Bring the mixture to a gentle rolling boil over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F), about 4 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low (105°C/220°F) to maintain a steady, low simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Shred cooked chicken
Use tongs to carefully lift the cooked chicken breasts from the simmering pot and transfer them to a clean cutting board. Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes, then use two forks to pull it into bite-sized 2-3cm shreds. Return all shredded chicken back to the pot of simmering beans and broth, stirring to combine.
Add creamy ingredients
Add 150g (1 cup) frozen sweet corn and 113g (4 oz) softened, cubed full-fat cream cheese to the chili. Maintain medium-low heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, until the cream cheese is fully melted and evenly incorporated, creating a smooth, pale creamy broth with no visible cheese lumps.
Finish and serve
Turn off the stovetop heat, stir in 30ml (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice, and taste to adjust salt or pepper if needed. Ladle the hot chili into 4 serving bowls, garnish with 4g (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro, and serve immediately with optional toppings like crispy tortilla strips or diced avocado.
Tips
2.Never boil the chili after adding cream cheese, as high heat will cause dairy to curdle and create a grainy, unpleasant texture; keep heat at medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer once dairy is added.
3.For a thicker, more robust chili without added flour or cornstarch, mash 200g (1 cup) of the cooked white beans with a fork before adding cream cheese, then stir the mashed beans back into the pot to thicken the broth naturally.
OMG this creamy white chicken chili is a total game changer! I made it for our Sunday family dinner last night and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. It was so easy to throw together too, I didn’t even have to run to the store for random specialty ingredients. 10/10 will be making this on repeat all fall and winter!
I brought this to my office potluck today and people were lining up for seconds! The only tweak I made was adding a small can of diced green chiles for an extra little kick, and it was CHEF’S KISS. Cook time was exactly 45 minutes like it said, super straightforward even for someone who burns toast half the time lmao. SO good.
Perfect for weekly meal prep! I made a big batch on Sunday, portioned it out into containers, and it held up amazing all week for lunches. The creamy base doesn’t get weird or grainy when you reheat it like some other chili recipes I’ve tried. Only thing I’ll do next time is add a bit more garlic, but that’s just personal preference.
As someone who’s still learning to cook and lives in a tiny dorm with just a basic hot plate, this was so easy to pull off! It felt fancy but took basically zero skill, and my roommates are already begging me to make it again. Way better than the sad canned chili I usually live off of, 100% worth the 45 minutes.
Obsessed!!! I used gluten-free all purpose flour to thicken it instead of regular and it turned out perfectly, no weird texture at all. My husband who swears he ‘hates creamy chili’ had two full bowls and asked me to save the recipe. Total win for our weeknight dinner rotation.
Really solid base recipe! I added a teaspoon of cumin and a dash of cayenne to give it a little more warmth, and topped it with crushed tortilla strips, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream. Even with my tweaks it came together in 45 minutes flat, super easy. Will definitely make again.