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This award-winning white chicken chili recipe is a hearty, creamy favorite!! Best of all, it’s ready in 30 minutes or less!
All-time favorite!
Our white chicken chili is an award-winning favorite! No joke – we’ve brought this to our annual Trunk or Treat a dozen or so times and always win for best white chili recipe.
Along with our classic chili recipe, this is our go-to for chili cook-offs and potlucks and ALWAYS gets rave reviews. We know everyone loves it because we never have leftovers! That’s one reason we have it on repeat all soup season long.
We also love that it’s prepped in 5 minutes and on the table in 30! We keep shredded chicken on hand (in the freezer) so we’re always ready to make a batch. Just add some cornbread and enjoy a cool fall night with these recipes.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Ready in minutes. This easy dinner idea is prepped in 5 minutes and finished in under 30 minutes.
- Stovetop or crockpot. It can be made both ways, which is great if you’re in a rush or want to dump and go in the slow cooker.
- Award winning! It’s so good that it’s constantly winning chili cook-offs. With so much flavor and so many ways to customize, it’s sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
- 4 cups chicken broth – If using a lower sodium, you may need to add a little more salt.
- 3-4 (15.5-ounce) cans great northern beans – Substitute with a smaller navy bean or larger white kidney beans (cannellini beans).
- 2 cups shredded chicken – We like to use the crock pot to make Shredded Chicken, but you can also make Oven Baked Chicken or shredded Rotisserie chicken.
- 1-2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies – (mild or hot) For more heat add cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, or a white chili powder.
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- dash of black pepper – You can also add onion powder to taste.
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack – or Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup sour cream – or plain or Greek yogurt
- optional toppings – Monterey Jack Cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges (or fresh lime juice), or Tortilla strips
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- COMBINE. In a large pot, combine 4 cups broth, 3-4 (15.5-ounce) cans great northern beans, 2 cups shredded chicken, 1-2 (4-ounce) green chiles, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, and a dash of black pepper. Cook over medium-low heat.
- SIMMER. Simmer on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes or until completely heated through.
- For an extra creamy texture, blend a portion of the cooked white beans with some of the broth before adding them back to the pot. See How to Thicken Soup for more ideas.
- SERVE. Right before serving, stir in the sour cream and cheese until it’s melted. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno peppers, or crushed tortilla chips.
Make In the crockpot
- Add all the ingredients (minus the sour cream and cheese) into the crockpot and cook on low for 1-2 hours and you’re set!
- Add cheese and sour cream and cook for an additional 30–60 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Stir together and serve warm.
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White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 (15.5-ounce) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1-2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- dash of pepper
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine broth, beans, chicken, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper over medium-low heat.
- Simmer for 20–30 minutes, or until soup is heated through.
- Before serving, add cheese and sour cream and stir until cheese is melted and ingredients are mixed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store in an airtight container(s) and refrigerate for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container(s). See How to Freeze Soup for tips.
Such a delicious and easy soup! I did add a little onion and only had two cans of beans on hand, but it was hearty and perfect for a cool, fall night. Thanks for the recipe.
How many serving are in white bean chili?
Would Ike this thicker like chili instead of soup. Would I use less broth?
Yes, I’d add less broth. 😉
I purée one can of beans with a little chicken broth for a more creamy texture. It’s delicious!!
This was really fabulous. I only had about 1/3 cup of sour cream on hand (hate when that happens) so I took a tip from other posters and also added 1/2 package of cream cheese. I also did not use the whole 2-cup bag of cheese that the recipe calls for, although I’m sure it would have been even better if I had. This was a real keeper, my husband raved about it!
I’m so glad to hear it!! And I’m glad you were able to substitute some of the ingredients. My hubby loooooves cheese, so he makes sure I put the whole 2 cups in, even if it’s not as healthy. 😉
Delicious! One thing I changed though was adding and additional 1/2tsp cumin and I used 2 tsp oregano as I thought it needed more of those flavors, and it was great! Husband loved it too, and it was very filling! The leftovers went quickly, will be making this again!
Adding the corn sounds like chicken corn chowder…a fave of the Campbells Chunky Soup for me. I am definitely going to make this…but not in the crockpot.
I’ve been looking for a chicken chili recipe for a long time I’m truly excited to try this one.. I hope I found it! I will be making this for dinner tomorrow…
Let me know how this goes… I have a few recipes on here for White Chicken Chili and they are ALL delicious!!
I converted this to a Crockpot recipe. Instead of canned beans I used about 1 cup dried beans (from Winco bulk), soaked overnight. I would probably add about 1/2 cup more beans next time actually. I used 2 large chicken breasts instead of the shredded chicken and shredded it right before serving. I added about half a large onion, some chili powder, and a bay leaf (remove before serving) for more flavor. All the other ingredients were the same. Cooked it on low for about 8 hours. To add the sour cream, I stirred in a bit of the broth from the chili until it was liquidy so it would blend better, and added the cheese normally. Delicious!
Sounds like perfection! Glad it worked out well, and I appreciate you sharing your version here too. THANK YOU!
This is the best recipe I’ve found so far. I add onion and 1/4 tsp of chilli powder to give a little taste.