White Chicken Chili is one of my favorite dishes from childhood! My best friends mom used to make it for us on the regular and I begged for the recipe. Here it is with a Gaby spin!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
What is white chicken chili you ask - it's one of the most comforting recipes I've ever made! It was Emily's moms go-to every time things got chilly in Tucson and when the phone call came that it was on deck for dinner, I forced my parents to take me over within minutes.
It's creamy as there's sour cream. It's got white beans to make it substantial. Tons of seasonings to really amp up the flavor and obviously shredded chicken and corn! Side note: another great recipe using those two key ingredients is my epic Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! In terms of ingredients - it's a bit on the longer side of us here at WGC but most of it is pantry staples so don't let that intimidate you! Now, I also have a vegetarian chili recipe if you are looking for a no meat option- this delicious black bean and sweet potato chili.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- The usual suspects: olive oil, yellow onion and garlic - these are the base of pretty much every recipe
- I use chicken broth or stock to make the soup, but you can do it with vegetable stock if that's what you have on hand.
- Diced green chilies - the tucson girl in me will break out the green chilies on every occasion possible
- Seasonings - a key part of this recipe and include: ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, chili powder, paprik and cayenne pepper. Nothing out of the ordinary.
- Fresh lime juice is key in this recipe to really brighten things up once it's ready to eat.
- Canned white beans - this adds some bulk to the dish!
- Sour cream is what I use to make this soup creamy. A lot of times I've seen it with cream cheese which (while delish) isn't my jam for a soup!
- We need some corn (frozen or fresh) works!
- And last but not least, cooked shredded chicken. Buy a rotisserie from the store!!
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add the seasonings and saute until fragrant, an additional 30 seconds.
Step 4: Add chicken broth, green chilies, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the ½ of the beans and stir to combine.
Using your immersion blender, blend the mixture for 10-20 seconds to puree. Same technique as the Tortilla Soup on WGC!! This is what makes it creamy.
Step 5: Add the remaining whole beans and corn to the dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 6: Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cooked chicken.
Step 7: Serve garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.
How to Store White Chicken Chili
You can store chili in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I recommend saving the garnishes for the portion you are eating right away since it does not refrigerate well and keep its texture. Heat through the leftovers well in a microwave or stovetop when its time to eat.
How to Freeze White Chicken Chili
You can freeze chili in an airtight container or freezer bags for about 4 months. Chili is a good meal to have on hand for later, so make sure you portion it into the appropriate sizes so you can thaw as much as you need. To thaw, place it in the refrigerator overnight and warm it through once thawed to the safe temperature, where the internal temperature for the chicken is 165F.
Tips & Tricks
A things to keep in mind!
#1 - make sure you really saute the onions! You want them to develop a little golden color as that is FLAVOR!
#2 - pureeing half of the beans in the stock is what makes this thick and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor or regular blender. Just be careful as you'll be transferring warm liquid into a blender. Make sure the heat can escape from a tiny area before turning on the blender.
#3 - if you want to make your own rotisserie chicken and shred that - be my guest!! That's a great way to control how my extra flavor is in your chicken!
FAQs
Can you freeze white chicken chili?
Absolutely! This soup freezes great. Don't even worry about the sour cream. Just re-heat it in a Dutch Oven or heavy bottom pot over low heat until warmed through.
Is white chicken chili spicy?
Nope!! It has flavor - but it will not be spicy.
How to thicken white chicken chili?
The thickness comes from pureeing the beans!! Don't skip that step.
How long is white chicken chili good for?
In the fridge, 3-4 days. In the freezer - forever? LOL. It keeps for a few months no problem and I've never had it more than 4 months later as we eat it so fast.
What goes well with white chicken chili?
Chips! Salsa! Guacamole! A fun chopped salad on the side!
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
- 1 lime juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 15-oz cans white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
Toppings
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeños
- Freshly shredded cheese
- Tortilla strips
- Sliced green onion
- Cubed avocado
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the seasonings and saute until fragrant, an additional 30 seconds.
- Add chicken broth, green chilies, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the ½ of the beans and stir to combine.
- Using your immersion blender, blend the mixture for 10-20 seconds to puree.
- Add the remaining whole beans and corn to the dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cooked chicken.
- Serve garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.
The best chicken chili I have ever had! It was an easy recipe to cook and very tasty. It made a lot too and was even better the next day. I will make this on repeat
This dish is great! I actually made it in the insta pot. I used 2 cups dried white beans and added an extra 2 1/2 cups of water. I sauteed the onions first in the instant pot. After they were cooked I put everything in the pot and cooked it for 25 minutes on high pressure. I used my immersion blender. I Blend half of the pot, added the chicken and it was delicious!
We all loved this delicious, flavorful chili! My daughter was coming to town and I wanted to prepare her a quick and comforting meal. I had all of the ingredients on hand, so once I prepped everything, the meal came together super fast. My daughter and husband kept saying how flavorful the chili was, which surprised me, since chilis and soups need a day to let the flavors meld.
Thanks Gaby, for the delicious recipe.
Looks incredible, but just wondering...how does 2.5 cups of stock yield 8 servings? Are the servings really small?
its not super liquidy - all the other ingredients bulk it up into more of a chili than a soup
So quick and easy to throw together. Used a rotisserie chicken. Delicious. 5 stars!
Loved this soup! Easy to make, very flavorful, and a little spicy. We put a dollop of sour cream on top of the soup when we served it instead of mixing it into the soup during preparation —turned out well. Love having fresh lime juice incorporated for brightening the flavor! Yum!
Loved this soup! Easy to make, very flavorful, and a little spicy. We put a dollop of sour cream on top of the soup when we served it instead of mixing it into the soup during preparation —turned out well. Love having fresh lime juice incorporated for brightening the flavor! Yum!
As Poppy would say…5 stars!!! Absolutely freakin delicious!!!! I had a few poblano peppers I needed to use so I diced those and cooked them with the onions. Also added a can of black beans. Thanks Gaby. All your recipes ROCK!!!
Suggestions if I don’t own an immersion blender?
you can use a blender!! just be sure to let it cool or let some of the steam out before blending!