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Chicken Chili with White Beans

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This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.

Dutch oven of chicken chili.

This is a healthy chili that you can actually feel good about eating: it’s made from scratch, loaded with veggies, and chock-full of protein-rich chicken and beans. Don’t worry, it’s still hearty and delicious — even your manly football fanatics will love it.

What you’ll need to make Chicken Chili with White Beans

Chili ingredients including cannellini beans, chicken broth, and garlic.

At first glance, the list of ingredients looks long but it’s really just a lot of spices; and while it simmers on the stove for almost two hours, active cooking time is only about 30 minutes.

It’s important to use regular ground chicken – not the kind labeled “lean” – and same goes if you’re substituting ground turkey. Also, use Pomi boxed chopped tomatoes if you can find them; they are superior to canned tomatoes and lend nice texture to the chili.

Onions and red peppers in a Dutch oven.

How to make it

To begin, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or nonreactive soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.

Cooked onions and red peppers in a Dutch oven.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Ground chicken and spices in a Dutch oven with vegetables.

As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Wooden spoon in a Dutch oven with a chicken mixture.

Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar.

Tomatoes in a Dutch oven with a chicken mixture.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined.

White beans in a pot of tomato and chicken mixture.

For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Note that this chili is moderately spicy; feel free to adjust to your liking by increasing or decreasing the cayenne and red pepper flakes.

Dutch oven of chicken chili.

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Chicken Chili with White Beans

This chicken chili is a hearty, healthy dish you can feel good about eating.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions, from 2 medium onions
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 pounds ground chicken (preferably not labeled "lean")
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit for milder chili)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 (26 oz.) cartons Pomi chopped tomatoes or two (28 oz.) cans chopped or diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large nonreactive pot over medium heat. Add the onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring to prevent garlic from burning, about two minutes more.
  2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. As the chicken cooks, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into very small clumps; cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered with lid ajar, for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered for about 50 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and the flavors are well combined. For a soupier chili, you can add additional water. For a thicker chili, simmer uncovered until desired consistency is reached. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
  5. Note: Pomi boxed tomatoes are available at some regular grocers, Whole Foods and gourmet food shops.
  6. Note: A nonreactive pot is made of a material that will not react negatively with acidic ingredients. Stainless steel, enamel, glass and nonstick (as long as there are no scratches in the nonstick coating) are all safe to use. Do not use cast iron or aluminum.
  7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. (The chili will thicken up some when frozen, so you’ll likely need to add some broth when reheating.)

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (1 3/4 - 2 cups servings)
  • Calories: 374
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29 g
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Fiber: 9 g
  • Protein: 31 g
  • Sodium: 1110 mg
  • Cholesterol: 111 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Can I also use a mixture of ground turkey and spicy Italian sausage

    • — Jerrika Grissette
    • Reply
    • Yes, that should work. Enjoy!

  • I have a Hamilton Beach 4 qt. crockpot how long would i cook it for on LOW or HIGH

    • — Jerrika Grissette
    • Reply
    • Hi Jerrika, I don’t have a slow cooker so I don’t know how long it would take in one. These conversion tips may help. That said, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the trouble to make it in a slow cooker because you’d need to follow the same process, and as is, it cooks very quickly on the stovetop.

    • I converted my regular chili recipe to a crockpot as I like getting it ready, go skiing and come back to dinner. That being said I do it on low for 4 hours and it works great. I’ve also had it in there for 6 and still perfect.
      Will be trying this recipe the same way. I don’t see why it would be anything but perfect.

      • — Laura M on November 27, 2022
      • Reply
  • This chicken chili is DELICIOUS!! My husband and I have made it 3 times in the past month!! If that doesn’t say 5 stars, I don’t know what does 😉

  • Made this tonight. Followed recipe exactly as written, and it was perfect. For anyone who thinks it might be missing something, maybe top it with some shredded cheddar and/or low fat sour cream.

  • This chicken chili is simply amazing! My family loves it each time I prepare it. I followed the recipe exactly & it turn out perfectly every time. Definitely a favorite in this household!
    Thank you, Jenn!!!👍🏼😍

  • Very easy and yummy. Made a considerable amount. I will halve it next time. I served it with cornbread which was perfect.

  • I loved the ground chicken chili recipe. I only had 1# of ground chicken and it turned out great. Perfect meal for a cold day!

  • I used half beef and half chicken. So delicious! Thanks Jen 🙂

  • It was amazing, the peppers made it sweet without adding sugar. I had orange peppers but worked perfectly. Great blend of flavors. My family loved it.

  • Hi Jenn,
    My son won’t eat anything with pieces of tomato in it. Could I puree the tomatoes or would significantly alter the texture, taste of the chili? Is there something else I could use in their place?

    Thanks!

    • Hi Katy – my daughter is the same. You can definitely use crushed tomatoes (or puréed) instead of diced. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂

    • Same! 😂😂😂. I puréed San Marzano canned tomatoes and it was fine! I also have to use a chopper to cut onions and peppers so small that they are almost liquified 🙄.

      • — Jill on January 16, 2023
      • Reply
  • My experience with this recipe began as A Series of Unfortunate Events (which I’ll detail below), but it ended with a culinary EXPLOSION!

    First off, I’d taken out 2 lbs of ground chicken breast to thaw and then decided I was craving a chili recipe. I came across this one – and of course Jenn warns MULTIPLE times in the recipe NOT to use lean chicken meat. But, it looked SO good. So, I sent her a message and she replied within MINUTES telling me it’d be fine, but just a bit more dry. BTW who replies that fast? (Answer: No one) Also, for those who are using c.breast, I just used a little more oil when I sautéed it and it was fine.

    Anyway, I go to Sprouts bc I need to purchase beans and the Pomi tomatoes. I pick up what I think I need and head home. I’m in the grind, cooking away, and I put in the Pomi tomatoes and I’m thinking, AMAZING consistency. Then I pour in the second carton – and it’s STEWED tomatoes, not chopped. Ok, ok.. no problem. Same taste, different texture, right?

    Except that I open up my spice cabinet and I HAVE NO CHILI POWDER OR CRUSHED RED PEPPER. What? I’m ethnically Pakistani, so this may actually make me lose my ethnic card. At any rate, I doubled up on the cayenne pepper, and I used paprika 1.5 tsp and .5 chipotle to pizzaz it up.

    I was making bread bowls for the first time simultaneously and almost burned those suckers as well. Thankfully, all was well and I managed to save them.

    Conclusion: I have four children who DEVOURED this meal. They are not happy, easy going eaters. And they LOVED it. I loved it too. As I mentioned, I’m ethically Pakistani and our cuisine is bursting with robust flavors that combine perfectly – this one definitely hit the spot.

    It seems to be a pretty fool proof recipe. So much so that I’m writing a review – and I never write reviews. So, go make it. Right now 🙂.

    • So glad it turned out well, Huma!

  • Where can I purchase the small can of Cannellini beans?

    • Hi Jane, Sorry for any confusion– the cannellini beans are the normal/standard size. I removed the word “small” from the ingredient. You’ll be able to find them at any grocery store. Hope you enjoy!

  • I have made this recipe many, many times! I have followed the recipe exactly, and I have made other versions with different proteins. It is currently on the stove using ground pork from our farm share. It is always my go to chili recipe and we love adding corn to it! Wonderful recipe! Jenn you never disappoint!

  • I used this chili recipe, which I love, and turned it into a tamale pie. I thickened it up just a bit by adding a little masa, then poured it into a casserole pan. I topped it with some grated cheddar cheese and then covered with a cornbread batter and baked until the cornbread was golden. It was a spectacular hit at the office potluck.

  • This chili is perfect. The seasoning really works and I love the added spice of red pepper. I added a can of Rotel tomato/chilis for an extra zing. It’s a great cold weather warm-me-up meal.

  • Just like every dish of yours that I’ve made this was amazing. This was my first time making chili and it was awesome. I followed our directions exactly. I like that fact that i was in control of every ingredient added. And by making sure the ground chicken had some fat in it I didn’t miss using beef.

    Thanks as always!

    • — Roderick Walker
    • Reply
  • Can I use shady Brooke ground turkey?

    • Sure, that’ll work!

  • When you cook any of your recipes are you using table salt, kosher salt, or sea salt? What kind are you using for this recipe?

    • — Jerrika grissette
    • Reply
    • Hi Jerrika, if any of my recipes just say “salt” you can assume it’s table salt (like in this recipe). If you need to use a different type of salt, I will specify that in the recipe. Hope you enjoy the chili!

  • What kind of salt? kosher salt, table salt, or sea salt ?

    • — Jerrika Grissette
    • Reply
    • Just regular table salt.

  • Can I use black or kidney beans instead of the white beans?

    • — Jerrika Grissette
    • Reply
    • Definitely!

    • Perfect question thank you for asking. I love kidney beans in my chilli

  • Can a crockpot be used to make this chili?

    • Hi TB, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the trouble to make in a slow cooker because you’d need to follow the same process, and as is it cooks very quickly on the stovetop.

  • I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been served chili over the years. Most were fine. Some were great and a couple were even amazing. But this Chicken Chili with White Beans is, without a doubt, the best chili I have ever tasted……and I made it myself.

    You Jenn Segal are a master!

  • Hi Jenn!

    I made this recipe for football Sunday and my family loved it.

    I am hosting a get together and was hoping to do as much prep work as possible before the day .

    What are your thoughts if I made this a day before the get together and heat it up for the party? Can you offer any suggestions if I tried to make this is a crockpot?

    Thank you!

    • Hi Lily, It’s perfectly fine to make this ahead of time; just keep in mind that it will thicken up quite a bit in the fridge and you’ll probably need to thin it with a little broth or water. I don’t recommend making it in a crockpot but it’s fine to reheat and serve in one. Hope that helps!

  • Every time I want to describe one of Jenns recipes I want to say “my favorite recipe” ! However, all the recipes I’ve tried on here are all my favorite recipes and let’s just say I’ve tried most of them already…

    With that in mind, this chili is so delicious and hearty and scrumptious it’s hard not to share it with others.

    I was recently invited to a special event in which the theme was “Southern Charm and cowboys/cowgirls” and I immediately offered to bring this chili for everyone to try. Let it be known that the first thing to disappear amongst the delicious bakes hams, country fried chicken and biscuits was this delightful chili.

    Everyone loved it.

    The main reason why I adore this chili is that you don’t feel heavy after eating it. The fact that it’s chicken makes it so much leaner and a heart healthy choice. It’s a delicious HEALTHY chili that makes you feel good, not guilty, after eating it.

    We’ve eaten this at home in a bowl with a side of delicious corn bread and that has been the perfect eating scenario for us. We also added it to some hotdogs and made chili dogs, that of course was awesome but this was meant to be enjoyed in a bowl, in my opinion.

    Another great thing about this chili is that it stores well. If you want to freeze leftovers or refrigerate them for lunch the next day or two, it keeps well. In fact, chili on day two tastes better than freshly made since all those delicious flavors have melted into each other.

    Another 5 star recipe that has made it into my personal recipe book.

  • I can’t get over how good ground chicken is in chili – thanks Jenn for this wonderful recipe. I made a half batch more or less – used the same amount of veggies, mixed the seasoning and used half, and then halved the rest – my 91 year old mother especially loves this chili!

  • If I were able to make a ground beef chili with this recipe and I didn’t have any beef stock would I be able to use chicken stock instead?

    • Sure, that would be fine.

  • This was delicious my family devoured it! I was just wondering would it be possible for me to substitute some things like ground beef instead of the ground chicken and kidney and black beans instead of white beans, for a beef chili recipe?

    • Hi Jerrika, glad your family enjoyed the chili! Yes, chili is pretty flexible so you can play around with the ingredients a bit; ground beef and kidney and black beans would be fine here. I’d love to know how it turns out with those tweaks!

  • Hi Jen,
    I’m curious as to why there is over 1100mg of sodium per serving. Just sounds like so much because you’re using low soduim broth. Thanks!

    • Hi Donna, there are actually several ingredients in the chili that contribute to the sodium– the canned tomatoes and beans are fairly high in sodium and the 2 teaspoons of added salt play a part as well. If you’re watching your sodium intake, you can buy reduced-sodium beans and cut back on the added salt. Hope that helps!

  • I am going to try this tonight. I was wondering about the coriander. I don’t have any and I’ve never tried it. I hate wasting money on a spice that I’ll never use again. Is it a make or break if I don’t use this spice?

    • No Nicole, the lack of coriander won’t make or break the recipe. You could always add a bit more cumin to the chili as it’s got a similar warm quality. Hope you enjoy!

  • Hi Jenn,
    I am really enjoying your website, You are helping me be a better cook! I really appreciate the helpful advice you always include. I do have a question about the nonreactive pots. I have cast iron that has a ceramic coating (I think its ceramic!), is this ok to use? Thank you!

    • Yes Doreen, that should work just fine! Hope you enjoy the chili.

  • As with all of your other recipes that I’ve made, this was delicious. I doubled the beans and because I love spice I added four jalapeños.

  • We really enjoyed this chili…I was hesitant in the beginning that it would not be what I was hoping for but was very happy with the end result. First time having chicken chili & we will eat again. We did exactly as written but omitted cayenne & red pepper flakes for our kiddies :-).

  • Hi! In regards to the chicken when you say not extra lean meat do you use ground dark meat? Or ground white meat just specifying that not extra lean. Thanks!

    • Yes Sophia, you just want to stick to the regular ground chicken – not the one that specifies “extra lean,” which is all breast meat. Hope you enjoy!

  • I made half of this recipe to give it a try…..now I am sorry I didn’t make a full batch. Delicious! Thank you.

  • I made this exactly according to recipe the first time and found it to be too salty and spicy. That could have been because of a variation in the type of chill powder you use versus what I can get here in Canada. The second time I made it I used only 1 teaspoon of salt as the chicken stock is already salted and cut back to a little over 2 teaspoons of chill powder. YUM! a real keeper. thanks for all your hard work and the inspiration you provide to home cooks.

  • SO much flavor! I will make this again and again.

  • Good for chicken chili!

  • We are teaming up at work to lose weight and looking for some good recipes to try and share the goods at lunch time. Some of your recipes have the “Nutrition Information,” but I don’t see any for this recipe. It is one that I would like to think about cooking and bringing next week to share. Do you have any information?

    • Good for you! I just added the nutritional information for this recipe. Hope you enjoy–

      • And good for you 🙂 Many people like this information. Nutrition information you provide is for whole recipe, per 100g or per serving? I can’t find this info. Thanks.

        • It’s per serving.

  • yum! I couldn’t find ground chicken so I used turkey. It wound up being a little soupy so I tossed in half a thing of cream cheese. Delicious. I will make this again. Thank you.

  • I’ve made chicken chili before but with store bought packet of seasoning. This recipe sounds fabulous and looks easy so will be trying it for Bunco next month. This has to be so much better than how I’ve been doing it previously.

  • For my family, I would lessen or omit the cayenne pepper. Definitely would consider the cornbread, since it would balance out the lighter chili. Jenn, I do love how you make those pre-emptive suggestions… such as being carful with purchasing regular ground chicken. Or that Pomi chopped tomatoes are worth the purchase. I balked at buying a red pepper for $4.99 or $5.99/pound. I finally found red peppers for $.99 each at Trader Joes. Will freeze the leftovers that will hopefully save me from one of my more scattered days. I also prepped the spices in a mason jar over the weekend. Anything that I can prep ahead, I just adore… xox

  • This is such a great chili recipe. I used ground turkey. My husband was hesitant to try it since it wasn’t beef chili. However, he went back for seconds and is asking me to make it again!
    Love your website- very attractively presented with clear and detailed instructions. Thank you!!

    • — Susanna Alcaro Funk
    • Reply
  • Absolutely the best chicken chili. I did use the lean ground chicken breast and it was still great. My husband and teenage daughters all loved it. So excited I found this just as fall is kicking off. Will be a staple through the cold weather season.

  • Great all purpose chicken chili recipe. I substituted a beer for the chicken broth because that is what I usually do. I think it adds flavor….and beer is good for the Super Bowl right? but it is only September. ?Another winner of a recipe that is highly adaptable. Thanks for a great recipe

  • Is this chili spicy? I have a 3 and 4 year old that can’t eat spicy food.

    • Hi Tanisha, A little, yes. I would omit the cayenne pepper.

  • So amazing. I was concerned this was going to be an average chili. Boy was I wrong. Even with 100 degrees outside it was worth it. From drought stricken California. Hello!!!

  • Absolutely fantastic! The flavors were perfect with just the right amount of spice to please everyone. I made this for company along with your cornbread (Savory Cornbread with Cheddar and Thyme) and it was great for a relaxing and hearty dinner that was still healthy! Thanks so much!

  • Another winner! Made this exactly as directed and my husband and I loved it. Don’t even miss the beef. Definitely a keeper.

  • I am trying this tomorrow and I just have two questions.

    1. Does this recipe work for a beef chili(for future reference)?

    2. Can I make this in a slow cooker(and do you have any modification suggestions)?

    I just found your site and I have made a list of things to make. Next up is the Curry Chicken!!!!

    • Hi Maui, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work for beef chili (but if you can hold off a few weeks, I’ll be sharing a wonderful beef chili recipe soon). As for the slow cooker, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the trouble because you’d need to follow the same process, and as is it cooks very quickly on the stovetop. Hope that helps 🙂

  • This recipe is now in my rotation of dinner meals – it’s great as a leftover meal, and is so easy to prepare. I once used Chipotle Chili Pepper and it added a nice spicy kick…. I usually halve the recipe since it yields quite a bit, and use a whole red pepper (instead of halving it for half the recipe) for the nice color. When I have time, I also bake your cornbread muffins which complements the flavor. Thanks for all the great recipes!

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