This white chicken chili is the ultimate comfort food! Loaded with lots of tender chicken and beans in a rich broth and piled high with all the toppings.
Welcome to Comfort Food 101 AKA a huge bowl of white chili!
Preferably buried underneath a metric truckload of toppings because c’mon, people, we all know that’s the only way to do up a bowl of chili.
There’s no tomatoes or black beans in sight here today as we’re doing a classic white chili with tons of juicy chicken, white beans, green chiles, and the most incredible cream-based broth.
Trust me, you’ll be able to get behind this one in your dinner plans!
This Chili features…
- Tender chicken cubes and white beans
- A creamy, flavorful broth
- A blank canvas for so many toppings
- Comes together in one pot in only 40 minutes
Making the Chili
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Vegetable oil
- Chicken breasts
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Spices
- Chicken broth
- White beans
- Green chiles
- Half and half
- Sour cream
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch cubes for this chili. Boneless skinless thighs will also work well!
Can I use leftover cooked chicken? Yes, you can! Use about 3 cups shredded or diced chicken, skip the sautéing step, and add the chicken to chili per recipe instructions.
Tips for Perfect Chili
- Cut chicken in uniform cubes – aim for 1/2-inch cubes so the chicken cooks up evenly.
- Drain and rinse beans – this removes excess thick liquid from the beans.
- Puree 1/2 cup chili – this gives the chili an extra creamy texture. Make sure you puree this portion prior to adding the chicken.
- Simmer chili 10-15 minutes – this will allow the flavors to meld together.
- Add sour cream after simmering – this gives the chili a signature slightly tangy, creamy element.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this chili.
- Use turkey – cooked diced or shredded turkey works great in place of the chicken.
- Add some heat – add a minced jalapeno or serrano pepper for a spicy kick to the chili.
- Try different toppings – the sky’s the limit for toppings! Try my suggested toppings of fritos, green onions, avocado, and sour cream or take things a different route and pile on diced tomatoes, cilantro, shredded cheddar, red onion, or sliced jalapenos.
Storing and Freezing Chili
This soup stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days. Reheat leftovers in individual servings in microwave 2-3 minutes or over medium heat on stovetop for larger portions.
To freeze soup, allow to cool completely then store in a freezer-safe container, leaving about an inch of open air on top, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator before reheating or reheat from frozen over low heat on stovetop.
One bowl of this chili is all it’s gonna take for this to be a regular on your chili rotation! In fact, regular tomato-based chili had better watch it’s back cause it just might get replaced with this goodness.
Happy chili season, friends!
We love chili around here! Try these recipes next.
White Chicken Chili
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cans (15 oz each) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 oz) can green chiles, drained
- 1/2 cup half and half cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Fritos, avocado, green onions, and additional sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pot and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté chicken until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in same pot. Add onion and saute 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, flour, and spices and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Drizzle in chicken broth, a little at a time until evenly incorporated. Add beans, green chiles, and half and half.
- Scoop out 1/2 cup beans and broth mixture and transfer to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and add back to chili.
- Add chicken to chili and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow chili to simmer 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.
- Remove chili from heat and stir in sour cream until melted. Season chili with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm with toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 9/5/25.
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
This is one of my favorite soups. I make it slightly different, but I love that you added peppers!
Sarah says
Thanks Amber! White chili is definitely one of my fav soups too! — I’ll bet your version is delicious!
Isadora @ She Likes Food says
I don’t think I’ve ever had white chili before, but it look so good! I can’t believe how cold it is where you are! I complained all day about how cold I was and I think it was in the 80s here, lol! I guess I’m just a softie! You should come to AZ for vacation! Unfortunately, I can’t pay your way, but I will still be happy to eat all the chilli 🙂
Sarah says
Hahaha! I would take your 80’s temps in a heartbeat! It’s actually not too bad here in AR right now—It warmed up and yesterday it got up in the high 70’s with full-on humidity!
ALal says
Is there anyway to toggle off your share buttons? They cover the recipe measurments.