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
More Tex-Mex Recipes to Spice Up Your Dinners
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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I make this alot as it is so good. Today I just poached two large chicken breasts with some TJ onion salt. I couldn’t get a rotisserie chicken. I think I like it better using the chicken breasts as it is less messy than dealing with a carcass and the white meat is zero points if you follow WW.
Excellent recipe! Only included the pureed beans due to picky kids, who had no idea pureed beans were in soup. Family loved it. Served with homemade cornbread. Recipe is a keeper, thank you!
I’ve tried quite a few white chili recipes over the years, but this one is a keeper. Other than using shredded chicken breasts instead of the rotisserie chicken, we changed nothing. Thank you for sharing.
Very very tasty. I didn’t have white beans so I used black beans. I also didn’t have any peppers but I used some homemade hot sauce made from chili’s and it was perfect and quick. Other than the substitutions I followed the seasonings exactly. Such an easy meal! We used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for garnish. Will definitely make this again.
Instead of using a store-bought rotisserie chicken, I cooked my own from frozen at low in the slow cooker for 10 hours. The chicken fell off the bone and left a good quantity of stock which I could then use to make the broth for the recipe. It wasn’t all that much more trouble and was well worth it, as it resulted in richer flavors!
Made this tonight. It really comes together nicely with the suggested garnishes. Easy to make, very tasty and filling. Don’t be afraid of using the two types of peppers and spices, in fact next time I might leave in some seed for an extra kick. Great for a cold night.
This chili came out great. Been meaning to make it for awhile and finally did. It paired lovely with fall weather. One question Jenn, I used cannellini beans instead of white beans, is that ok to substitute?
Glad you liked it! Yes, cannellini beans are fine here. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I am looking to make this soon, but I do not have a food processor. Could I use a blender? Please let me know when you can. Thank you!
Sure, Jess, a blender will work. Enjoy!
This is one of my go-to dinners–and I have served it for company as well. It’s so easy to through together, but everybody loves it. It tastes even better the second day (If I can get it to last that long!)
Do you think I could put this all together in crockpot and cook on low?
I love this recipe and have made several times but thinking I’d like to try in crockpot.
Thanks
Glad you like it, Jessie! I think this could be made in a slow cooker. I don’t have a slow cooker, so I’m not certain about the timing. These tips may help. (And if you use the slow cooker, I may suggest chicken thighs as they will retain more moisture while cooking low and slow.) I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Do I need to drain the can of beans before I process it with a cup of broth?
Yes – Hope you enjoy!
This was good. Used blender instead of food processor and it worked just fine. I hate cilantro and cumin so I excluded those. I used extra (regular) chili powder and some red pepper flakes. I also used a tiny, tiny bit of canned jalapeño. And good thing, because this was very spicy to me! But very tasty! The corn is delicious and I will be adding more: Nice change from regular chili.