The BEST White Chicken Chili! Loaded with white beans, shredded chicken, green chiles, and the perfect blend of spices, this recipe comes together quickly and is always a crowd favorite. Enjoy it all on its own or with any of your favorite chili toppings!
Let’s talk about chili for a minute….shall we? Since it’s winter, and we’re all eating it, and the Super Bowl is just around the corner? There’s so much to love about it – the way it warms you up on a cold day, the fact that it never fails to satisfy, how easily it feeds a crowd – and, maybe most of all, the endless possibilities when it comes to flavor!
We love chili any way we can get it, but of course we have our favorites. Like this 5-Bean Turkey Chili, which is so incredibly satisfying, and this Chili con Carne for the meat lovers among us. But. Of all the chili recipes out there, this Creamy White Chicken Chili is THE BEST.
It’s our favorite chili recipe, not just because it’s SO easy to make, but because the flavors in it are out of this world delicious! In addition to the white beans and shredded chicken, it has everything from onions to garlic to green chilies and cumin….and just a touch of cayenne pepper at the end.
And since the spice level can be adjusted according to your family’s preferences, it’s equally appealing to adults and kids alike. We serve it with a variety of toppings, like shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, and onions, which means everyone can add what they like. Best of all, it comes together quickly and is always a crowd favorite!
what you’ll need for this recipe
- Onion – I used 1 cup of chopped red onion. Feel free to use yellow or white if you prefer.
- Garlic – Garlic adds delicious flavor to this recipe. I used 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic.
- Chicken – You’ll need 4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. I used rotisserie for flavor and convenience (1 rotisserie chicken = 4 cups shredded chicken.)
- Beans – I used 3 cans (15 ounce each) of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained. Substitute any of your favorite white beans.
- Chicken broth – I added 1 can (15 ounces) of chicken broth. Add more broth for a thinner, more soup-like consistency.
- Green chiles – I used 1 can (8 ounces) of diced green chilies for flavor. Add more if you prefer.
- Spices – I added 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. If you like it spicy, feel free to add as much cayenne as you’d like.
- Cream – I added 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup half & half to make it creamy. This is optional… the chili is delicious either way!
how to make the best white chicken chili
- Start with your favorite chicken. This recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, but is equally delicious with cooked chicken breast. Choose whichever your family prefers or whichever makes your life easier!
- Choose your white beans. Again, this recipe calls for Northern Beans, but any white beans would make a good substitute.
- Adjust the thickness. Use more or less chicken broth and/or cream to adjust the thickness of the chili.
- Determine your spice level. This recipe calls for 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, which can easily be adjusted to make a big difference! Another way of altering the spice level is to adjust the amount of sour cream and/or whipping cream. The more cream you use, the less spicy your chili will be.
- Choose your toppings! We love ours topped with shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, and chopped onion…but the sky is the limit. Add your favorite ingredients to make YOUR ideal bowl of chili!
Recipe Variations
- Use any type of white beans, such as cannellini beans or navy beans
- Add black beans for a black & white chili
- Add more chicken broth for a more soup-like consistency
- Omit the sour cream and half & half (you may need to add more broth)
- Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream
- Substitute roasted poblano peppers for the green chiles
- Add canned or frozen corn for extra texture
- Add chili powder for a more traditional chili flavor or extra cayenne pepper for a spicier flavor
- Add bacon for a smoky twist
- Add a squeeze of lime juice before serving
our favorite white chicken chili toppings
- shredded cheese
- chopped onion
- minced cilantro
- tomatoes
- avocado
- crushed tortilla chips
storing & reheating
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warmed through.
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
If you love all things chili, here are some more recipes you’ll enjoy!
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used 1 rotisserie chicken)
- 3 15 ounce cans Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can chicken broth
- 8 ounce can diced green chilies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup half & half
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 3-5 minutes.
- Add chicken, beans, broth, green chilies, and seasonings.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream and half & half.
- Serve with your choice of toppings, including shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, onions, and sour cream.
Notes
our favorite white chicken chili toppings
- shredded cheese
- chopped onion
- minced cilantro
- tomatoes
- avocado
- crushed tortilla chips
This looks so good! Love the idea of using rotisserie chicken to make this in a snap!
Hi! Would you please email me the old version? Ssw060708@gmail.com. It was one of our Fall favorites. I had it bookmarked, and now it’s gone.
Hi Saree, I sent it to you in an email. Enjoy!
This is my kind of chili! It has all the flavors that I love and I want a big bowl right now!!
When the weather gets colder all I want is a big warm bowl of soup. This looks like the perfect choice!
This sounds fantastic!! I love the flavors!! Perfect for the weather!!
I just recently found chicken chili and I love it. This recipe will be on my must make list.
This is so pretty Cathy! I love what the red/purple red onion flecks do for the color contrast…so beautiful!
That is such a great idea to make chili with chicken and white beans!
It looks so creamy and comforting! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Made exactly as written and it was delicious.
Love Plobano Peppers. Wonder how the flavors of this recipe would be with diced sautéed plobano peppers added to the mix?
They would be great! We like a little heat, I double the chilis.
Do you drain the beans first?
OMG I made this chili last night for a work chili cook out, and I won 1st place. The bowl was empty in 15min. this chili it’s so delicious and rich in flavor. I added half cup of ranch and an extra 10 oz of chicken broth. It was delicious!
No, I added the beans with its juice as well
Thats what I was wondering myself, since it doesn’t say.
OMG I made this chili last night for a work chili cook out, and I won 1st place. The bowl was empty in 15min. this chili it’s so delicious and rich in flavor. I added half cup of ranch and an extra 10 oz of chicken broth. It was delicious!
is this a good recipe for the crock pot too?
Used sweet italian chicken sausages, chicken sausages and baked ham pieces with shredded dark chicken and it is simply amazing! Will make this again and again.
I had the question about whether or not the drain the beans as well? I drained mine and only used 2 cans. Three seemed like a lot. This was delicious and I’ll be making again.
Great recipe! It came out perfectly!!
Yes you must drain and rinse white kidney beans before adding. I also only use 2 cans.
Great made with leftover Turkey or chicken too.
I don’t typically cook, but since my husband has been ill, I have been having to do most of the cooking. He selected this recipe for dinner tonight, and I have to say, it is absolutely amazing. My nearly 13 DS even liked it! Thank you so much for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I drained mine lol, there’s enough liquid from the chilles and chicken broth.
I made this in the morning and couldn’t help but eat a little OMG it’s so good. I did rinse and drain the beans, using 3 cans and a while can of chicken broth although I may try half a can next time. I used a 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a 1/4 cup of 2 percent milk because that’s what I had on hand. The combination of that and sour cream made it super creamy and rich. I was a little skeptical of adding 2 can of green chiles but I did and I’m glad I did, I also added just a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’m cooking this right now and it smells amazing!!! I used 1 can Navy Beans & I can Northern Beans (drained and rinsed). I’ve used approximately 24 Oz chicken broth because I prefer chili a bit more on the soupy side (so I can add crackers & cheese as toppings).
Thanks so much for this great recipie!!!
I’ll post again with my conclusions!
I’d love to hear what you thought of it! Hope it was a hit!
This recipe makes really good chili. I’m happy with the flavor and ease it was to make. It’s going in my recipe file. I would say definitely use the sour cream and add sharp cheddar as a topping. Those 2 adds make a perfect zing to balance out the spices.
Thanks so much for the review! Happy you enjoyed it!
I make this dish all the time and my family loves it! I always have to make extra to take to my mom down the road! It is soooo good! Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback. Glad you enjoy it…it’s one of our favorites!
This was delicious tonight! Followed recipe exactly. I didn’t know whether to drain the chilis so I didn’t. It was delicious and will go into the rotation.
So happy to hear it!
I have made this chili numerous times, and it is definitely fantastic! I was wondering if this could be made ahead of time and frozen for future use? Have you ever frozen leftovers? Keep up the great recipes!
I have not tried to freeze this recipe. I am not sure if it would separate, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Saree, or Cathy,
What is the difference between older recipe and this one? Consider including alternate prep method?
The older recipe had bacon in it and was made in a slow cooker. I will add both as suggestions!
This is a very creamy and tasty recipe and it was very easy to make (I had just cooked and shredded chicken and had that good broth from it). Topped with Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and cilantro…this was excellent on a winter night.
This Chicken Chili looks delish! Can hardly wait to try it. Thanks.
Made this White Chicken Chili for dinner to night. My picky teenage granddaughter went wild over it and had two helpings! Great recipe, thank you!
This recipe is so popular with friends and family. The only addition to the recipe I made is adding corn. Delicious!
I think this needs less beans and more chicken stock or half & half, heavy cream. Followed directions and ended up with a chicken & bean bowl with hardly any liquid. It said to drain the cans of Great Northern Beans, so I did, even though I thought that wasn’t much liquid. A 15 ounce can of broth.
You can definitely add more liquid, although this is supposed to be more of a chili than a soup.
I love this recipe. My daughter and I are always making modifications… but the recipe “as is” is great.
Here are a few of the modifications:
sub smoked chicken from a local BBQ restaurant for rotisserie chicken
add 1-2 cans of rotel tomatoes
add 1-2 cans of fire roasted corn
add 1/4 – 1/2 t of smoked paprika
sub whipping cream (instead of half and half)
I added a bag of frozen corn for color. Perfect touch.