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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.
I absolutely love this recipe and recently got an instant pot. Do you know what the cook time difference would be and should i cook the chicken whole in the instant pot and shred it at the end or shred before adding into pot?!?
Awesome! I wish I knew! I haven’t tried. I would shred it before adding to the pot 🙂
Great recipe, big hit with hubbie and 4 kids. Crockpot cooking saves my life!
I did add minced onion, minced as I don’t like onion texture but like its flavor…
Love crockpot meals!! Thank you so much for sharing!
My friend made this and had me over for lunch. It was delicious. Thank you for this recipe. I plan on making this for my family.
Forgot to rate it
I hope they like it! I’m glad you did:) Thanks so much!
Drain chilis or not? Recipe doesn’t indicate.
You don’t drain them 🙂 Hope you like them!
Wonderful! Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thank you for stopping by!
I love white Chicken Chili! Just before serving I also put a large spoonful of Pico de Gallo that I buy from Qdoba in each bowl!!
Perfect!! White chicken chili is one of my favs! Thank you for sharing!
Made this today and we all thought it was delicious! Only had 2 cans of beans but it would have been better with 4! Even my 18 month old gobbled it up! I did my chicken in then isntant pot and then used the broth from that as 1 cup of broth for the soup. Thanks for a great receipe!
Forgot to rate the recipe for submitting my comment! 5 stars!
You are so welcome!! I’m so glad you all liked it! 🙂 Thank you!
I made this for our church chili cook off. It came in first place and was the only pot that was empty! People kept asking for more. This is delicious.
Woohoo!! That is awesome! We love it! Thanks so much for sharing that!
Does the White Chicken Chili Soup freeze well? Wanted to make this for a freezer party. Thanks!
I personally haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not 🙂 It would be great for a party!
I am hoping to make this in a crockpot tomorrow. Would this work do you know?
If so, how long do you think I should let it cook?
I haven’t tried, but it should be ok 🙂 I would just maybe keep it on low for like 3 hours. Let me know how you like it 🙂