Creamy White Chicken Chili
With so many red chili recipes out there, this Creamy White Chicken Chili stands out in a class of its own! A rich and creamy alternative to traditional beef chili, this version features tender chicken, hearty beans, and tangy green chilis. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
If you’re a fan of classic chili with its tomato base and tender beef, then you’ll love this easy White Chicken Chili! This rich and hearty recipe has a creamy base and is packed with bites of juicy chicken, zesty chilis, and white beans. This hearty dish is a must-make for the fall and winter seasons.
I like to serve this chili with lots of interesting toppings like avocado, cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips, but you can add whatever garnishes you like. You can also easily alter the recipe to suit your preferred spice level.
I’ve posted so many chili recipes for various types of chili – Black Bean Chili, Vegetable Chili, White Bean Turkey Chili, Family Favorite Chili, and even my shortcut Chili-My Way. All those have one thing in common – they’re tomato based.
But in this Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe, there’s not a tomato in sight. It has a creamy, buttery, smooth base full of delicious, tender chicken and white beans. And it just may be our all-time favorite chili around here.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s warm, savory, rich, and creamy.
- A tasty, one-pot dinner.
- Great recipe for feeding a crowd.
- Easy to make ahead of time!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“I just used this recipe in our Neighborhood Chili Cook Off and it was voted Fan Favorite!! Will definitely be making this again!”
— Carey
🛒 About the Ingredients
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- Rotisserie Chicken – Purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken from your supermarket or use your own freshly roasted or leftover chicken.
- Green Chilies – If you can get Hatch green chilies, use them! The taste is really incredible. If they’re not available, any mild canned green chilies will work.
- White Beans – Any canned white bean works in this recipe. I do prefer great northern beans or cannellini beans.
- Monterey Jack Cheese – Monterey jack is a mild, creamy cheese that adds to the luscious flavor of this recipe. You can substitute white cheddar if you prefer.
- Whole Milk and Half and Half – Both are used to create rich depth of flavor.
- Tabasco – May be increased, decreased, or omitted depending on your spice tolerance.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Creamy Chicken Chili
- Remove and discard the skin and bones from the cooked rotisserie chicken. Shred or chop the meat and set it aside.
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, sauté the onions over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons of the butter until softened. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in the flour.
- Cook, whisking constantly, for about three minutes or until slightly golden.
- Stir in the cooked onions.
- Gradually add the broth then the half and half, whisking constantly until well blended.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. (It will be nicely and obviously thick.)
- Stir in the Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Add the beans, chilies, chicken, cheese, and milk.
- Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
- Add sour cream.
- May be served immediately but is even better served the next day.
- To serve, ladle the chili into bowls and top with the usual chili garnishes – cilantro, cheese, lime wedges, jalapenos, and more!
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❗ Recipe Tips and Variations
- Want to try other protein options? Use shredded pork roast or leftover turkey.
- Like your chili on the spicier side? Swap out the mild green chilies for hot chilies of your choice. You could also increase the amount of tabasco sauce, add some crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper.
- Want to add some smoky or charred flavor? Try using a smoked or grilled chicken, rather than a rotisserie chicken.
- Need ideas on how to top the chili? Try adding some extra cheese, green onions, bacon bits, fresh tomato relish, or avocado slices. I find that ingredients typically found in southwestern or Mexican cuisine pair nicely with this chili.
- Make the recipe your own by adding a little something extra like a can of drained, whole kernel corn, a couple of cloves of garlic, or a few chopped fresh jalapeno peppers. You could also include a bit of smoked paprika or cayenne.
🍚 How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure that the chili has cooled completely before storing it.
I prefer reheating on the stovetop, but you may use the microwave if you like. A splash of chicken broth may be needed to thin the chili as it tends to thicken even more when chilled.
🕒 How to Make Ahead
This recipe can be made and served immediately, but I find that the flavors are always best the next day. Simply prepare the recipe, allow it to cool, and store it covered in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, reheat it on the stovetop over medium to low heat, adding additional chicken broth as necessary. Serve and enjoy!
🍽 Make it a Meal
Not sure what sides to pair with this? To be honest, it doesn’t need much to make it a full meal, but some southern cornbread muffins or chips and guacamole are always welcome!
❓ Questions About Creamy White Chicken Chili
No problem! The rotisserie chicken is used in this recipe simply for convenience. If you don’t have access to them, you can roast a whole chicken at home and use the meat from that. Or you can cook three or four chicken breasts or chicken thighs either in the oven on a sheet pan or simmered with some aromatic vegetables until done.
Typically, chili has a base of red chilies or chili powder with tomatoes and red beans along with beef as the main protein. White chili, on the other hand, has a creamy base and contains white beans and chicken.
Try cooking it a little longer without a lid on the pot. If it hasn’t thickened after an extra ten minutes or so, slowly stir in a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch). It should thicken quickly.
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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📖 Recipe
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken skin and bones removed
- ½ cup butter divided
- 2 large yellow onions chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces canned white beans (great northern beans or cannellini beans) drained
- 8 ounces canned chopped mild green chilies ((recommend: Hatch green chilies)) drained
- 6 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Remove all the skin and bones from the cooked rotisserie chicken and discard. Shred or chop the meat and set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the onion over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons of butter until softened. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in the flour.
- Cook, whisking constantly, for about three minutes.
- Stir in the onion.
- Gradually add the broth then the half and half, whisking constantly until well blended.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. (It will be nicely and obviously thick.)
- Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Add beans, chilies, chicken, cheese, and milk.
- Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
- Add sour cream.
- May be served immediately but is even better served the next day.
- To serve – ladle the chili into bowls and top with the usual chili garnishes–cilantro, cheese, lime wedges, jalapenos, etc.
Notes
- To make ahead, allow the chili to cool and store it covered in the refrigerator overnight. It’s even better the second day!
- Offer a choice of chili toppings such as sliced avocado, chopped green onion, fresh cilantro, extra cheese, and jalapenos. And either crackers, tortillas, or cornbread are great accompaniments.
- Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure that the chili has cooled completely before storing it.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on December 6, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
i made this for my fiance, and he loved it! i was very happy with myself. i’m actually making it again tonight for dinner!
I’ve made this chili about 4 times since I first discovered the recipe, it’s soo good!
This was the bomb. I loved it and it was a hit last night when I made it for the fights. This is the recipe I have been looking for in the White Chili world. Per a previous recipe I caught one thing I added and I believe it gave this a wonderful earthy note (1/4 t ground clove).
Really, this was great. I was a little scared of all the dairy and warming / rewarming but it responded well to low heat over a long period of time.
Thanks. I will be back.
This soup sounds amazing! How would it do if I freezed some of it? Has anyone tried that with this soup?
Thanks!
Jenny – I have not tried freezing this chili. Not sure how the beans would hold up.
It does just fine! Froze batches with each pregnancy and recently for friends on the mended
Looks fabulous!!!
I have never made a white chili, but I think I need to change that! Plus, it’s a perfect candidate for the crock pot – like the beef stew I made today – so we can tend to the our “To Do” List!
I haven’t made this chili in the crock pot, Priscilla, but I feel quite sure it would work very well. Do let me know if you try it.
Oh my…. I know I could put away a couple of bowls of this .. no problem!! Definitely a terrific dish for this time of year – fast and fabulous .. what more could we ask for??
Using the rotisserie chicken really does cut down on the prep time quite a lot. And I have no problem taking that bit of help from the grocery store :-)
looks amazing!
This looks wonderful, so comforting, filling and delicious. Gorgeous pictures and great recipe!
Lana-This is a comforting chili with a kick! I have to check out all your other chilis. I agree that it is a stressful time and it helps to prepare comforting and familiar recipes. :)
Dag-blast-it… Lana, I sometimes just don’t know… I just finished a post last night on White Chicken Chili and here you go beating me to it… another time I might add… my whole reasoning was to share a recipe of a truly white chili, unlike so many out there that say white but are loaded with tomatoes or lots of red chili powder… yours is truly white and mouth-watering I might add…
So funny, Drick! How many times now is that where we’ve both planned to post the same thing? I swear, there’s some kind of psychic bond going on between here and there. Go ahead and post yours! I’d love to see it.
Perfect for a cold day!
Looks great Lana. Comfort food at its best.
YUM, yum, yum, yum, YUM!!!!!
Looks delicious. Would love for you to share this with us over at foodepix.com.
Yes! I have been looking for a good white chicken chili recipe after a somewhat disastrous experience last winter with a watery white mess. This looks like a straightforward recipe that I could’t possibly mess up. Wish me luck, and thanks for sharing!
Good luck! But you won’t need it – this recipe is really easy. Hope you enjoy it!
It looks delicious! I have save the recipe, I am sure we will love it at home. Thanks!
Thanks, Mari. I’d love to know how you liked it.
Yummy. Perfect food this time of year!
This one is a real crowd pleaser, Katrina, and will warm you right up on a cold day like today.
Break out the Fritos!!
Miss P
This just sounds perfectly warm and comforting Lana and so different too; I think a must try for me. Wish I had some now for lunch.
Wish you had some, too, Barbara. Too bad we’re not neighbors – I’d run a bowl of this right over to you.