5 from 39 votes

White Chicken Chili

Name: White Chicken Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 15 oz cans Cannelini beans (rinsed and drained); 3 cups chicken broth; 3 ¾ cups shredded chicken (see note ); 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 Tablespoon salted butter; 1 medium yellow onion, diced ((about 1 heaping cup)); 2 Jalapeno peppers (seeds removed and finely chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)); 1 Tablespoon minced garlic; 1 7 oz can diced green chilis ((I use mild)); 1 Tablespoon lime juice; 2 teaspoons cumin; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ cup sour cream; additional sour cream, corn chips, Monterrey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and/or jalapeno slices for topping, optional

By Sam MerrittUpdated Sep 24, 2025

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63 Comments

Servings: 6 servings

45 mins

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White chicken chili is an easy, year-round favorite with a deeply flavorful base and hearty ingredients. It’s satisfying, full of flavor, and it while it feels every bit indulgent it’s not at all too rich and makes a great weeknight dinner or Sunday supper! Recipe includes a how-to video!

Bowl of white chicken chili topped with jalapeno, shredded tortillas, and cheese.

Chicken Chili Recipe

White chicken chili is the chicken-based cousin to my classic chili recipe. It’s made with pre-cooked chicken (grab a rotisserie chicken or use up your holiday leftovers!) and white beans, and it’s packed full of flavor! The best part? The creamy texture is made WITHOUT any heavy cream! Here’s how I do it.

The technique is similar to the pureeing that I do in both my corn chowder and my potato soup, but rather than pureeing a large portion of the finished soup, we’ll start by pureeing two of our base ingredients. For this recipe, you’ll puree together part of your white beans with a bit of chicken broth. We’ll stir this back into the mix later on in the recipe, and voila! A creamy texture without any cream. It’s magical! ✨

Close-up view of a bowl of white chicken chili topped with cilantro.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Creamy base that’s not too heavy or rich (thank you, blended beans!).
Ready in under an hour! And quite a bit of that time is just spent simmering, making this a great, low-maintenance weeknight dinner (one of my favorites, next to my bbq chicken meatballs).
Packed full of flavor from ingredients like jalapeño, diced green chilis, lime juice, and plenty of spices.
Great for using up leftover chicken! You can also pick over a rotisserie chicken or use my super simple crock pot shredded chicken (highly recommend! 👌🏼).

Ingredients

It may look like a lt of ingredients, but most of them are spices. Don’t be overwhelmed! I’m sure most of them are already in your pantry.

Chicken broth (or use my homemade chicken stock). I do not used a reduced sodium broth for this recipe. If you choose to do so, I recommend taste testing as you go to make sure your white chicken chili has enough flavor. If it tastes bland, you simply need more salt!
Beans. Use cannelini beans or white kidney beans. You’ll need two cans; we’ll blend half of the first one with some of the chicken broth to create a creamy base, and then we’ll add the rest in later.
Spices. Including cumin, onion powder, ancho chili powder (a favorite spice of mine, I use it in everything from chili to taco soup), cayenne pepper, and black pepper. If you don’t have any ancho chili powder, then you can use regular chili powder and a dash of smoked paprika. I do recommend trying to find the ancho chili powder though–it adds such a nice flavor!
Diced green chiles. I use mild diced green chiles, but you can use the hot version if you like. You can also use the fire roasted diced green chilis–I use them in my taco soup recipe, vegetarian chili, and turkey chili for an extra kick of flavor, they really make a difference!
Sour cream. We’ll stir this in at the end for a bit of creaminess. Full-fat greek yogurt could also work in a pinch, but sour cream is best.

SAM’S TIP: Feel free to adjust the spice level to your liking and add more cayenne pepper (or a few jalapeno seeds) if you like your white chicken chili to be on the spicy side. A dash of hot sauce just before serving is also a great idea! 🌶️ Alternatively, reduce or leave out the cayenne entirely if you’re not a fan of heat or are serving to kids.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make White Chicken Chili

Overhead view of a blender that has combined white beans and chicken broth.

Blend half a can of the beans and ½ cup of chicken broth until smooth, then set this aside. This will create our creamy base without the need for any heavy cream (save this for slightly more indulgent soups like my creamy chicken noodle soup).

Overhead view of onion and jalapeno sautéing in a dutch oven.

Sauté the onion and jalapeño in olive oil and butter until softened, then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Overhead view of a pot of white chili made with chicken and white beans.

Add the pureed mixture, the rest of the broth and beans, and all remaining ingredients (except the sour cream). Let this come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Overhead view of a pot of white chicken chili after adding sour cream.

Stir in the sour cream until incorporated.

Overhead view of a pot of chili made with beans, chicken, and jalapeno.

Let simmer for 15 minutes, then ladle into bowls. Top with your favorite toppings (suggestions below!), and enjoy.

SAM’S TIP: If you want to add tortilla strips to your soup, then consider making the homemade version from my chicken tortilla soup! They are seriously so simple to make at home.

Bowl of white chili made with chicken and beans that's been topped with cilantro, jalapeno, tortilla strips, and cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with white chicken chili?

This chili tastes great on its own, but I like it even better when topped with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and a heaping dollop of sour cream. Add-ons are everything!

As far as sides go, sourdough bread, buttermilk cornbread, jalapeno cornbread, cheese scones, cornbread biscuits, or garlic cheese biscuits would be tasty pairings.

Can I freeze white chicken chili?

Yes you can! Make sure to store it in an airtight container and enjoy within three months. I usually thaw overnight in the fridge before serving, or you can reheat from frozen over low heat on the stovetop.

Can I make this recipe in the slow cooker?

I haven’t tried this, but I think it could work with some modification. You will want to follow steps 1-3 before transferring the chili into the crockpot.

Enjoy!

What to Serve with Your White Chicken Chili:

Cornbread Biscuits

Cheese Scones

The Best Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe

Artisan Bread

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I originally published this recipe in February of 2018. I’ve updated the post to include more helpful tips and to add a recipe tutorial, but the recipe itself is unchanged (other than minor clarifications in the recipe — the ingredients and technique remain the same!).