White Chicken Chili

This White Chicken Chili is ready in under an hour and is perfect for making ahead, as it tastes even better the next day! Perfect for using up leftover chicken! Cook it all in one pot (or use a slow cooker for lazy days). Serve it with my Mexican Street Corn Sheet Pan Nachos and Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword white chicken chili

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 656kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeno deseeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
30 oz white cannellini beans (two 15 oz cans), drained and rinsed
6.5 oz diced green chilies (1.5 cans 4.5 oz each)
2 ½ cups rotisserie chicken shredded, without skin
1 cup yellow corn frozen
4 oz cream cheese room temperature
½ cup Pepper Jack cheese shredded
⅓ cup sour cream room temperature

Garnish

¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
¼ cup pepper jack cheese finely shredded
1 avocado thinly sliced
1 jalapeno sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot or a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Saute for about 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in ground cumin, dried oregano, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Add ½ cup of the chicken broth and 1 cup of drained and rinsed beans to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour this mixture into a pot, along with the remaining chicken broth, cannellini beans, and green chilies. Bring to a simmer and let it cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add rotisserie chicken, frozen corn, and cream cheese. Let it cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chicken and corn are warm up, and cream cheese is melted.
Remove from the heat and stir in pepper jack cheese and sour cream until well incorporated and melted.
Garnish with sliced avocado, finely shredded pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapeno, and fresh cilantro.

Notes

Chicken: I used shredded rotisserie chicken, but leftover cooked chicken or turkey works too. You can also use raw chicken: add it to the pot with broth, beans, and green chilies, cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, shred it, and return it to the pot.
Beans: Use white cannellini beans, Great Northern or Navy beans.
Adjusting Heat: For extra spice, add red pepper flakes or a pinch of ground cinnamon for warmth. Use mild or spicy green chilies and remove jalapeño seeds for less heat; swap for poblano for a milder chili.
Cheese: If you don’t have Pepper Jack, use Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, or Colby Jack.
Thickening Tip: To naturally thicken the chili, blend ½ cup of broth with 1 cup of beans and stir it in—no flour or cornstarch needed.
Storage: This chili tastes even better the next day. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For freezing, it’ll last up to 2 months - freeze it without sour cream.

How to make this white chicken chili in a slow cooker

Sauté the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes, then transfer them to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, drained beans, green chilies, cumin, oregano, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add raw chicken (if using) at this point. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, corn, and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Once done and off heat, stir in the shredded Pepper Jack cheese and sour cream.

Nutrition