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The BEST White Chicken Chili recipe

written by Ashley Fehr

Updated November 19, 2024

4.99 from 406 votes
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This White Chicken Chili recipe is ultra thick and creamy, with shredded chicken, white beans and corn and just the right amount of spice! Make ahead and freezer friendly, perfect for pantry cooking.

overhead image of white chicken chili with metal ladle scooping.

Table of Contents

There are plenty of White Chicken Chili recipes out there, but this one takes the cake.

It’s rated 5 stars for a reason!

The fact that this White Chicken Chili recipe is ready in 35 minutes or less with mostly pantry ingredients means that I can actually get it on the table while chasing 3 kids around the house, which is pretty much how things happen these days.

Don’t want to stand at the stove? Try my Crockpot White Chicken Chili!

Why you’ll love this white bean chicken chili recipe:

  • Top-rated white chicken chili recipe: This recipe is rated 5 starts with over 300 reviews, so you know it’s a keeper!
  • No pre-cooking required: we cook whole, uncooked chicken breasts right in the chili so they stay super moist and you don’t need to prep any cooked chicken.
  • Made in one pot: it’s made in one pot with minimal ingredients, so it’s big flavor with little fuss!
  • It is healthy, hearty, make ahead and freezer friendly: That means you can make a double or triple batch, and use it as a base to create fresh, easy meals for the family through the week.

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Reader Rating

“I have made this a few times in the last few weeks! It’s my favorite!! It’s packed with flavor, hearty, & so yummy!!” Kristyn

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Chicken Chili Ingredients needed:

ingredients needed for white chicken chili.
  • Chicken breasts: boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work well! If you’ve got Shredded Chicken or Crockpot Shredded Chicken stashed away, you can use that instead.
  • Chicken broth: I always use low sodium chicken broth so I can add salt to my tastes. If you are using salty broth, you may want to reduce the amount added.
  • White beans: sticking with our white color theme here, white beans add texture, protein and fibre.
  • Corn: add sweetness and texuture
  • Green chiles: canned green chiles add a punch of flavor
  • Tabasco sauce, chili powder, onion powder, salt: are what we use to season our chili. You can adjust the seasonings to your tastes!
  • Cream cheese: thickens the chili and adds a deliciously creamy texture.
  • Corn starch + water: to thicken further if desired.

How to Make this White Chicken Chili recipe:

  1. Simmer the chicken: cook the chicken in broth until tender. This adds great flavor to the chili and you can even use frozen chicken breasts!
  2. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks (or chop it with a knife).
  3. Add the chicken back in with the seasonings, beans, corn and chiles.
  4. Stir in cream cheese and simmer until cream cheese is melted and everything comes together.
chicken breasts in chicken broth in large pot.
Simmer chicken breasts in broth.
two forks shredding chicken breasts on a cutting board.
Remove and shred.
beans seasonings corn and green chiles added to pot with chicken breasts.
Simmer with vegetables and seasonings.
cream cheese added to pot with chili ingredients.
Add cream cheese to thicken.

How to make this White Chicken Chili recipe in the slow cooker:

You can easily make this White Bean Chicken Chili in the crockpot to make it even easier to fit in your day!

I do things a little differently when I make this chicken chili in the slow cooker, simply because if I’m using my slow cooker I don’t want to be babysitting it all day. I throw everything in the pot and let the chicken cook with everything else, then shred it later.

  1. Throw everything in the slow cooker
  2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and falling apart.
  3. Remove chicken breasts and shred, then stir back into the chili.
  4. Serve!
close up image of metal ladle scooping white chicken chili from pot.

How to thicken white bean chicken chili:

We thicken this creamy chicken chili with two things: cream cheese and corn starch.

The cream cheese adds a wonderful richness without making this chili heavy. If you don’t have any, that’s fine! I’ll share some other things you can add in the next section.

The corn starch is optional, but we love our chili super thick and creamy, so we like to add it. If you skip the corn starch, it will still be perfectly creamy but not quite as thick.

Another way to thicken white chicken chili if you don’t have cream cheese or corn starch, is to keep some of the white beans aside, and puree them in a blender before adding into the chili. This is a great way to make this chili dairy free!

bowl of white chicken chili with spoon stuck in and tortilla strips on top.

How do you store White Chicken Chili?

Refrigerator:

Chicken Chili can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer:

Chili is a great freezer meal! It can be frozen up to 3 months before using, so it’s a good idea to make a large batch and save some for another day.

How to reheat White Bean Chicken Chili:

I like to reheat this chicken chili on the stovetop or in the microwave with an extra splash of cream or broth — it keeps it from drying out!

Can I make it in the Instant Pot?

Yes! Check out my Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe for more details.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

Yes!

What if I have leftover shredded chicken?

Awesome! Simply skip ahead to step 2.

White Chicken Chili Variations:

  • No Tabasco sauce? There are lots of ways to add spice. Try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper (start small! A little goes a long way).
  • Swap the chicken breasts: Chicken thighs work great and won’t change the cook time at all. Just be sure they are boneless and skinless.
  • Add in more vegetables: chili recipes are great for using up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. For firmer vegetables (like carrots, celery, onion, peppers, etc.) I recommend sauteeing them in a bit of oil before you add the broth and chicken.

More chili recipes you’ll love:

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White Chicken Chili recipe

written by Ashley Fehr

This White Chicken Chili is ultra thick and creamy, with shredded chicken, white beans and corn and just the right amount of spice! Make ahead and freezer friendly, perfect for pantry cooking.
overhead image of white chicken chili with metal ladle scooping.
4.99 from 406 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , (about 2 lb)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can white kidney beans,, drained and rinsed (19oz or 591ml)
  • 1 can sweet corn,, drained (12oz or 341ml)
  • 1 can green chiles, (4oz or 113ml)
  • 1 teaspoon green hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces cream cheese,, room temperature (125g)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional
  • 1 tablespoon water, optional
  • Chips, avocado, lime wedges, salsa, cheese or jalapenos, for serving

Instructions 

  • To a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, add the chicken and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165°F.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot to a large cutting board and shred with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the pot with the broth.
  • Add the beans, corn, green chiles, hot sauce, chili powder, onion powder, and salt and stir.
  • Cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir into the pot. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to melt the cream cheese.
  • If desired, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water and add to the simmering chili to thicken further.
  • Serve with additional hot sauce, chips, avocado, lime wedges, salsa, cheese, jalapenos— whatever your favorite toppings are!

Video

Notes

Substitutions and variations:
  • Feel free to saute some vegetables (onion, peppers, etc.) in oil before adding the chicken and broth for extra flavor. We love this Chicken Chili as is, but feel free to experiment!
  • You can swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also brown the chicken before adding the other ingredients if you desire. 
  • This chili is pretty thick and chunky — if you prefer a thinner chili, feel free to add more broth, milk or cream. 
  • If you don’t like a lot of spice, omit the Tabasco or add in just a few drops at a time.

Nutrition

Serving: 465grams, Calories: 394cal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1236mg, Potassium: 1085mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 379IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Becky says

    If making in a crockpot to cook all day, do you put the cream cheese in then, or wait till you’re ready to eat to add it?

    Reply

  2. Cassandra says

    This recipe is so easy yet so full of flavor! My 12 year old literally eats bowl after bowl! 🙂 Thank you so much for posting!

    Reply

  5. Joy says

    We loved it. The stores were out of green chilies so I diced up some jalapeno and added them in. I also added a few more Northern Beans as we love them…plus a tad more chicken broth. I am a Tabasco fan and I have red on stock so I used that and it was AMAZING! Thank you for a great recipe this will remain on the menu throughout the winter.

    Reply

  6. Zoe says

    I made this chili and it will be a staple in our house from now on. I started with sauteed onion & garlic. I used Tostito’s Salsa Verde instead of the green chilis so I skipped the tobasco (but I did add extra chili powder). I also used a quarter cup of 1% milk instead of water to mix the cornstarch in for added creaminess.

    Reply

  7. Heather says

    Awesome on all accounts. The whole family loved it and couldn’t stop at one bowl. I will be adding this to my regular repertoire for sure. Only thing I did differently was sauted some diced carrots at the beginning till soft and baked my chicken the night before.

    Reply

  10. Bob White says

    I am not a big fan of chili but was given a large amount of chicken chili. What do u suggest to add to chili? Would rice work, or macaroni noodles?

    Reply

  11. Kathy says

    My family loved this recipe… will definitely make it again, but will add more Tabasco and hotter New Mexico green chilies (my family likes a little spice).

    Reply

      • Lynn says

        I made this in a double batch and then froze it. Delicious! However, i have to measure everything i eat now & I’m backtracking trying to figure out how big one serving size is? Would it be two cups per serving?

      • Ashley Fehr says

        Thank you Lynn! Unfortunately I don’t know the exact serving size — it is just 1/4 of the full recipe. To figure out volume you would have to measure the entire recipe and then divide by 4.

      • Deborah says

        Hi.
        Just saw your recipe and was interested in trying it until I saw the Sodium content. For those of us who are cutting back on Sodium in our diet 1236 is a bit much. Anyway to cut it down or in half.
        Thank you

      • Ashley Fehr says

        Unfortunately the nutrition information is automatically calculated by the recipe card and while it is helpful, I think the sodium is calculated using regular ingredients and not low sodium as I prefer to use. If no salt added broth, beans, and other canned goods then it will be significantly lower.

  13. Lauren Fenstermacher says

    I made this recipe for dinner tonight and my honey LOVED it. I used 4 cups of chicken broth and boiled 5 small chicken thighs. While those were being shredded, I added 1/2 a bag of egg noodles and then added the chicken back in. Didn’t put beans in but did put 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp of salt. It really was to die for. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!

    Reply

  15. Karen says

    Just made this for dinner Ashley! It’s so good! My kids loved it. It was done really quick. Yay for corona pantry cooking!! 🙂

    Reply

  17. Lily says

    Absolutely amazing chili, what a comforting family dinner! Made it with garlic bread and we could not get enough! Thank you for this incredible recipe.

    Reply

  19. Natalie says

    Love white chili!! This is full of all my favorite flavors! It’s still cool & this will make a delicious, comforting meal!

    Reply
4.99 from 406 votes (330 ratings without comment)

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