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This flavorful white chicken chili recipe is a creamy and cozy dinner that’s ready in just 35 minutes! Add some fresh toppings, and you’ve got an irresistible chili for busy weeknights.
Try this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili or Easy Turkey Chili next.
Why you’ll love it
In a surprise to no one, this one pot chili is my all-time favorite since it’s easy and quick, so creamy, and has chicken, all things right out of the S&L playbook. It’s a wonderful alternative to a tomato-based one like this Beef Chili when you’re craving something a little richer.
This white chicken chili is not what I’d describe as spicy, but it does have a personality to it with its warm and fragrant spice mix. I have a feeling that the kids will enjoy it too. With the luxurious creamy broth, this eats more like a soup, and it’s hard not to lick the bowl!
What you’ll need
- Onion and garlic – our aromatic base. I usually choose Vidalia onions, but yellow is great too.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Thighs would also work. I’ve even seen it with ground chicken or turkey.
- Broth – chicken broth enhances the savory flavor
- Green chilies – these come chopped in small cans in the Mexican or international aisle of the grocery store. I picked mild for this recipe.
- Dried oregano, ground cumin, and chili powder – my signature seasoning mix. Keep in mind that most varieties of standard chili powder aren’t actually spicy.
- White beans – I picked your standard cannellini beans, but I’ve also seen great northern beans used or even navy beans
- Cream cheese – what makes it so rich! I always go for Philly brand.
Can I use cooked chicken instead?
- Sure! It’ll make it even faster. You can use rotisserie or Shredded Chicken instead, but make sure to reduce the cooking time by at least 5 minutes so that the chicken doesn’t overcook and dry out.
How to make white chicken chili
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion until lightly browned in a large pot or Dutch oven, and then add in the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes until no longer pink.
Stir in the garlic, followed by the chicken broth, chopped green chilies, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and white beans.
Simmer gently for a while, then stir in the cream cheese and continue to cook for another few minutes until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper, add your toppings, and enjoy.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I mince the garlic with this garlic press. No sticky fingers or peeling cloves!
- Open up the canned goods with this trusty can opener. Mine is as good as the day I bought it years ago.
- This is the Dutch oven I use.
Substitutions and variations
- To kick up the heat a notch, I recommend using spicy green chilies and/or adding some cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeno peppers.
- While the tang of cream cheese is really nice, you could use heavy cream instead. I’d start with 1/2 cup and add some lime juice to compensate for the tanginess. Sour cream would also work.
- A handful of spinach thrown in at the end is a fantastic way to get more greens.
- This chili makes four pretty generous portions (six if you really top ’em and eat smaller portions), so I suggest doubling the recipe if you have more hungry mouths to feed.
Our favorite chili toppings
- We highly recommend squeezing in fresh lime juice and serving each bowl with lime wedges for a little acidity to contrast the creaminess!
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt adds a little extra tang, and chopped avocado or Guac would be great for more creaminess.
- Tortilla strips or tortilla chips add an extra crunch.
- Fresh chopped cilantro, scallions, and sliced jalapenos amp up the flavor!
- Try some shredded cheese like a Mexican blend or Monterey Jack.
Leftovers and storage
- This white chicken chili recipe makes excellent leftovers. They will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat, or microwave until warmed through.
- You could freeze leftovers. The texture may change because of the dairy factor, but it’ll still taste great.
More cozy chili recipes
If you made this creamy chicken chili, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your S&L creations.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 (14 ounce) cans white beans drained
- 2 (4 ounce) cans mild green chilies with juices
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block of Philly) softened
- Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings (optional, to taste):
- Lime juice, avocado, cilantro, Mexican cheese blend, tortilla strips, etc.
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat, and sauté the onion for 5-7 minutes (I like to let it brown a little for extra flavor).
- Add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes until they're no longer pink on the outside.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese and salt & pepper. Increase the heat and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat so it's simmering, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Cut the cream cheese into cubes, then microwave it for 30 seconds to help soften it up. Stir it in, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the cream cheese has nicely incorporated into the sauce and it's warmed through.
- Season chili with salt & pepper as needed. Serve it up and top as desired.
Notes
- I used about 1 pound of chicken breasts in this recipe. You can use cooked chicken in this recipe if you have some, but I would reduce cooking time so as not to overcook the chicken.
- I like the tanginess the cream cheese gives this recipe, but you could instead use heavy cream if you wish (I’d start with 1/2 cup). I’d add some lime juice to compensate for the lack of tanginess if you do this. Sour cream would also work if you don’t have cream cheese.
- Serves 4-6.
- Want to make this recipe in your electric pressure cooker? Try my Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe.
- This chili recipe is also in chapter 5 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on February 11, 2019. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Can you freeze this? thank you
Hi Sandra! See the leftovers and storage section in the blog post.
One of my family’s favorite meals! We top with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro or green onions, & a squeeze of fresh lime!
Yay!! Love that. Thanks, Sarah!
My daughter and I LOVE this! I have made this several times since first stumbling across the recipe. In fact, I will be making this for dinner tonight! I double the chili seasoning for more kick and I add a tub of Philadelphia chive and onion cream cheese. It’s a keeper! Thank you for a lovely recipe. 😁
You are very welcome, Lisa!! 😀
This is one of my favorite go-to S&L recipes! Always delicious and comforting. This time I added extra cream cheese and avocado was my favorite topping.
That’s great to hear, Megan! Thanks for your review!
This is my second time making a recipe from this website, and once again I am disappointed. I followed this recipe exact, and I could not be more disappointed. It’s very liquidy, zero flavor, the chunks of chicken are just gross. This needs to be a shredded chicken, you should probably boil the chicken breast first. And shred! You need more broth, more thickness, probably should make a rue. You need a lot of work on this recipe. A LOT more flavor is needed! I am not sure where these ratings are coming from. But I just wasted about $15 making this. For literally like two bowls of soup!
Hi Natalie! It’s been a reader favorite for years, so no, I do not need to work on this recipe. It has worked out great for many other readers as you can see.
Natalie, Since you thought too “liquidy”, perhaps spin an extra can or two of the beans through a blender with some of the broth and add that. It may give the lovely silky texture you are looking for. And it pumps up the protein. I like the recipe as presented but have added extra pureed beans as well on other occasions. Pretty easy to increase the seasoning in the ratios presented to amp up the flavor.
Absolutely love this chili! We liked to add an extra can of chilis and use rotisserie chicken. It reheats nicely too!
Wonderful!! Thanks, Mikayla!
Fabulous!!! A perfect, hearty soup recipe for a chilly spring day. The family loved it. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Jennie!! 😀 Appreciate you taking the time to write me a review! XO
So delicious and easy to make. Will be on the rotation!!
That’s great to hear, Misty!!
Always love making your recipes! Always packs great flavor in a shorter cook time. This recipe was no different. We all loved it. Easy and delicious.
Thank you so much, Maria!! 😀
My husband and son loved this soup. I made another version with sour cream and without chili powder and it was not as good. This one is perfect! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you, Kathy!