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White Chicken Chili

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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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.

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.

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.

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
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.

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.

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.

Tips for Perfect Chili

  1. Cut chicken in uniform cubes – aim for 1/2-inch cubes so the chicken cooks up evenly.
  2. Drain and rinse beans – this removes excess thick liquid from the beans.
  3. Puree 1/2 cup chili – this gives the chili an extra creamy texture. Make sure you puree this portion prior to adding the chicken.
  4. Simmer chili 10-15 minutes – this will allow the flavors to meld together.
  5. 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.

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.

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!

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.

We love chili around here! Try these recipes next.

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.
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White Chicken Chili

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.

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 383kcal

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

Storing Instructions
Store chili in refrigerator up to 6 days. Chili may also be frozen up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 12 oz soup (calculated without toppings) | Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 9/5/25.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    I’ve never had white chicken chili before, so I definitely need to change that! Your pictures are totally making me want this for breakfast! 🙂 What a great comfort food, Sarah! So perfect for these cool fall days!

    Reply

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