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    Home / Soups / White Chicken Chili

    White Chicken Chili

    May 31, 2019 by Ingrid Beer 12 Comments

    White chicken chili is a delectable alternative to traditional beef chili, chock full of creamy beans and tender chunks of chicken, and filled to the brim with zesty spices and lots of southwest flavor!

    White Chicken Chili

    White Chicken Chili, a Flavorful Alternative to Classic Chili

    Beef chili is a scrumptious meal when I get that hankering for something a bit on the spicy side that is filling and hearty.

    I love sprinkling some sharp cheddar cheese over top along with crumbled tortilla chips, and adding in lots of cayenne pepper or hot sauce. The spicier the better for me! 😉

    But for those occasions when chili with a twist sounds really enticing, one that has a thick and slightly creamy consistency rather than a tomato base, this white chicken chili recipe is a super cozy alternative.

    It's a big, beautiful pot of home-cooked comfort food just waiting to be ladled up and enjoyed with fresh toppings!

    White Chicken Chili | thecozyapron.com

    My Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe

    My recipe for white chicken chili has lots of the same wonderful spices and seasonings as traditional beef chili, only it leaves out the tomatoes, replaces the beef with chunks of tender chicken, and substitues a combo of creamy white beans and pinto beans for the red and/or black beans.

    I also add in lots of aromatics such as onion, garlic, and diced green chilies, as well as warm, earthy spices such as ground cumin, coriander, white pepper, and a dash of dried oregano.

    What I really appreciate about my white chicken chili is that it's super convenient to prepare. My recipe calls for using good-quality canned beans (no soaking and cooking!) and cubing or shredding pre-cooked chicken (such as an organic rotisserie chicken) to add in at the end.

    Here's sneak peek at my recipe for white chicken chili: (or just jump to the full recipe featured below...)

    1. I prep all of my aromatic ingredients (onion, garlic, diced green chilis and spices) so they're on hand for when I'm ready to add them to the pot.
    2. Next, I add in a generous amount of canned white beans and pinto beans, along with some savory chicken stock for simmering.
    3. I cube or shred some pre-cooked chicken and add that in at the end along with a squeeze of lime juice, then ladle up a bowl and top with my favorite toppings such as cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, and cilantro!

    White Chicken Chili | thecozyapron.com

    Recipe

    White Chicken Chili

    by Ingrid Beer

    Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Recipe
    White Chicken Chili | thecozyapron.com
    Filled with lots of spices and southwest flavor, this white chicken chili cooks up in no time for a zesty take on traditional chili—it's coziness in a bowl!

    Category: Soup
    Cuisine: American

    Yield: Serves 6

    Nutrition Info: 536 calories

    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook time: 45 minutes
    Total time: 1 hour

    Ingredients:

    • Avocado oil
    • 1 large onion, diced
    • 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilis, drained of excess juices
    • 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
    • Salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon white pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 3 (15.5 ounce) cans white (great northern) beans, drained of liquid
    • 2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained of liquid
    • 4 cups warm chicken stock
    • 3 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken (I used rotisserie for this)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra leaves for garnish
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra wedges to serve on side
    • Sour cream, for optional garnish
    • Sliced green onions, for optional garnish
    • Diced avocado, for optional garnish
    • Grated white cheddar cheese, for optional garnish

    Preparation:

    - Place a large pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2-3 tablespoons of the avocado oil; once hot, add in the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes.

    - Add in the diced chilis, the garlic, a good pinch or two of salt, along with the ground cumin, coriander, dried oregano, white pepper and smoked paprika, and stir to incorporate; next, add in the white and pinto beans, along with the warm chicken stock, and bring to a vigorous simmer/boil.

    - Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the chili to gently bubble/simmer, uncovered, for a total of about 45 minutes to 1 hour (stirring occasionally), mashing the beans with a masher about 20 minutes into the cooking process to help break some of them down a bit, and thicken the chili.

    - Once thickened, turn the heat off from under the pot, and stir in the cooked, shredded or cubed chicken as well as the chopped cilantro and the lime juice.

    - Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired!

    Tips & Tidbits for my White Chicken Chili:

    • Tasty short-cuts: You'll save lots of time if you use a good-quality rotisserie chicken and cube/shred that. Alternately, you can quickly sear off about 1 ½ pounds of chicken breast tenderloins and cube those while the chili cooks, if you prefer. Also, using canned white and pinto beans works like a charm, as there's no soaking and simmering required!
    • Fresh spices: To gain the most amount of aromatic flavor from a chili recipe, make sure you're using fresh spices. The older the spices the less effective they are, so using fresh cumin, coriander and white pepper makes a difference.
    • Diced green chilis: You can find diced green chilis in a can, typically in the Latin foods section of the market. These are on the mild side, and not very spicy. You can add in a jalapeno or two for some “heat” if you'd like, or use as a garnish.
    • Vegetarian option: To make this white chicken chili vegetarian, omit the chicken and add 1 or 2 extra cans of beans instead. Also, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
    • Tasty topping options: Some of my favorite toppings to serve with white chicken chili are white cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onion, crumbled tortilla chips, avocado, and some lime.

    White Chicken Chili | thecozyapron.com

    White Chicken Chili | thecozyapron.com

    Craving more warming recipes? Check out this Sweet Potato Skillet Chili, this Chili Cheesesteak Stew, or this White Bean Soup!

    « Eggplant Parmesan
    Popcorn Chicken »

    About Ingrid Beer

    Ingrid obtained her Culinary Arts degree in 2005 after graduating with honors from the California School of Culinary Arts (Le Cordon Bleu program) in Pasadena, CA.

    She has had the pleasure and privilege of being the Executive Chef for two substance abuse facilities in Malibu, Ca., as well as a personal chef for private clients.

    More about Ingrid →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kevin @ Closet Cooking

      June 05, 2015 at 4:18 pm

      That chili looks so good!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        June 12, 2015 at 6:42 pm

        Hi Kevin, thank you!

        Reply
    2. Patsy, Boise State Bronco Fan

      October 06, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Love all the ingredients in the White Chicken Chili, especially the cumin!

      Thanks for sharing and for the recipes!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        October 06, 2015 at 3:22 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. teresa rhodes

      November 23, 2015 at 8:13 pm

      my husband calls this cooking with love. it definitely makes all the difference

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        November 24, 2015 at 11:36 am

        Teresa, truer words have not been spoken! Love DOES make all the difference. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Miranda

      August 16, 2017 at 5:09 am

      Think this would be ok without chilli? We are trying to go nightshade free.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        August 18, 2017 at 12:23 pm

        HI Miranda, are you referring to the chili powder? If so, you can certainly omit that; just prep according to your own tastes and needs when it comes to something like that. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Linda Betz

      January 15, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      What a delightful surprise this was tonight, [ngrid! Great mix of flavors, easy, fast, instructions were like you were in the room. I used regular thighs because I had some from broth I made yesterday. I didn't have coriandor so google said use caraway. It was so good Thank you so much for sharing another excellent recipe. xo

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        January 16, 2021 at 2:18 pm

        Linda, that's terrific! So glad that your bellies were warmed and made cozy by this chili!

        Sending love, Linda! xoxo

        Reply
    6. Lisa

      February 25, 2023 at 7:11 pm

      Very Good. I love your recipes!!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        February 25, 2023 at 7:58 pm

        Lisa, so glad you enjoyed, and thank you for your comment...I love sharing my recipes!

        Happy cooking to you!

        Reply

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    Welcome to The Cozy Apron — so glad to have you as a guest at my table! Here's where I share my passion for food, people and life through my culinary creations and my writing; and where my husband shares his love for food photography and all things visual.

    More about Ingrid →

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