White Chicken Chili is the perfect combo of hearty beans, warm spices and tender chicken all in one bowl. Top it with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion, radish, lime and pickled jalapenos with cornbread or tortilla chips for the perfect bowl of chicken chili.
About this White Chicken Chili
Onions & Garlic These Aromatics are the foundation or this chili. Saute them until softened to give the onions their unique sweetness and the garlic their irreplacable flavor. I always have frozen minced garlic on hand for convenience. it taste just like fresh garlic!
Spices Dried Chives, Oregano, Cumin, Coriander and salt all have their unique purpose in this chili. Dried chives and oregano are easily interchangeable in this recipe. In my opinion, cumin and coriander are both equally important for this dish. I know coriander isn’t as common to have in your pantry but it is worth buying because it brings the perfect nutty and zesty flavor to this dish. Coriander seeds come from cilantro plant, so their flavors compliment each other perfectly.
Flour Flour is the thickener in this White Chicken Chili. Some people puree beans and other people add a block of cream cheese, but I think adding 3 Tablespoons of flour gives the perfect thickness without too much mess and keeping it on the lighter side.
Alternative Thickeners If you are avoiding gluten, you can omit the flour and add 8 ounces of diced cream cheese at the end. Stir until the cream cheese is completely melted into the chili.
If you are avoiding gluten and dairy, make a cornstarch slurry with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch and 2 Tablespoons of corn water in a small bowl. Once the cornstarch is completely disolved, whisk it into the hot chili and cook until thickened.
Green Chiles Hatch Diced Green Chiles add the perfect heat and flavor to this chili. If you don’t have diced green chiles, substitute them with 1/3 c Salsa Verde.
Beans I like the combination of drained and rinsed White Beans and Pinto Beans to add a variety of shapes, colors and flavors to this chili. You can use all white beans or all pinto beans if needed.
Corn Frozen or Canned Corn are great in this recipe. Use whichever you have on hand.
Broth I love using homemade broth in any soup or stew, but I know its not realistic to always have that on hand. Kitchen Basics is my favorite store bought chicken broth.
Chicken Rotisserie Chicken is tender, flavorful and so convenient for this chili. If you have a costco membership, you know their chicken is the best! I almost buy one every time I go. They are perfect for soups, stews, salads and casseroles and I make chicken broth with the bones.
If you have raw chicken breast, place your chicken on a sheet pan and cover the top with plastic wrap, using a meat tenderizer or rolling in, pound the chicken out until it is even in thickness and tenderized. Remove the plastic wrap and season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and coat with olive oil. Bake the chicken at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until cooked to 165F. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before finely dicing or shredding.
Garnishes & Parings
Garnishes Serve this White Chicken Chili with your pick of Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, Cilantro, Diced Onion, Crisp Radish, Lime Wedges and Pickled Jalapenos for the perfect bowl of Chicken Chili.
Cornbread or Tortilla Chips The choice is yours! Corn bread gives a crumbly and sweet topping to this chili, while tortilla chips give a salty crunch. If you can’t decide or if you are serving this to a large group, serve both options! I love a good scratch cornbread, but you can’t beat this boxed Krusteaz Honey Cornbread for flavor and convenience.
Food and Drink Pairings You can’t beat a pitcher of margaritas with a hot bowl of White Chicken Chili. Try our Peach or Pineapple Mararitas for a fun twist! White Chicken Chili is easily a one pot meal when served with chips and cornbread, but if you want a larger spread, it goes great with a large bowl of Guacamole, Texas Caviar, a Crisp Garden salad with Buttermilk Ranch or our Southwest Salad with Hot Honey Vinaigrette.
Making Ahead If you are making White Chicken Chile ahead of time, cook the recipe as directed and immediately let cool. Once cooled, ladel into air tight containers, cover and place in the fridge. This chili will stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, place in a large pot and heat on medium, stirring occasionally until hot. You may need to add a splash of broth if it seems too thick.
If you like this recipe, try our Buffalo Chicken Chili or our Texas Chili. Another great recipe using Rotisserie Chicken is our Chicken and Chorizo Skillet.
Recipe
White Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili is the perfect combo of hearty beans, warm spices and tender chicken. Top it with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onions, radish and pickled jalapenos with cornbread and lime for the perfect bowl of chicken chili.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Onion, small diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 tsp Dried Chives
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 4 oz Can Diced Green Chiles
- 15.5 Oz Can White Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 15.5 Oz Can Pinto Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 15 Oz Can Whole Kernel Corn, Drained
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- Cheese, Sour Cream, Cilantro, diced Onion, Radish, Avocado and Lime for Garnish
- Cornbread or Tortilla Chips for Serving
Directions
- Step 1 In a large dutch oven or pot on medium heat, drizzle your oil and saute your onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add spices, salt and flour and saute until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Step 2 Add the green chiles, beans and corn, stir until combined. make sure there aren’t any pockets of flour before adding the broth. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pan to get all of the flavor. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Step 3 Stir in your chicken and let simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
- Step 4 Serve with Cornbread or Tortilla Chips and top with your favorite garnishes. Enjoy!
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
