Easy White Chicken Chili — Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, and packed with bold flavor!! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves!! It’ll be on rotation all winter!!
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Simple White Chicken Chili Recipe
Chili is the ultimate fall and winter comfort food. Who can say no to a bowl of warm, thick chili that’s loaded with tender chicken and hearty cannellini beans?
This white chicken chili recipe was some of the best chili I’ve ever had and is now in our rotation. It’s robustly flavored from sweet Vidalia onions, jalapeño peppers, and green chilis.
It’s so easy and ready in 30 minutes. No need to stand over a simmering pot for hours. Many ingredients get tossed into the pot all at once and in no time this hearty, healthy, and comforting chili is ready.
My family loved this easy white chicken chili recipe, and I love that it’s ready so quickly and with very minimal effort.
White Chicken Chili Ingredients
For this white bean chicken chili recipe, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño
- Canned green chiles
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Cannellini beans
- Lime juice
- Dried herbs and spices
- Fresh cilantro
Time Saving Tip: Make White Chicken Chili with Rotisserie Chicken!
To save time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. Of course, you can roast or pan sauté chicken for this easy recipe for white chicken chili if you’re so inclined.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make White Chicken Chili in 30 Minutes
This is a quick and easy white chicken chili recipe that comes together in about half an hour. You’re welcome to simmer the chili longer for added flavor, but I’m always in a rush to get dinner on the table on weeknights so 30 minutes is good enough for me!
- Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and sauté the onion, chiles, and jalapeño until softened.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
- Dump the remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the cilantro.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, and / or sour cream.
Cooking Tip: Salt to Taste
Make sure to salt your chili to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium beans, and add a bit of salt to the chili so I can control the overall salt level. The saltiness of low-sodium broth, beans, rotisserie chickens, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Recipe FAQs
I prefer my white chicken chili to be fairly thick. To achieve this, I blend about 1 cup of the cannellini beans in a food processor to make a bean paste of sorts. This gets added to the white chili to make it even heartier. For a super thick chili, let it simmer uncovered for longer than the recipe calls for.
Absolutely! In fact, that’s what I do most of the time to save myself the effort of cooking raw chicken breasts or ground chicken beforehand.
This white bean chicken chili has mild to medium kick, but you can make it spicier by using the jalapeno seeds or by adding more red chili flakes or cayenne pepper.
I’m sure you ‘could’ but I don’t see the point because it’s ready in 30 minutes. Why lengthen an already rapid cooking time is my question? You’re just lengthening (and complicating) the amount of time it will take from start to finish for you to be enjoying this fabulous chili.
If you want to keep it warm in a slow cooker for an event or something along those lines, go for it. But prepare it on the stove as written is my advice.
Yes! Like all chili, it tastes better the day or two after you make it and the flavors marry, making this a perfect make-ahead meal. Make a batch over the weekend and you can enjoy it during the week.
Or you can stash half of it in the freezer for nights when pulling something out of the freezer for dinner is all you can muster.
This white bean chicken chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
Serve this classic stovetop white chicken chili with one or more of the following side dishes:
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread or Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Parker House Rolls
- No-Knead Dinner Rolls
- Basic House Salad
The chili is also delicious when topped with crushed homemade corn tortilla chips!
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Easy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium/large onions)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, about 4 to 5 inches long, diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; included or discard them based on preference)
- 7 to 8 ounces canned green chiles, don’t drain (I used mild heat)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 32 ounces 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, use about 1 whole storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet
- two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see step 4 below about blending 1 cup of the beans with a splash of chicken broth or water)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
- tortilla strips, chips, crackers, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream; all are optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, jalapeno, green chilis, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, cannellini beans including whole beans and blended bean mixture (take 1 cup of the beans, add to a food processor or blender, add a splash of chicken broth or water and blend until smooth; mixture should be thick.
- Add the blended bean mixture along with the whole beans to pot), lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, optional cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Allow mixture to boil gently for about 7 to 10 minutes. It’s unlikely, but if at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your chili to be thinner, add 1 cup of water or as desired; you’ll adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end. For thicker chili, allow mixture to boil longer and reduce until desired thickness is reached.
- Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
- Taste chili and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, etc.).
- Ladle chili into bowls, and optionally garnish with tortilla strips, chips, crackers, avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately.
Notes
- Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Chili Recipes:
All of my chili recipes!
Easy 30-Minute Beef Taco Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem!! This EASY, hearty chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! If you like TACOS, you’ll LOVE this chili!!
Easy 30-Minute Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty chili with lovely SMOKY heat is ready in 30 minutes! PERFECT for busy weeknights!!
Slow Cooker Beef Chili – Easy, hearty, comfort food! As the chili simmers in your slow cooker it develops so much flavor! A foolproof chili recipe that you’ll want to add into your regular rotation!
Easy 30-Minute Turkey Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthy chili is ready in 30 minutes and it’s full of flavor! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthier chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Triple Pork Chili — Three types of pork including bacon, pork roast, and chorizo plus black beans and more in this comforting, hearty, and filling chili recipe! Easy and perfect for chilly weather, family dinners, or make it for game day or tailgating parties!
Originally published October 19, 2015 and republished February 19, 2020 with updated text.
Averie,
I can’t wait to try this chili. I love chicken chili. Pinned.
Annamaria
Thanks for pinning!
I can forget about chili for many months of the year, but when fall comes around I could eat it all day every day. I actually prefer chicken chili to beef varieties, so this version is officially a must-try for me. <3
Thank you for sharing the recipe, that looks very good! By the way, you’ve got great food photography skills!
~Andrea Tiffany~
https://aglimpseofglam.blogspot.com
Thanks!
Yum! 30 minute meals are my love language during the week! We’ll be trying this really soon!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
We are very big fans of chili and this looks amazing, so I`ll definitely try it. It`s very different and I`m sure that this will be very delicious. Thank you
This looks like the perfect dish for the warm chilly nights we’ve been having where I live! Can’t beat a yummy soup that you can make in 30 mins!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait for soup and chili weather. I want it every day when it’s cold!
It just started cooling off here and getting crappy and rainy the past week. Up until about 5-6 days ago, it was still mid 80s every day!
I love chili (or chilly…) weather precisely for this reason….to make delicious chili’s and soups! This looks and sounds delicious, great recipe Averie :)
You’d think I’m partly Mexican in heritage, because I consider THIS to be my version of the “chicken noodle soup comfort food” I love, absolutely LOVE, white chicken chili. And I don’t even love chicken that much. Come to think of it though, this would be a stellar use of leftover turkey after Thanksgiving! Hmmm….may have to put that in the back of my mind…
I think we’re the same person :) And yes it would be great with leftover turkey!
I’ve been looking for a good white chili recipe–looks like I’ve found it! :)
Awesome, LMK if you try it!
This looks like such a hearty and comforting chili! And the line and green chilies really lol like they’d give it a nice kick.
I love that this chili recipe uses chicken! Great choice for cool evenings and looks delicious!! Pinning!
Thanks for pinning!
Just learned how much I love white chili! Once I tried white chicken in chili, there’s no going back to beef. What to use this for our Fall Fest white chicken chili contest (yes, there is such a thing and yes, ok, I’m swooning here, my 3 year old won the coloring contest.) Next year, I’m bringing this chili!
If you bring this, LMK how things go! And I love white chili, too!
The white chili recipe I tried in my early 20’s made me realize I didn’t care for copious amounts of white pepper. This, however, looks like something I’d love. I have the day off and could easily pick up the few things I need. I impulsively grabbed cannelini beans on sale a few days ago thinking I’d find something to do with them…..it didn’t take long!
How serendipitous about the cannelini beans on sale! If you try this, LMK how it goes! Regardless, enjoy your day off :)
And white pepper is something I rarely use because calling for it on my blog is a guarantee for people to write in, but I don’t have that and do I really have to go out and buy it…
I enjoyed my day off and found my go-to white chili recipe! We loved it–just enough heat with a little creaminess from the pureed beans (my favorite soup thickener). The best part was that it’s quick and easy–just what I needed today!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s your new favorite white chili recipe!! That’s awesome! And leave it to you to make something the very day I posted it! Thanks, Paula!
Wow. I do love chili. Looking at your pictures of this white chicken chili made me so hungry. Yum.
Ooh this chilli looks delicious and I love that it uses cooked chicken. Great for using up a Sunday Roast chicken! I’ve made regular chilli with diced chicken, but I’m going to have to try this white version. Yummy! Sammie
Perfect for using up a Sunday roast chicken!