White Chicken Chili
This is the best White Chicken Chili! It's loaded with white beans, shredded chicken, corn, and green chilies.
Servings: 8 people
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.
Notes
It’s even better the next day. White chicken chili reheats beautifully, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead. The flavors just get cozier overnight.
Use chicken thighs if you can. They stay juicier and more flavorful than breasts, especially after simmering. If you’re team breast, just don’t overcook them.
Season early and often. Salt the chicken, season the onions, taste the broth. Chili builds flavor in layers, so don’t wait until the end to adjust.
Bloom the spices. Sauté your spices briefly with the onions and garlic before adding liquid. This wakes everything up and makes the chili taste deeper and warmer.
Don’t rush the simmer. Give the chili time to gently bubble so the flavors can meld and the chicken gets tender. Low and slow is the move here.
Shred the chicken while it’s warm. It pulls apart more easily and absorbs more flavor when you stir it back into the pot.
Use a mix of beans for texture. Cannellini, great northern, or navy beans all work. Slightly mash a few beans in the pot to naturally thicken the chili.
Add dairy at the end. Sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream should go in once the heat is lower so the chili stays smooth and creamy, not separated.
Brighten it up. A squeeze of lime or splash of vinegar right before serving balances the richness and makes the whole bowl pop.
Load it with toppings. Avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, jalapeños. Toppings are half the fun and let everyone customize their bowl.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg