White bean chicken chili is so hearty and perfect for cool nights! My easy white chicken chili recipe is made from scratch, too!
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Let’s talk about this white chicken chili, shall we?
I, for one, have always stuck my nose up at this stuff. Chili? That is white? How dare you?
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ANYWAY?
Then I ate a bowl of it and I was like, yep, we’re friends now.
I’m fairly obsessed with this white chicken chili recipe and I think it’s time I shared it with you. It’s like a cozy hug in a bowl and what beats that?
If you love white beans, you’ll love this white bean soup too! And if you’ve got the time or just don’t want to use the stove, check out my crockpot white chicken chili!
Ingredient Notes:
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Beans – I’m using a package of dried Great Northern beans. You could use other types of white beans here too such as cannellini or navy beans!
Garlic & Onion – Some minced garlic and diced sweet onion are a simple way to add flavor to this dish.
Green Chiles – We keep it simple with diced canned green chiles. These add a mild spice to the chili, but not a lot of heat.
Chicken Broth – Use a good quality broth to get the best flavor!
Shredded Chicken – I’m starting this recipe with some already cooked, shredded chicken ready to go. Check out my easy crockpot shredded chicken. It’s perfect for recipes like this one!
Whole Milk – This will add some more liquid to the mix as well as rich, creamy flavor. I’d recommend using whole milk but 2% would work too.
Seasoning – We’re keeping the white chili chicken seasoning simple with just some ground cumin, salt, and black pepper! I’m also serving it up with some cilantro for topping.
What We Love About This WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI Recipe:
- Different: This is a great recipe when you’re in the mood for chili, but also in the mood for something a little different! You don’t see this as a tomato based chili but this creamy white chicken chili is just as good!
- Hearty: Between the tender white beans and the chunks of shredded chicken, this chili recipe is hearty and filling.
- Easy: We’re starting with dried beans, which can sound a little intimidating. Don’t worry though – this is easy peasy!
How To Make White Chicken Chili:
Veggies: To get started heat up some butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. When it has melted add the onion and cook until softened, then add the chiles and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Beans: Rinse and sort through the beans for any debris if you haven’t already. Add those to the pot with the garlic, onion, and chiles. Finally, pour in the chicken broth.
Simmer: Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours, checking occasionally to be sure there is still enough liquid. Add more broth if needed.
Combine: After 2 hours, or when the beans are as tender as you’d like, add the shredded chicken, whole milk, and seasoning. Stir all that up until well combined!
Helpful Tip!
Some brands of dried beans will come with a packet of seasoning, usually ham flavored. Feel free to add that seasoning in as well if you’d like, or just don’t use it! It’s going to be delicious either way.
Finish: Return the pot of chili to a simmer and let it continue cooking until some of the liquid has evaporated and it has thickened up to your liking.
We like our white chicken chili thick so we let it go for awhile but you can make the consistency as thick or thin as you prefer. If it gets too thick just add a little more broth in to thin it back out!
Finally, serve it up hot with some cilantro and slices of jalapeno for topping!
For more recipes to use up those bags of super economical dried beans, check out my Instant Pot Tex-Mex Beans and my pulled pork and pinto bean recipe. A traditional red slow cooker chili is always good too!
Serving Suggestions:
Chili is a great dish to serve alongside bread or cornbread! Try this with my homemade sweet cornbread or with this savory and spicy jalapeno cheddar cornbread! Or keep it simple and serve it up with these quick dinner rolls!
And don’t forget about all the ways you can top this chili. We add cilantro but you could also top it with some shredded cheese, or sliced jalapeno! Sliced avocado wouldn’t hurt either!
FAQ’s:
You can keep leftover chili stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave.
Yes, it is possible to freeze this chili recipe. Let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe container or bag. It can be frozen for up to a couple of months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
We don’t think this recipe is too spicy, but the green chiles do add a mild heat. You can use more or less of them depending on how you like it.
This recipe was created using dried beans so the amount of liquid and cook time is specifically for using dried beans. If you want to make this recipe with canned beans, drain and rinse the beans and then add in around 3 cups of broth and warm the chili through.
MORE HOMEMADE CHILI RECIPES!
- Taco Chili
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Chili Mac
- Keto Chili
- Chili Cheese Dip
- Turkey Chili
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 12 ounces canned green chiles diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 20 ounces dried great northern beans one package
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and continue cooking until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chiles and garlic to the onions and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring often.
- Rinse and sort through the beans and discard any debris. Add beans to the pot of onions along with the chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 2 hours, checking occasionally to be sure there is still enough liquid in the pot to cook the beans. Add additional broth as needed.
- After two hours, check beans for tenderness. Continue cooking until beans are as tender as you'd like. Once tender, add the shredded chicken, milk, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne to the pot and stir well.
- Return to a simmer and continue cooking, without the lid, until some liquid has evaporated and the chili has thickened up to your liking.
- Serve topped with fresh cilantro.
Cliff Swackhamer says
This recipe has become one of my new favorites! So easy to make and taste great!!
Karly says
I’m so glad you enjoy it! 🙂
Bryson M says
Great recipe. Definitely ran to luck at the grocery store with the shredded chicken and it wasn’t that expensive. I decided to saute the onions and throw the ingredients into the crockpot. It smells and tastes really good.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed it!