I’m all about cozy soups and stews this time of year, and my slow cooker white chicken chili has always been one of my favorites. But I decided to change it up by making a faster stovetop version with no jarred salsa and a super creamy finish. The result is an extra cozy, creamy, and lush White Chicken Chili that is easy enough for a weeknight. It’s so good; I think you’re going to want to make it all season long!
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“This was by far one of the easiest and best chili recipes I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it. I had only chicken breasts and browned them in a little oil and garlic before continuing the process. Delicious!!!”
Donna
Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe
White chicken chili is a thick and rich chicken and bean stew made with tender chicken thighs, beans, corn, green chiles, jalapeño, onion, garlic, and a medley of southwest-inspired spices. Rather than using a tomato-based broth, like beef chili, white chicken chili uses chicken broth thickened with a little cream cheese and sour cream to make it extra rich and delicious. But my favorite part? This recipe is really easy to make, hot OR mild, depending on your spice preferences! I’ve shared exactly how to do that in the recipe card notes below.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Servings 8 1.25 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs* ($3.48)
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (drained) ($1.88)
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans (drained) ($0.94)
- 1 7 oz. can diced green chiles ($0.97)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.30)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.39)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.78)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.93)
- ½ cup sour cream ($0.49)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Deseed then dice the jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.
- Add the chicken thighs, cannellini beans, pinto beans, diced green chiles, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pepper, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Add the shredded meat back to the pot along with the corn. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the chili until melted. Stir in the sour cream. To further thicken the chili, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
- Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve hot with your favorite toppings!**
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Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Notes
- A Note on the Spice Level: You can make this white chicken chili either spicy or mild! If you prefer a mild chicken chili, simply skip the fresh jalapeño, make sure to buy mild canned diced green chiles, and skip the cayenne pepper. If you’d like a spicier white chicken chili, make sure to include some of the seeds from the jalapeño, buy hot diced green chiles, and add more cayenne pepper to your liking. A few dashes of hot sauce would be awesome, as well!
Nutrition
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How to Make White Chicken Chili Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the veggies: Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Deseed then dice one jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.
Assemble the chili: Add 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, one 15oz. can of pinto beans (drained), two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans (drained), one 7oz. can of diced green chiles, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 3 cups chicken broth to the pot.
Simmer: Stir everything together until combined. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Shred the chicken: After simmering for 30 minutes, remove the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred them with two forks.
Add the corn: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. Stir to combine and heat through.
Make it creamy: Add 4 oz. of cream cheese (cut into chunks) to the chili and stir until it has melted in. Stir in ½ cup sour cream.
Finish and serve: To thicken the chili further, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. The chili will thicken even more as it begins to cool. Taste the chili and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve it hot with your favorite toppings!
Recipe Variations!
- Use pre-cooked chicken. Got some leftover rotisserie chicken or a stash of shredded chicken in the fridge? Use it here! I’d add the cooked chicken in with the frozen corn to warm it through.
- Make it vegetarian. If you’re avoiding meat, you can skip the chicken and chicken broth (use veggie broth instead) and add an extra can of beans! The flavor will be slightly different, but it will still be super tasty.
- Want to cook it in a slow cooker? This recipe comes together in about an hour on the stovetop, but I also have a slow cooker white chili chicken recipe that you can set and forget! The ingredients are slightly different, but it’s just as delicious and perfect for those busy days.
Storage and Reheating
This white chicken chili is amazing as leftovers because the flavors continue to develop as it sits. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, stirring occasionally until warmed through. As this recipe contains cream cheese and sour cream, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it as the texture may change upon thawing and reheating. If you really want to freeze this recipe, you can try making the chili, but leave out the dairy until you’re ready to reheat and serve it. Just add the cream cheese and sour cream in at that point, stirring until melted and incorporated.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
Our Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe was originally published 11/28/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/7/25.
Made CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN CHILI for our Super Bowl watch party and it was a big hit, no pun intended. It was easy to make and very flavorful. Thx
This is our amazing new go to recipe for chilly evenings!
I made this yesterday and it was an absolute hit. I put everything in a crockpot and let it sit for hours while I tended to my rescue animals. I didn’t have any cayenne pepper and only had 1 can of the white beans which I will add 2 next time and omit the pinto beans . Didn’t care for them maybe being in the crockpot they overcooked because they were kinda hard and dry. We added crushed Fritos on top with a little grated cheese . I wanted to try and add the CRM of chkn soup like someone suggested and omit the sour cream but didn’t have any. Flavor was just so right on and was not soupy. Consistency was good. Will be making this again. Loved it.
I subbed out the cream cheese with cream of chicken and left out pintos only cause I didn’t have. A little lime juice at the end and totally delish.
I just made this and it’s delicious!! I subbed the jalapeño with poblano. The seasoning is spot on!! Will make this again and again!!
This recipe is amazing! I don’t particularly enjoy tomato-based dishes, so finding a chili recipe that isn’t tomato is great. The cumin was overpowering, so when I made it for a second time I halved the cumin. I also halved the green chiles since I’m not great with spice, and left out sour cream because honestly, it was so good with just the cream cheese and mashed beans that I didn’t see the need for extra calories or cost. I forsee myself making this recipe many more times in the future. It freezes well, too.
There’s nothing special about this chili. I feel like it’s missing something. If I were to make it again, maybe I’d leave the jalapeno seeds in and add chili powder for a little more kick.
I just made this ! So good . I didn’t add the peppers or onions have a picky husband. I’ll just add hot sauce to mine . Next time I make it he’ll not be home . So very good.
This was by far one of the easiest and best chili recipes I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it. I had only chicken breasts and browned them in a little oil and garlic before continuing the process. Delicious!!!
Very good!
It just lost a star because it’s more like a soup than a chili.
Excellent chili, we loved it!
I made this vegetarian for me and my husband. I added an extra can of pinto beans and a whole bag of frozen corn and vegetable broth instead of chicken. Also, I used an immersion blender at the end to blend the beans instead of a fork. It was very good! We ate it with cilantro, pickled red onions, and some shredded extra sharp cheddar. We’ll definitely be making it again.
I hate I found this recipe! It was so good . I’ll be making this in the dead of summer 😆
Normally not as stated but this is off the chain.
Super easy and quick soup! I saw this on my Instagram feed and finally decided to make it. I did not have cumin so I improved without and added more cayenne and paprika, still turned out great! I highly recommend smashing the beans against the pot, it helps even the texture throughout the soup.