White Chicken Chili Recipe

This White chicken chili Recipe is an easy to make stovetop chili recipe that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. This quick and easy chicken chili recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner on a chilly day when you want something filling that will also warm you up.

White Chicken Chili Recipe

It is cold here right now, and warm, filling comfort food is what is on my mind. with things being super busy in our house, I don’t have the time for full-blown extravagant meals that take me forever to cook. 

I have been working on meals that are not only filling, but quick, easy, flavorful and are not going to break the budget with expensive ingredients. This white chicken chili is pretty much a dump and let it cook dinner. Aside from cooking the chicken, all you have to do is dump the ingredients into the pot on the stove and let it cook. 

To make things easier in my house I always keep cooked shredded or diced chicken in my freezer so I can just grab it out and thaw it before making a recipe like this one for dinner. If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand or in the freezer already you can cook fresh chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken at the store and use that to make it. 

This easy chicken chili recipe is one that my kids love and I love that it is so easy to make.

Easy Chili Recipes

• Stove top ground beef chili
• slow cooker ground beef chili

What to Serve with White Chicken Chili

There are many things that you can serve as a side dish to white chicken chili. I try to keep things simple yet filling when making chicken chili for dinner, here are a few ideas for sides that we typically serve. 

• Cornbread: Sweet or savory, it’s a classic pairing.
• Tortilla Chips: Perfect for scooping or adding crunch on top served with homemade guacamole or homemade salsa,.
• Crusty Bread or Rolls: Great for soaking up the chili.
• Cheese Quesadillas: A cheesy side that complements the chili’s flavors.

How To Serve White Chicken Chili

When serving white chicken chili you can customize your toppings and make it how you enjoy it. I like to put out a variety of toppings for my family to pick and choose what they want to put on top. My go to for toppings are:

• Cheese. You can use any type of cheese, I prefer shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese. The cheese will melt better if you shred it yourself instead of using the pre-shredded cheese from the store.
• Sour Cream. A dollop of sour cream on top is a must for me. You can also use nonflavored greek yogurt if you do not like sour cream.
• Avocado. It is a must for me to have slices of avocado on top of my chicken chili.
• Vegetables. Diced onions (white onions or yellow onions), jalapeno peppers or diced tomatoes are some great vegetable toppings to put on top of chili. 
• Extra flavors. Include some fresh cilantro chopped and some lime slices or fresh lime juice to put on top of the chili after putting it into the bowls.

How to Cook Chicken

To make shredded chicken, you have to have cooked chicken. There are a lot of ways to make cooked chicken. Whether you decide to boil, bake, or Instant Pot, it is easy to make cooked chicken to turn it into shredded chicken. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Bake Chicken. To bake the chicken for shredding, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked fully.

Cook Chicken in the Instant Pot. If you choose to cook chicken in the Instant Pot, you can easily make it tender to be shredded. Place one cup of water or chicken broth, it doesn’t matter which one you use. Place the chicken in the pot and place the lid on top. Ensure it is set to seal and set the time to 15 minutes, with a 5-minute natural release. This is a little longer than I recommend for chicken that is not being shredded, but this extra time helps to make the chicken fall apart easily.

Boil Chicken. It is commonly asked how to boil chicken breasts. Boiling it will result in moist cooked chicken. Add the raw chicken breast to a large pot and cover it with 3 cups of water or chicken broth; it doesn’t matter which. On medium-high heat, bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the pot. Simmer the chicken for 10 minutes.

Variations of the Recipe

Change up the beans. I use black beans in my chicken chili, but you can also use white beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans or kidney beans instead. You can also add more beans to the chili and have multiple types of beans in the chili. You will want to use canned beans or if you are using dry beans you will need to rehydrate them the night before making this chili.

Change up the vegetables. I use frozen corn in this recipe, but you can use other vegetables including diced onions or bell peppers if you have them on hand. You can also use canned corn for this recipe, but make sure you rinse the corn before adding it to the pot. Target sells a frozen street corn blend that goes great in this dish, but regular corn will work as well.

Use a rotisserie chicken. If you are short on time for cooking chicken or don’t have precooked chicken in the freezer or fridge then you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the store and use that in this recipe. 

Add some heat. If you like a spicy chili add cayenne pepper with the spices. You can also add sliced jalapeños on top of the chili or into the chili to add more spicy taste.

How to Store White Chicken Chili

Allow the chili to cool completely. Once cool pour the chili into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat a bowl of chili in the microwave for about 1- 1 ½ minutes, stirring halfway through or you can reheat the chili on the stove over medium heat.

Can I freeze homemade chili?

Yes. If you are wanting to meal prep or you have leftover chili it is easy to freeze and enjoy later. I like to freeze leftovers into single portion meals so the kids can take them out of the freezer to enjoy on nights where we do leftovers or freezer meals. They are also great for the kids to grab and eat for lunches during the week, or to bring with them to work. 

How to freeze Chicken Chili

• Let the chili cool to room temperature before freezing. Portion the chili out into airtight containers, foodsaver bags or freezer bags.
• Close bags and containers fully, or use a food saver to remove the air and seal the food saver bag. Write the date and contents on the bag or container.
• Place the chili into the freezer, be sure to lay them flat if you are storing them in freezer bags. 
• Chili will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that, it will still be safe, but the flavor and texture can start to decline. 

When you want to eat it later, remove it from the freezer the night before and place it in the fridge to thaw, or put it in the microwave and use the defrost setting to thaw. You can then add the chili to a bowl and heat the chili in the microwave or you can warm it on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until heated through.

White Chicken Chili Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander 
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese

How to Make White Chicken Chili

Cook the chicken using your preferred method or use a rotisserie chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, shred the chicken and set aside. 

Add the chicken broth and all of the spices to a large pot and whisk to combine. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Once the broth is boiling, add in the green chilis, corn, black beans, chicken, and cream cheese. Stir the mixture frequently until the cream cheese is completely melted. 

Reduce the heat to low and let the chili simmer for 20 minutes without a lid. 

Spoon into serving bowls, top with desired toppings and enjoy!

Easy Soup Recipes

• Crockpot Taco Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Cheeseburger Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Loaded Cauliflower Soup
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Lentil soup with ham