White Chicken Chili
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This chicken chili is the kind of cozy, one-pot meal that works just as well for game day as it does on a weeknight. And the leftovers? Even better the next day.
If you’re looking for a change from traditional chili, white chicken chili is a great option. It’s made with pulled chicken and white beans in a savory, spiced broth instead of the usual ground meat, kidney beans, and tomato base. It’s a bit more soup-like than my classic beef chili recipe, turkey chili, or chili con carne, but it still delivers big flavor.
I’ve tried countless white chicken chili recipes over the years—from slow-cooker shortcuts to more authentic, from-scratch takes, and this one is the clear winner. It strikes the perfect balance between ease and depth of flavor—and it’s my family’s favorite by far. Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken keeps the prep simple without sacrificing taste. Serve it with homemade cornbread for a cozy, comforting dinner in under an hour.
“This was amazing! So easy and pleased the whole family.”
What You’ll Need To Make White Chicken Chili
- Canned White Beans: Add creaminess and a hearty texture to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: The broth base of the chili. Low-sodium keeps the dish from being overly salty when paired with canned beans.
- Onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper & poblano pepper: Sautéed at the start for a flavorful aromatic foundation.
- Spices (Cumin, Coriander, Ancho Chile Powder): This earthy, smoky spice blend adds depth and warmth to the chili.
- Rotisserie chicken, white beans & corn: the add-ins. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a major time-saver, but feel free to use any leftover chicken. White beans like cannellini, Great Northern, or navy add heartiness and thicken to the broth, and corn brings sweetness and texture (fresh corn is ideal but frozen works too).
- Lime Juice & Fresh Cilantro: Added at the end for brightness and fresh flavor. Feel free to omit the cilantro or substitute parsley if you’re not a fan.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Purée half the beans. In a food processor, combine half of the white beans with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Process until smooth—you’ll use this mixture to thicken the chili later.
Step 2. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and peppers and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Step 3. Add garlic and spices. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the spices and cook a few minutes more to toast them and deepen their flavor.
Step 4. Add broth and thicken. Pour in the remaining chicken broth, salt, and the puréed bean mixture. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 5. Stir in the add-ins. Add the shredded chicken, remaining beans, corn, and lime juice. Simmer until everything is heated through, then finish with the fresh cilantro. The chili will be brothy but thickens as it sits; you can add broth or water to loosen it up if needed.
Step 6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, lime wedges, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. The chili keeps nicely for up to 3 days in the fridge; freeze for longer storage.
Pro Tip: Short on freezer space? Ladle cooled chili into a resealable zip-top bag, press out the air, and seal it flat. Once frozen, it stacks neatly like a file—perfect for squeezing into a packed freezer.
Video Tutorial
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White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce (439-g) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (see note)
- 2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced (see note)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- Salt
- 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded (about 4 cups)
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Optional For Serving
- Sour cream
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend half of the beans (1 can) with 1 cup (240 ml) of the chicken broth. Set aside both the puréed beans and the remaining whole beans.
- Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeño pepper, and poblano peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the cumin, coriander, and ancho chile powder and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for one minute more to toast the spices. Add the chicken broth, puréed beans, and ½ teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken, reserved whole beans, corn, and lime juice; bring back to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and lime juice, if necessary. Stir in the cilantro. (Note that the broth will be somewhat soupy -- that's how it is supposed to be. It thickens the longer it sits; see note below.) Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and lime wedges.
Notes
- The seeds and ribs in the peppers hold all of the heat. I don't use them to keep the chili mild and family-friendly, but if you like a spicy chili, save them and stir some in at the end. (If you do touch the seeds, be sure to wash your hands well and avoid touching your eyes.)
- The chili thickens as it sits. If you make it ahead of time, you will probably need to add more broth or water to thin it out.
- Nutrition info does not include optional toppings.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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This is the best chicken chili ever! I have only made it once and it was a huge success – so that I have been asked to make it again for Super Bowl Sunday.
Every recipe that Jen has recommended and that I have tried (about 10 so far), has been such an outrageous success in our house. I have pre-ordered 2 cookbooks and look forward to April not only for its longer and warmer days but also the ability to try even more of Jen’s recipes. (2nd book ordered is for my best friend. What are best friends for?) Thanks, Jen, for all of your work. You are a genius in the kitchen!
Thank you for your support, Trudy…so happy you’re having success with the recipes! 😘
Amazing recipe. Whole family loved it. Thanks!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! My whole family loved it. I followed the recipe as is except I cooked my own chicken and substituted chili powder and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes for the ancho powder since I didn’t have those items. This recipe is a keeper!
This is quite easy and delicious, filling and waist friendly soup.
I didn’t have the chicken soup, so I took the back bone from the rotisserie chicken added some water and let it simmer to make my own broth.
I like to serve this with sauerkraut for a more satisfying meal.
Instead of tortillas I also serve this with toasted baguette that has been rubbed with a clove of garlic butter.
Some people do not like the taste or smell of cilantro, so you can easily use thinly shredded kale or parsley.
This is my go to chili. I love that it is an easy weeknight meal and so comforting on those cold nights. It goes great with jalapeño corn bread on the side.
Is there a substitute for the ancho chili powder? I only have regular chili powder. Does it make a difference? I can’t wait to give it a try! It sounds delicious!
Hi Tricia, You can use regular chili powder. Ancho chili powder is a bit smoky and spicy – so you might try adding a bit of smoked paprika and cayenne to boost the flavor.
I prefer to put poblano peppers on the hot grill, roast until nearly black. Wrap and peel. Then put on smoker with the chicken breast. The smoked flavor makes this exceptionally rich
I like very mild chili, but the recipe looks good. I just don’t understand how to make the chili mild. Any suggestions on how to tone the recipe down? I am new to cooking soup. Thanks
Hi Cammie, The seeds in the peppers hold all of the heat in this recipe, so when you cut up the peppers, be careful to remove all the seeds. (I don’t use them to keep the chili mild.) If you want to be extra conservative, you can completely omi the jalapeno. Hope you enjoy!
Everyone loved this chili. I did add a few things because I could resist: 10 roasted tomatillo, 7 oz can green chilies. This is a great comfort food..
This was very good. More soup than chili just like Jenn said. I poached and chopped two chicken breasts instead of using rotisserie chicken to help cut back on the salt. Since I used less chicken, I added a third can of beans and some extra peppers. I also zested a lime and added the juice of that lime to the soup instead of serving on the side. Served with tortilla chips, sour cream, avacado and Cotija cheese as topping options. I will definitely be adding this to the rotation of chilis I make all winter. Thank you!
Absolutely phenomenal, better than any that we’ve ever had in a restaurant! Looking forward to making it again, this time I’ll be sure to have on hand fresh limes (used Rose’s lime juice) fresh cilantro and ancho chili powder (used reg. chili powder) Anticipating an even better flavor, if that’s possible?! I can only imagine