White Chicken Chili Recipe

Hearty, warm and comforting, this White Chicken Chili recipe is the perfect cold weather meal. Full of delicious tender chicken, white beans, spices and cheese, this creamy soup has quickly become a family favorite.

Soup weather is my favorite kind of weather. My family would agree, as soups are pretty much our go to during the winter months. Granted, winter in Southern California isn’t “freezing” but it’s cold enough for us to break out the soup pot and that’s all that matters! Oh who am I kidding, because we will break out the soup pot any time of the year!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

We are huge fans of chili, and have several different chili recipes that we enjoy on a regular basis, like Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili, Easy 3-Ingredient Chili Recipe. However, we’d never tried a white chicken chili recipe until recently, and boy have we been missing out! The flavors are so amazing, similar to my Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (another family favorite) with just a little heat and some Mexican spices like oregano and garlic.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make White Chicken Chili:

• Diced onion
• Garlic
• Shredded Chicken
• Chicken Stock
• Green Chiles
• White Beans
• Spices and seasonings, like Oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper
• Sour cream
• A nice melty cheese like Mozzarella or Jack
• Garnishes and toppings like sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, corn chips and cilantro

How to Make White Chicken Chili:

This White Chicken Chili Recipe is another easy recipe that you’ll want to add to your regular dinner rotation. It’s crazy simple to make, especially if you opt for an already cooked rotisserie chicken. The other option is to boil the chicken in chicken stock (the same stock you’ll be using for the chili). Super easy and only adds about 20 minutes to your cooking time. You could also toss in some pre-cooked chicken if you happen to keep that on hand.

1. Start by preparing the chicken. If I’m cooking the chicken in the stock, I actually start by sauteing the onion and garlic, then adding the chicken and stock. This gives the chicken an incredible flavor that blends so well with the other ingredients in this white bean chicken chili. If you’re starting with pre-cooked chicken, just saute the onion and garlic until soft, then add the other ingredients. PRO TIP: To always have shredded chicken on hand for this and other recipes, try making a big batch of Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, shred it on a cutting board, then add it back to the stock in the soup pot along with the green chiles, white beans and spices. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a good 15-20 minutes or so, to give the flavors a chance to blend together. I will actually do this with the lid off so the stock reduces and thickens just a bit.
3. Finally I add sour cream and Mozzarella cheese to the soup. Why Mozzarella? Well to be honest, because it’s what I had at the time! But I actually really like this mild, melty cheese and it gave a perfect smokiness with being over-powering.
4. Just like with regular beef chili, be sure to have lots of toppings on hand, like sour cream, corn chips, cheese, diced onions or cilantro.

Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker?

This soup can easily be made in a slow cooker! Add all of the ingredients except the cheese and sour cream to the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours if using raw chicken breasts, and about 2 hours if using pre-cooked. If cooking raw chicken, you will need to shred it once it’s cooked and add it back to the pot, letting it cook for another 30 minutes or so. Add the cheese and sour cream just before serving.

I do recommend sauteeing the onions and garlic before adding them to the slow cooker, but it will be ok if you don’t.

Can you freeze white chicken chili?

Absolutely! Add all of the ingredients, except the cheese and sour cream, to a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 month months. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to a boil on the stove and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cheese and sour cream just before serving.

Here are some more chili and soup recipes to try:

• Easy Chili Recipe {3 Ingredients}
• Slow Cooker Beefy Three-Bean Chili
• Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Smoky Vegetable Beef Soup
• Turkey Taco Soup

Tools used to make my White Chicken Chili recipe:

Chef Knife: This is my favorite and the one that I use in my kitchen all day long.

Box grater – I love the large handle, and the different grate sizes.

Cut resistant glove – I use one of these glove every single time I use my grater or mandolin. Keeps your knuckles safe for harm!

Large Cast Iron Soup Pot/Dutch Oven: My favorite brand of cookware – this is the best I’ve ever used. It cooks evenly, heats up fast and cleans up like a dream.

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White Chicken Chili

Kristin Maxwell

Hearty, warm and comforting, this Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe is a perfect cold weather meal that's full of chicken, beans, chiles, spices and cheese.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

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Course Main

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 378kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 medium onion diced (¾ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 large chicken breasts 4 cups shredded
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 7- ounce can green chiles
• 2 15- ounce cans white beans
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups Mozzarella or Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Sour cream, green onions, more cheese, corn chips and/or cilantro for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

• In a large soup pot, sauté onion in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender; about 15-20 minutes. *Alternatively you could use any leftover or rotisserie chicken - you need about 4 cups.
• Remove chicken from the pot and onto a cutting board. Shred with two forks.
• Skim any fat or foam from the chicken stock and return chicken to the pot. Stir in green chiles, oregano, chili powder, cumin and white beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cheese or reserve for garnishing each bowl.
• Serve hot, topped with desired garnishes.

Notes

This soup can easily be made in a slow cooker! Add all of the ingredients except the cheese and sour cream to the crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours if using raw chicken breasts, and about 2 hours if using pre-cooked. If cooking raw chicken, you will need to shred it once it’s cooked and add it back to the pot, letting it cook for another 30 minutes or so. Add the cheese and sour cream just before serving.

I do recommend sauteeing the onions and garlic before adding them to the slow cooker, but it will be ok if you don’t.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 33gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 852mgPotassium: 952mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 497IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 263mgIron: 4mg

Keyword chicken chili, white chicken chili

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