White Chicken Chili Recipe
White Chicken Chili is a flavorful chicken variation from a traditional chili. This creamy chili is made with tender chicken, white beans, corn, sour cream, vegetables, and just the right spices to flavor the dish perfectly. You can easily double the recipe and freeze some for later.
Table of contents
White chicken chili is a creamy chicken alternative that’s made with many of the same ingredients that are in the traditional beef chili. It’s loaded with meat, beans, vegetables, and the same spice palate. It’s an extremely flavorful dish and just as healthy.
Another great thing about this chili is that it’s gluten free. There are no glutenous ingredients in it and there are many gluten free options for toppings, including tortilla strips.
To make this chili creamy, I use sour cream because it is the best compliment for the vegetables. I also have some exciting news for my lactose intolerant readers! I found lactose free sour cream made by the Green Valley Creamery brand. It was a vary exciting discovery because in addition to being gluten free, this white chicken chili can also be lactose free.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Sauté the veggies. Add some oil to a large pot and let it heat over medium. Add the diced vegetables and sauté until softened. Once softened, add the garlic to the pot and sauté just until fragrant.
- Add the chilis. Mix in the can of chopped green chiles.
- Add the chicken. Add the halved chicken breasts into the pot and nestle them in with the veggies. Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and cook for just a few more minutes.
- Add more ingredients. Mix in the beans, corn, stock and spices to the pot. Lower the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for about 1 hour.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot. Shred it with 2 forks. You can chop the chicken instead if preferred.
- Make it creamy. Add the shredded (or chopped) chicken back to the pot and add sour cream. Mix well until sour cream is completely incorporated.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Using rotisserie chicken meat can be a nice and quick way to make this chili. Make sure to separate the meat from all the bones carefully and take off the skin. Shred the chicken meat and add it to the chili when done cooking the veggies. You can cut out the extra cooking time that it takes to cook the chicken.
Sour cream is a nice option to make this chili creamy and tangy. You can also use a combination of cream cheese and sour cream, or cream cheese and some heavy whipping cream.
Storing and Reheating
- Store cooled chili in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3-4 days.
- To reheat, it’s easy to reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops.
- You can also reheat it in the pot over medium-low heat, if reheating the whole batch. Stir frequently until warmed through.
How to Freeze White Chicken Chili
- Make sure to freeze the chili before adding the sour cream. Prepare chili as directed in the recipe, up to the step of adding sour cream.
- It’s best to cool the chili as quickly as you can before freezing it.
- Once it cools, portion it into smaller freezer bags or larger bags, let all the air out, and close it well. Remember to label and date.
- Lay the bags flat on the cutting board and freeze. You can stack the bags once frozen.
- Chili can be frozen for up to 6 months.
- Make sure to slow-thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Bring thawed chicken chili to simmer over medium heat and stir in sour cream until completely incorporated.
More Chili Recipes To Try
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White Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 medium tomatillos
- 2 jalapenos seeds removed for less spice (leave in for more spice)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 16 oz can navy beans drained
- 8 oz frozen corn thawed
- 2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder more or less to taste
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Dice onion, tomatillos, and jalapenos. You can leave seeds in or take seeds out of the jalapeno, depending on how spicy you want the chili. Smash and mince garlic cloves.
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add oil. Add diced vegetables and saute until it's softened.
- Add canned chopped green chiles and mix well.
- Cut chicken breasts in half and nestle chicken halves into the vegetables. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add beans, corn, chicken stock, and spices to the pot and mix well. Lower the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Cook for about an hour.
- Take chicken out of the pot and shred it using two forks. (If you want smaller pieces of chicken, you can also chop shredded chicken.)
- Add chicken back to the pot and add sour cream. Mix well until sour cream is completely incorporated.
- Serve with toppings like Monterrey Jack cheese, avocado, cilantro, squeeze of lime juice, crunchy tortilla strips, or some fresh jalapeno if you like it spicy.
Notes
- Using Rotisserie Chicken: Using rotisserie chicken meat can be a nice and quick way to make this chili. Make sure to separate the meat from all the bones carefully and take off the skin. Shred the chicken meat and add it to the chili when done cooking the veggies. You can cut out the extra cooking time that it takes to cook the chicken.
- Crock Pot Instructions: Start by cooking the veggies in a pan first as stated in the recipe, up to the adding of the chicken step. Once the veggies are softened, transfer them into your slow cooker. Add the chicken, stock, and the seasoning. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Take the chicken out and shred it. Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and add the beans and corn. Taste to make sure there’s enough salt and spice. Close the lid on the Crockpot and cook on HIGH for about 1-2 hours or on LOW for about 2-3 hours. Mix in the sour cream at the end.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October, 2019.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Delicious! Thank you! Hubby and I devoured bowls of soup!!
I am so glad you both liked it, Susan!
This is perfect for cold days! My whole family loves it!
I am so happy to hear that!
this looks wonderful. I love white chili. one question – I have chili powder but it is not chipolte chili. is there a difference and will it be ok to substitute? thanks for all your recipes.
Hi, Caroline! You can use chili powder as a substitute for the chipotle chili powder, it will just have a slightly different flavor.