White Chicken Chili
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Made with a rotisserie chicken, this hearty white chicken chili is a one-pot meal that you can have on the table in under an hour.
White chili is a delicious variation of classic chili, featuring chicken or turkey and white beans in a savory broth base instead of the typical kidney beans and tomato base. This results in a lighter color and a more soup-like consistency compared traditional beef chili or chili con carne, while still delivering the same rich and comforting flavor.
I have tried countless recipes for white chicken chili over the years—from super-easy crockpot versions to more authentic, time-consuming ones made from a wide array of dried chili peppers and hominy. This recipe, adapted from Food Network, hits the sweet spot between ease of preparation and depth of flavor—and it’s my family’s favorite. Pair this hearty one-pot meal with warm, buttery cornbread, and you’ve got the perfect dinner ready in under an hour.
Table of Contents
“This was amazing! So easy and pleased the whole family. Simple with complex flavors and comes together in a snap. Great for a cold day or after a busy day at work.”
What You’ll Need To Make White Chicken Chili
- Canned White Beans: Add creaminess and a hearty texture to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: Provides the flavorful liquid base for the chili. Since canned beans are fairly high in sodium, using a low-sodium variety broth helps to keep the flavor of the chili from being overly salty.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic ingredients form the flavor base of the chili.
- Jalapeño Pepper and Poblano Peppers: These peppers add heat and a mild smoky flavor to the chili. Jalapeños provide spiciness, while poblanos offer a gentle kick.
- Spices (Cumin, Coriander, Ancho Chile Powder): The spice blend lends earthy, smoky, deep flavors to the chili.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Adds a convenient source of protein. Pro tip: shred the chicken as soon as you get home from the grocery store; it’s easier to do while the chicken is still warm, eliminates a step at dinnertime, and also takes up less room in the fridge.
- Corn: Adds a touch of natural sweetness and a nice textural contrast to the beans and chicken. Frozen corn is convenient and fine to use; if you’d prefer to use fresh, you’ll need one ear of corn.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Brightens the flavors of the chili.
- Cilantro: Adds a burst of herbal freshness and color to each serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining half of the white beans in a food processor with one cup of the chicken broth. Process until you have a smooth purée. This is what will thicken the broth. Set aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and add the the onions and peppers.
Cook until soft, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic.
Cook a minute more, then add the spices.
Continue cooking for another minute to toast the spices.
Add the chicken broth, salt and puréed bean mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the shredded chicken, beans, corn, and lime and simmer until everything is warmed through.
You will notice that the chili is quite soupy. This is intentional. It thickens as it sits — in fact, if you make it ahead of time, you will likely need to add some broth or water to thin it out. Plus, I find that if the broth is too thick, the chili gets gloppy and unappealing. A soupy broth is good!
Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers with a subtle earthy flavor. They resemble green bell peppers but they are a bit darker and thinner with a pointy tip. They’re readily available in the produce section of most supermarkets, but green bell peppers are a suitable substitute.
Sure! You can use any leftover chicken, or my poached chicken makes a great substitute.
Yes, 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 also be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
You May Also Like
- Chicken Chili with White Beans
- Texas Beef Chili (Chili Con Carne)
- Classic Turkey Chili
- Best Ground Beef Chili
- Chili Mac
Video Tutorial
White Chicken Chili
Made with a rotisserie chicken, this hearty white chicken chili is a one-pot meal that you can have on the table in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5-ounce) 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 (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 ½ of the beans (1 can) with 1 cup 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 chili 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.
- Note: 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.)
- Note: 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.
- Note: Nutrition info does not include optional toppings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Yes, 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
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 2 cups
- Calories: 465
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Sodium: 913 mg
- Cholesterol: 70 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi Jen,
Which white bean would you recommend for the white chicken chili-Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy?
Thank you.
Hi Diane, Honestly any of them would be good, but I usually use cannellini beans.
Hi Jenn,
There isn’t any rotisserie chicken at my local store. Would it be possible to use plain chicken thighs/breast as a substitute, and just throw it into the pan raw? Or do I need to season/cook it beforehand? Thank you!
Cheers,
Patrick
Hi Patrick, it’s perfectly fine to use chicken thighs or breasts in place of the rotisserie chicken but wouldn’t recommend putting them into the pot raw. I’d follow the guidance from this recipe. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hi! Can’t find your make-ahead notes that discuss using chicken breasts over rotisserie. Could you explain? Thank you!
Hi Moira, Sorry — I forgot to include that link! Here it is. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the chili!
We’ve used raw chicken breast ( not thighs though ) for crockpot white chicken chili for years. Adding the raw chicken breasts to the other ingredients in the crockpot adds so much more to the flavor of the finished dish. Pretty sure the same can be done on stovetop or in oven when using a nice sturdy soup pot with nary a problem.
Made “as is” and it was great. I used to make the Nealy recipe but your tweak of blending a can of beans with a cup of stock was a game changer. Totally made the texture of the chili so much better! Plus, mashing those beans was so annoying…. I also like the addition of corn kernels. Thank you! 😊
I’ve had this recipe in the back of my brain for a while, waiting for an opportunity to get a rotissiere chicken. I couldn’t wait any longer and I’m glad that I didn’t. This was absolutely delicious. And my picky hubby went back for seconds.
Disclaimer: I still didn’t get a rotissiere chicken but I subbed 4 chicken thighs (and made my own stock since I was cooking the thighs) so it took way more than an hour. lol
Another home run Jenn! Thanks for sharing.
Made this tonight- AMAZING! Even my little picky eater loves it. Husband and I had multiple bowls. Served with tortilla chips, lime wedges, and shredded pepper jack cheese as suggested. Soo yummy, adding this to my regular rotation!
Made it for the third time, everyone here enjoys it and my college son always ask for a take a way bowl for lunch. I followed the recipe to the tee. Great flavor.
Made this for my girlfriend, she hasn’t stopped gushing about it since.
great recipe.. super easy and delicious.
Must try! Even our picky eater loves it. Easy to prep ingredients ahead of time and super easy to out together. Make it meat free by substituting roasted cauliflower for the chicken. Definitely a go-to recipe in our house!
Absolutely delicious! Try it and you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of my favorite recipes, Even my husband loves it and he doesn’t like chili or soup usually. It’s so filling and the flavors are incredible. It’s also very easy to make. I hate to be that person but I always sub two cans of green chiles instead of the peppers listed (mostly because of the convenience). I also love doing this in my slow cooker and will just cook it on “keep warm” since everything is already cooked. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Great Weeknight Meal. Easy to make and good flavor. I replaced the frozen corn with hominy, as we prefer the texture in this type of Mexican soup/chili. Will definitely make again.
Would chicken stock add more depth of flavor? Also, what would you add to make this a little thicker?
Hi Dorothy, I don’t think it’s necessary to use chicken stock instead of broth. And you could thicken this up with a little cornmeal or finely crushed tortilla chips. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
First, love your site and recipes! Second, I am planning on making Chicken Chili for a casual dinner with some friends. What type of sides would you recommend? Biscuits or bread? Thanks!
Hi Adrienne, So glad you like the recipes! This chili pairs nicely with cornbread muffins. Also, I have a feature on the website– for all main dishes, I suggest one or two sides that I think would pair nicely with them. To see what I’ve suggested, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe. Immediately under the recipe, you’ll see the dishes that I’ve suggested. Hope that helps and that everyone enjoys the chili!
Another absolutely fabulous Jenn recipe!! I goofed and got a Serrano pepper instead of poblano, but it was still great and enough kick for my fam. I didn’t have corn and subbed riced cauliflower, and it worked great. I also added more chicken broth to loosen it up.
My favorite chicken chili! Tossing out all other recipes!
Wow! My husband just oooo’ed and ahhhh’ed this as he overstuffed himself. The. He immediately jumped up and saved every drop for lunch tomorrow.
This was my first time to make a chicken chili. We will be having it again.
I love your recipes. My shopper unfortunately bought me
Serrano peppers instead of poblano…so I used a 4 ounce can of mild hatch chilies.
This chili is killer! Not difficult. I have several chicken chili recipes and this one, by far, is my favorited!! So good with your cornbread muffins. YUM!
This has become my family’s “go to” dinner recipe – everything about it is amazing! We love pairing it with your corn muffins.
I have made this twice so far with Costco rotisserie chicken. It’s delicious and it will continue to be in our rotation.
Delicious!
Love this recipe! Could I freeze it? Would enjoy it at the cabin this fall 😋 Thank you!
Glad you like it! Yes, you can definitely freeze it; see the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
I made this for family and they loved it, will be making more often, thank you for the recipe
Delicious and full of flavour! This didn’t last long! Thanks for another great recipe!
While it tasted OK, it was somehow lacking in depth or complexity in spite of a fair number of ingredients. I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing, but I don’t have a lot of experience with chicken chili either. It just seemed like something was missing.
Susan, if you and your family like a little more ‘heat’, I use an extra poblano and jalapeño pepper, each. This boosts the heat and my family finds it more pleasing. 😘
Jenn, another amazing dinner. It was flavorful and not heavy. Great flavors and aromas. So easy when using rotisserie chicken. Will add to our repertoire. Many thanks.
Unfortunately I was not a fan. It was lacking in flavor. It wasn’t about heat, it just needed something to pop the flavor profile.
I’m guessing you may need to use a different chicken broth. They can really vary in taste and depth.
Can Beef broth be substituted for chicken broth? I returned from store forgetting to buy more chicken broth. 😢 or would you recommend chicken broth cubes?
Hi Jen, Beef broth will be fine. Enjoy!
The best 😋
I’ve made the salmon croquettes and fudged them a little bit, but, I have to say I CLEANED MY PLATE :). I’m afraid of poblanos and I’ve never used ancho chili powder because I’m not supposed to. Anyway, I noted you said to NOT use the seed or ribs in the poblanos. Do I need to use all of them in the recipe? Also, should I cut back on the amount of ancho chili powder?
Thank you for your help:)
Hi Susan, glad you liked the salmon cakes! I’m a little confused by your question. You can use seeds/ribs from the peppers if you want heat, but depending upon how much tolerance you have for heat, I’d definitely add a little at a time, increasing as needed. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the chili!
The white chicken chili was fabulous! Since there was so much chicken, I added more broth, doubled the corn and added some chopped kale. It will join my rotation!
This is such a delicious recipe! Super easy and quick too. The leftovers taste even better. I usually make a double batch so there is plenty for next day lunches. My family loves “White Chili night”.
Thank you!
This is such an excellent recipe! I’ve made it already several times. Usually have things on hand so not hard to make at all. I’ve substituted green chili’s from NM, instead of the poblano’s and they work well.
Thanks for the tips on green chilies. My go to recipe for white chicken chili uses green chilies. Got to try this, based on reviews, and Jen’s fab pics, it looks like a winner 🙏
The flavor is great in this chili and seems to intensify after a day! I love the ease of the recipe and it tastes amazing!
This was amazing! So easy and pleased the whole family. Simple with complex flavors and comes together in a snap. Great for a cold day or after a busy day at work.
I’ve made several of the recipes on Jenn’s website, and I honestly haven’t had a mediocre one yet. They have all been extremely tasty—some a bit more time-consuming than others. But I can say that this has been my go-to chili recipe for months now. I’ve made it more times than I can count, and it’s always delicious whether fresh or as leftovers. I even made some this past holiday to put in Mason jars for gift baskets. Thanks, Jenn—so glad I found you!
We made this for the first time last night for dinner during a cold winter evening. It was easy to make and extremely delicious. We put some cheese and sour cream on top and had tortilla chips on the side. We did keep some of the seeds in to make it a little bit spicier. Great recipe and will definitely make again.
So good. I love making this on game days for my husband and his friends.
Made this for a chili cook-off at my husband’s work a while back and it won first place. It was a little time consuming for me, as I have little kids, but certainly worth the effort if you have time on your hands.
This is one of my favorite things to eat now! I didn’t have the poblano peppers and didn’t blend the beans but it was awesome just the same. I also added some spinach! It was a pretty easy recipe and filling. I also cooked mine for longer than stated but that’s probably because I didn’t blend the beans.
I love this recipe and think I will make it again for the Super Bowl. It is so delicious and quite easy to make, and fun for people to add their own toppings. I love how the soup is thickened slightly by blending some of the beans, and the corn adds a nice crunchy component. This was quite a hit with my family! Thank you for the only white chicken chili recipe I will ever need.
This is a simple but wonderful soup. Followed directions exactly. Family loves it.
This is our favorite white chicken chili recipes. Make it at least once a month. My go to for sure. Yummy
Lovely white chicken chili, full of flavor and easy to make, as well. I froze some for later and it was just as tasty as when freshly made. Delicious.
We love chili’s and this one is delicious! Another hit in our house going on the rotation list
Soup is one of my favorite things to make during the winter and this recipe does not disappoint! I love the flavors and it pairs perfectly with cornbread. YUM!!!
I love this chili! It’s easy to make and wonderful to be able to use rotisserie chicken! Always love it with tortilla chips and cornbread! Always love to freeze some for those busy nights!
Made this for the first time tonight. Easy. Fast. Tasty. Perfect for my cold, rainy night! I added some red peppers just for color, and I include the seeds as the optional directions suggest. I will be making this part of the soup rotation for sure!
Easy, delicious, and hearty, this is easily one of my favorites. Makes a ton, and freezes well for next to instant healthy meals on busy nights.
This is now my family’s favorite chicken chili recipe (my husband and 2 teenage boys). The spice level is perfect. If we have leftovers, it tastes as good the second day as the first. Thanks.
If I could give this 10 out of 10 stars I would as this chili is in our regular dinner rotation (my son even asked for it for his special Birthday dinner!). We always add extra lime wedges, sour cream and the tortilla chips on top and it’s the perfect one pot meal. Love using the store bought, whole cooked chicken, and everything comes together quickly enough to cook this on busy weeknight.
I added extra white beans. White kidney beans, and great northern beans. I also used ground turkey. It is a very good recipe.
I make this at least once a month now, it’s so easy, tasty and healthy. I’m not usually a chili person because of the acidity of a tomato base, so finding this recipe has really been a treat. I make 1.5 times the recipe usually (hungry teens) and the cornbread muffins with it, which are also very easy and tasty.
This soup came together quickly and the recipe was easy to follow. It is delicious and hardy. Especially love the lime and cilantro.
This was a nice change from a tomato based soup which my family is partial to.
I also made the corn bread muffins which were recommended by other readers and they went perfectly w the soup!
Another great stable to my rotation. Easy, comforting and quick to prepare. All ingredients are readily available and the flavor combination is great for chili lovers and novices alike. I’ve shared this one several times. As the old commercial says ‘try it, you’ll like it’
This is a delicious and easy chili. It has such wonderful depth of flavor. Be sure to use the poblanos. Best of all it uses cooked chicken.