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Pull out your sweaters & stock pots – Fall is nearly here! And this white chicken chili recipe is the PERFECT way to usher it in.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Is it bad that I’m giddy to be sharing a soup recipe again? With temps dropping *slightly* I’m getting excited to add this white chicken chili back into my weekly menu rotation (Super similar to this Chicken Corn Soup Recipe) You will love this hearty, creamy, insanely easy white bean chicken chili. Stuffed with tender beans, corn, and shredded chicken + a lot of creamy goodness, even soup haters will love this version of chicken chili.
This white chili recipe is perfect for busy fall nights, cold & lazy winter days and every other night in-between! Serve it with tortilla chips or a hot roll – you really cannot go wrong! A few notes on making this white chicken chili recipe your own: I am a wimp when it comes to spice, but you can customize the kick of your white chicken chili to your liking! Additionally, I obviously use shredded rotisserie chicken because it’s so quick and easy, but you can of course sub in other cooked chicken as desired.
White Chili Recipe ingredients
- Butter – I like to use salted.
- Onion, diced
- Diced green chiles – I use mild, but you can adjust your spice level as desired.
- Minced garlic – I usually use either garlic paste that I keep on hand or dried garlic. Both work well – just don’t use garlic salt or else your soup will be so salty!
- Cream cheese – The cream cheese really adds to the tang and creaminess of the soup, but you can sub with sour cream, if desired.
- Chicken broth
- Chili powder – Feel free to season the soup to your liking! I love just using chili powder and paprika, but cumin, oregano, and other spices can be typical in a chicken chili.
- Paprika
- Cannellini beans – You can sub these for navy beans.
- Frozen corn – You can use canned corn, I just don’t like it so I always use frozen.
- Shredded chicken – I use rotisserie chicken (are we even surprised at this point?) You can sub other shredded, cooked chicken.
- Shredded cheddar cheese -TRUST ME ON THE CHEESE. It seems like a lot but you’re making a lot of soup! We need it to thicken the soup AND to flavor it.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to make this White Chili Chicken
- In a large pot, melt the butter completely.
- Over medium high heat, add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Saute until fragrant and the onion is beginning to be translucent.
- Add the canned diced green chilies and stir to combine.
- Cut the block of cream cheese into squares and add it to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the pot until the cream cheese is warm throughout, smooth and easy to stir.
- Stir smooth and then add the chicken broth, a little at a time whisking smooth before adding more to the pot. Repeat this until all of the chicken broth has been added. Increase the heat to medium high, taking care not to let the soup come to a full boil.
- Season with chili powder and paprika.
- Add the beans, frozen corn and shredded rotisserie chicken. Let the soup heat the beans, corn and chicken without letting the soup come to a full boil.
- Once everything is heated through, slowly stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. This will both flavor the soup and thicken it.
- Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve with crushed tortilla chips and enjoy!
White Chicken Chili Recipe Easy substitutions
You sure can! You can play around with seasonings, adding more or less than what my recipe calls for. You can also add in other spices like cumin or oregano for extra seasoning. If you want a few more veggies, you can try including some sauted diced bell peppers or a can of black beans!
How to serve this White Chili Recipe
White chicken chili is SO customizable! When I make this, I like to make a topping bar and let everyone choose what to put on top of their soup. Things like sour cream, different types of shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, lime wedges, and tortilla strips all make excellent additions to this soup. Beyond that, I like to pair white chicken chili with a green salad and a side of cornbread to round out the meal.
How to store White Bean Chili
You can store this chicken chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to reheat, you can do so in a microwave safe bowl in individual portions or simply warm on the stove in a pot until heated through.
White Chicken Chili Easy FAQs
Red chili typically includes red chili powder, tomatoes, and sometimes red kidney beans, resulting in a red appearance and a robust, spicy flavor. White chili, on the other hand, uses white beans, chicken, and sometimes cream or cheese, giving it a lighter color and a more subtle, often milder, flavor profile.
White chili can turn watery if there’s too much liquid added or if the beans (make sure they’ve been drained!) and chicken do not simmer long enough to thicken the chili naturally. To fix watery chili, you can simmer it longer to reduce the liquid, add a cornstarch slurry, or mash some of the beans to create a thicker consistency!
The spice in this white chicken chili is dictated by the spice level of your green chilis and how much chili powder you use. If this soup is too spicy for you, use a milder green chili (or omit entirely!) and add less chili powder.
More like this White Chicken Chili (Easy Rotisserie Chicken Meals)
White Chicken Chili (Easy)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (mild)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2-3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 (15.5oz) can cannellini beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter completely.
- Over medium high heat, add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Saute until fragrant and the onion is beginning to be translucent.
- Add the canoe diced green chilies and stir to combine.
- Cut the block of cream cheese into squares and add it to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the pot until the cream cheese is warm throughout, smooth and easy to stir.
- Stir smooth and then add the chicken broth, a little at a time whisking smooth before adding more to the pot. Repeat this until all of the chicken broth has been added. Increase the heat to medium high, taking care not to let the soup come to a full boil.
- Season with chili powder and paprika.
- Add the beans, frozen corn and shredded rotisserie chicken. Let the soup heat the beans, corn and chicken without letting the soup come to a full boil.
- Once everything is heated through, slowly stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. This will both flavor the soup and thicken it.
- Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve with crushed tortilla chips and enjoy!
Karli, I made this today and it was AMAZING! Made enough for tomorrow’s lunch. Thank you for sharing, you rock!