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This easy White Chicken Chili recipe is hearty, easy to make, loaded with juicy shredded chicken, and made with 4 different types of beans. An easy dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy, and perfect for a cold night!
You may also like my classic chicken chili recipe or this chicken tortilla soup.
Feed me chili every day and I will forever be grateful and content. The most comforting dish and I am just so lucky that my kids love chili. Make them any type of chili and they are all smiles. This white chili recipe made with chicken is one of my family’s favorite soups along with my Creamy Chicken tortilla soup recipe. Makes for a perfect dinner that the whole family will enjoy and is great for meal prepping.
White chicken chili soup, made with four different types of beans, is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Plus, it is super easy to make and can be ready in no time. It is a delicious and flavorful meal that I promise the kids will love to have for dinner.
Recipe Summary
- Easy to make: Making chili is quite simple once you have all your ingredients set up and ready to go. Hassle-free meal. Add everything to the pot once you saute the onion and veggies.
- Hearty: White bean chili with added shredded chicken is a hearty and filling meal that will keep you full and satisfied.
- Tasty: This Chicken chili with four types of beans is made without any tomatoes, is packed with flavor, and is so good.
Ingredients you will need
- Avocado Oil or olive oil
- White Onion: or you can use yellow cooking onions
- Jalapeno seeded and diced
- Garlic Cloves: use fresh garlic if possible instead of garlic powder for the best flavor.
- Seasonings: Oregano, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander Seed, Kosher salt and pepper
- Beans: White Beans, Pinto Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Red Kidney Beans
- Green Chilies or salsa verde
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Breasts or make your own
- Homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
How to make white chicken chili
- Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in jalapeño, garlic, oregano, cumin, and coriander, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the green chilis, beans, chicken, and broth, then bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, and you get a creamy broth.
- Serve the chili soup in bowls and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Beans: Use any beans of your choice. I used a mix of 4 different beans but you can use only one type of bean and that can be white cannellini beans or Great Northern Beans.
- Chicken: Make your chicken breast at home. Not sure how to poach chicken? You can check out my post on how to poach chicken breasts. Save time by using leftover chicken or Rotisserie chicken.
- Broth: Any broth will work. If you are poaching your chicken then use that chicken broth from the poached chicken. Otherwise, use store-bought chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Cooking options: You may also cook this chili in an instant pot, crockpot, or slow cooker.
Frequently asked Questions
White chicken chili gets the name white from using white beans. In my white chicken chili recipe, I tried to tone it up a notch and make it more fun by using 4 different types of beans. You can certainly only use white beans if you like. It is what is commonly used.
Some don’t drain the beans so they use that water as a thickening agent in their soup. I don’t prefer to do this. I like to drain and rinse beans and all canned products if I am using them. A lot of times I use fresh beans that I soak overnight and cook ahead. But sometimes when I am in a hurry and ready to cook something up with my limited time I use canned. But yes I do drain the beans!
It is fine to freeze some leftover chicken chili or premade uncooked chicken chili. If you are freezing the ingredients to be cooked later, make sure you use a good sealable freezer bag. Cooked chicken chili can freeze well for up to 4 months and precooked ingredients for up to 6-8 months.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: If you have any leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 days. You can freeze for up to 5 months.
- Reheating: once ready to serve, you can either reheat in the microwave or use a saucepan and heat on your stovetop. If the chili is too thick to your liking, you can add about 1/4 cup of water broth while you reheat it.
How to make in Crockpot or slow cooker
If you would like to know how to make this white chicken chili recipe in a crockpot or slow cooker it’s quite simple. You can leave the ingredients the way they are and add everything into the crockpot or slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for about 2 hours and on LOW for about 4 hours. If you are using dry beans, I recommend cooking on high for 4 hours and low for 8 hours or until the beans are cooked through.
How to thicken the chili
There are a few ways you can thicken your white chicken chili. Either way you go won’t make or break your recipe.
- Simmer – the first one being you just allow it to simmer down.
- Cornmeal – You can also add some cornmeal to the chicken chili soup to give you that thicker consistency.
- Blend or Puree– Another way to thicken the soup would be to blend or puree some of the beans and add them to the soup.
- Cornstarch– This method always comes in handy, just make sure you mix, say, about one tablespoon separately with cold water before you add it in.
- Flour – Flour can also be used. Go for about 1-2 tablespoons of wheat flour.
Chicken chili Toppings
You can enjoy your white bean chili without any toppings, but some do like to add some extra flavor to their soup and top it up with a variety of cool stuff like:
- Crushed Corn Tortilla Chips
- Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- Freshly Chopped Cilantro
- Shredded Cheese like cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Cayenne peppers, or chili pepper flakes
- Chopped or Sliced Avocado
Recipes you may also like
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White Chicken Chili Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- Sharp Chef's knife
- cutting board
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil, or olive oil
- 1 medium White Onion, diced
- 1-2 Jalapeno , seeded and diced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander Seed
- 4.5 ounce Can Green Chilies, or salsa verde, one small can
- 3 Cup Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Breasts, or make your own
- 5 Cups Homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Cup White Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Full-fat Greek yogurt, freshly chopped cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack, chopped avocado, crushed corn tortilla chips, etc.
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 1 medium White Onion (diced), and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the 1-2 Jalapeno (diced), 2-3 Garlic Cloves (minced), 1 teaspoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin, and 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander Seed, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the 4.5 ounce Can Green Chilies, 1 Cup White Beans, 1 Cup Pinto Beans, 1 Cup Garbanzo Beans, 1 Cup Red Kidney Beans, 3 Cup Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Breasts, and 5 Cups Homemade or low-sodium chicken broth, then bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Season with Kosher salt and pepper, to taste as needed.
- Serve the chili soup in bowls and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
- Topping options: Full-fat Greek yogurt, freshly chopped cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack, chopped avocado, crushed corn tortilla chips, etc.
Video
Notes
- You may use fresh cilantro in place of coriander seed
- Use any beans of choice
- consider using rotisserie chicken to save on time, or you can use your chicken breast
- use either chicken broth or vegetable broth
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why do the beans have to be rinsed? The aquafaba is salty, so eliminate salt from the recipe….?
I have read that there is nutrition in the liquid….?
Hi Antje. This will be a personal preference. But most recommend the rinsing to reduce the amount of sodium and also help remove the agent in it that causes gas for most people. I also think they taste better rinsed. But it is up to you.
I am SO confused about kcal’s . I read that 1 kcal is equal to 1000 calories, is this right?
No, it is essentially the same. 250 kcal is 250 calories.
So good
Is the chicken already pre cooked then? Or is it supposed to cook in the soup?
It is cooked rotisserie chicken
Loved it & so did my family. Making it again for sure, thank you for all the great recipes.
Perfect. Glad you loved it.
Ingredients call for 1 tsp of coriander seed but instructions say cilantro. I assumed cilantro but what is it supposed to be?
Hi. I fixed it. Its coriander. I have a video coming soon to the blog.
What’s the serving size of this? 1 cup? It’s so so good! We LOVE it!
Hi. It would be close to a small bowl. So about 2 cups
Thanks Guys, Your Recipe Was Too Fantastic. Me and My Family Loved it. I Will Share your Rrecipe with my friends. Hope they will love it too.
Thank you!
Are we suppose to use canned or dry beans?
I used canned. You can use dry but cook ahead
My husband and I made this we absolutely love it! It is so delicious. We definitely will be making it again.
Thanks, Lauren. Glad you guys loved it.
This was the most delicious and easy to follow recipe ever! My husband and I cooked a huge pot of this for Monday meal prep. Week’s lunches knocked out in one session! Thanks to your awesome recipe!
Thanks Jinah. Glad you guys love it.
Delicious. Will definitely make again.
Thanks, Judy. Glad you liked it