White Chicken Chili
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This easy white chicken chili recipe is hearty, comforting, and packed with bold, savory flavor—perfect for game day or a cozy weeknight dinner.
This white chicken chili recipe is a favorite in my house, especially when the weather turns chilly. I’ve tried many versions of this dish—some were basically dump-everything-in-a-pot recipes, while others were far more complicated than they needed to be. This one strikes just the right balance: easy enough for a weeknight but with a few extra steps that build real depth of flavor.
Made with rotisserie chicken, creamy white beans, poblano and jalapeño peppers, corn, and warm spices, it’s hearty and full of flavor, with a squeeze of lime to brighten everything up. Puréeing some of the beans gives the chili a rich, creamy texture, while rotisserie chicken keeps the prep to a minimum. Best of all, it’s on the table in under an hour. Add a side of warm cornbread, and dinner is done!
“This was amazing! So easy and pleased the whole family.”
What You’ll Need To Make White Chicken Chili
- White Beans: Cannellini, Great Northern, or navy beans all work well. Some of the beans are puréed with the broth to give the chili a creamy, full-bodied texture without adding cream.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the savory base of the chili. I recommend low-sodium broth so you can control the seasoning, especially since canned beans can add quite a bit of salt.
- Onion, Garlic, Jalapeño & Poblano Peppers: These aromatics form the flavor base of the chili. Removing the seeds and ribs from the peppers keeps the heat mild and family-friendly.
- Cumin, Coriander & Ancho Chile Powder: This combination gives the chili its warm, earthy, and gently smoky flavor. Ancho chile powder is made from dried poblano peppers, so it adds more depth than heat.
- Rotisserie Chicken: A major time-saver that makes this chili easy enough for a weeknight. You can also use leftover cooked chicken.
- Corn: Adds a touch of sweetness and a nice pop of texture. Frozen corn is convenient and works beautifully here.
- Lime Juice & Fresh Cilantro: Stirred in at the end, they add freshness and acidity that balance the rich, savory broth. If you don’t care for cilantro, you can leave it out or substitute parsley.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make White Chicken Chili
Purée some of the beans: Blend some of the white beans with chicken broth until completely smooth. This is the secret to giving the chili a creamy, full-bodied texture without adding cream or flour.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook the onions and peppers until softened.
Add garlic and spices: Stir in the garlic, followed by the spices, and cook until fragrant. Toasting the spices briefly brings out their flavor.
Build the broth: Add the chicken broth and puréed beans, stirring until smooth. Simmer until the flavors meld and the broth develops some body.
Finish the chili: Stir in the chicken, whole beans, corn, and lime juice and cook just until everything is warmed through. Add the cilantro at the end. The chili will be somewhat brothy at first and will thicken as it sits.
Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and add your favorite toppings—I like sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and a squeeze of lime. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they’re even better the next day; the chili can also be frozen for longer storage.
Video Tutorial
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White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 (15.5-oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups 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
- 4 cloves garlic, 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 1 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.) 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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The chili will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that it will thicken up as it sits in the fridge. When you reheat it, you will likely need to add more broth or water to thin it out. The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
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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Love your website! Have made several of your recipes since finding you and they are all “keepers” with thumbs up from family ~ without ever changing a thing! Can’t wait to make this again and am already planning on making it for others . Such a treat to get a new recipe in my box and always end up stopping at the store on the way home for ingredients 🙂
I made this Chili last week and we LOVED IT! I am actually making it again today because it was so delicious. The consistency is perfect and there is so much flavor.
Thanks for sharing!
My husband made the white bean chicken chili and it was scrumptious!!! I love your website and the beautiful photos!! We are looking forward to making another recipe.
Hi Jenn! I love your blog! Like you, I was a professional chef in big city big name places- then quit to have a couple of rug rats. The hours, you know. Now I’m an RD. But anyway, I seldom cook with recipes. I love looking at recipes, for inspiration, but I rarely cook from them. This time I did. I was intrigued by the bean puree in a chili. LOVED the dish and so did rugrat #1, which is quite high praise! Thanks for all your hard work and gorgeous photos!
Made this today. Used chipotle chili powder instead of Ancho and added some smoked sea salt. Wonderful flavor. Perfect dish for a cold winter day. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
What chili powder can you use instead of ancho chili powder?
Hi Gerry, I love the flavor of ancho chili powder but regular chili powder can be used.
I’m getting ready to make this, but couldn’t find poblano peppers so bought 2 serrano peppers instead, which I understand are much hotter. Should I cut the serrano # to 1 or to 1/2? Or leave out and just do the 1 jalapeno? Any suggestions?
Hi Jane, I hope I’m not too late! Definitely only use one serrano or jalapeno pepper and be sure to remove the seeds — they are very hot. If you have any bell peppers, those would be a good substitute for the poblanos.
Hi Jenn,
I do appreciate your reply, but it was too late…and turned out fantastic. Fortunately I remembered that the seeds contain most of the heat (from a long ago lesson learned the hard way). I ended up using half of a Serrano pepper which was enough kick for me. But I’ll add a whole one next time since my husband prefers lots of heat. Sure glad I didn’t use two. I made 3 of your recipes tonight (baby kale salad with crispy garbanzos and shaved Parmesan Reggiano and roasted curry carrots) after just finding you yesterday. Each item was fantastic and not too complicated. Can’t wait to make another “Once Upon A Chef Meal.” Thank you so much for these incredible recipes.
By far the best chili ever!! Thanks so much for all your awesome recipes!
Hi Jenn-
My sister is a vegetarian, any suggestions for this recipe? Possibly shrimp and seafood stock?
Yes, that sounds delicious!
Just FYI, shrimp and seafood are not considered vegetables 🙂
This is delicious and loved by the whole family. I had two extra large carrots and some kale that needed to be used. Diced the carrot and sautéed it with the onion and put the kale in the last 15/20 minutes. Will put this in the winter soup rotation.