This White Chicken Chili is thick, creamy, and packed with tender chicken, white beans, corn, green chiles, and just the right amount of spice. Unlike many creamy white chicken chili recipes, this one doesn’t use cream cheese. A simple roux creates the thick broth, with sour cream and half-and-half added at the end for the perfect creamy finish.
As someone who could eat soup seven nights a week in winter, my soup standards are very high. I want it to be more than a bowl of soup. I want it to be a meal. It should be both comforting and filling. And a good soup recipe, of course, should have a strong depth of flavor.
This white chicken chili recipe checks all those boxes and then some. It stands apart from regular chili with its creamy rather than tomato based broth. There is a hint of heat that is balanced by its rich, creamy broth. It has layers of flavors brought by jalapeños, spices, green chiles, beans, and corn. This soup is everything you want in a warm, cozy dinner.
Why You’ll Love it
- Creamy without cream cheese
- Done in about 45 minutes
- Everything cooks in one pot
- Easy to adjust the heat
Reader Review
Loved it! Great recipe and quick to make.
White Chicken Chili Key Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: These get added to the soup raw and cook right in the broth, adding flavor and ease to the recipe. Chicken thighs would work very well as a substitute here.
- Great Northern beans: These hold up really well in cooking, while still maintaining a creamy center. They also are great at absorbing flavor. Cannellini and navy beans would be good substitutes.
- Green chiles: Mild canned green chiles that are already diced and add another layer of flavor, rather than heat.
- Jalapeño: Once the ribs and seeds are removed these provide a small amount of heat. If desired you could reduce the amount to half a jalapeno or eliminate it entirely.
- Flour + butter: This is the roux that thickens the chili
- Sour cream + half and half: This brings a creamy richness to the soup without using cream cheese.
- Corn: Canned corn is really convenient to use here, but you could substitute it with 2 cups of frozen corn, adding it at the same time as you would the canned corn.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- In melted butter, cook the jalapeño, garlic, and onion until the onion is translucent and the jalapeño is soft. This will tone down the heat in the jalapeño and bring out the flavor in the garlic and onion.
- Whisking flour into the butter and then adding chicken stock will create the agent necessary to thicken the soup, otherwise known as a roux. Then add in all the chicken stock, the spices, and green chiles.
- Add the chicken and bring the soup to a boil. Then turn it down to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with an instant read thermometer.
- After the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot and shred it. Given how hot the chicken is, I like to put it in my stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken quickly.
- Add the shredded chicken, white beans, corn, sour cream, and half and half to the pot. Allow it to heat through for about two minutes before serving and enjoying.
Tips and Tricks
- Making a roux for white chicken chili: I always emphasize that a roux will work best if you add the liquid (in this case chicken stock) slowly after the butter and flour are fully combined. Start with a few tablespoons at a time and only add more once what you just added is fully whisked in. The whole process should take less than a minute.
- Cooking chicken in soup: I love how the chicken cooks right in this soup, which not only infuses flavor into the chicken as it cooks but also eliminates the need for extra time and dishes to cook chicken on its own. Because the size and thickness of chicken breasts will vary, use an instant-read thermometer to know when your chicken is fully cooked and ready to be shredded.
- Cutting jalapeños: If you are nervous about the heat they bring to a dish, keep in mind that most of that heat is in the ribs and seeds, which we aren’t using here. To cut the jalapeño easily, think of it as a rectangle. Cut off each side, avoiding the ribbing and seeds. If you want to see this in action, check out the video in my pico de gallo.
- Adjusting the heat: This recipe has a slight kick. If I were rating it on a scale of one to ten, where one is no spice at all and ten makes you want to cry, it would be a four. If you want to make it less spicy, you could use half a jalapeño or leave it out completely.
- Toppings: I love adding toppings to my crockpot chili recipe, and do the same when I make this easy white chicken chili. My favorite toppings are: shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, tortilla strips, and lime wedges.
- Make it in the slow cooker instead: If you want to come home to this delicious dinner, make my crockpot white chicken chili.
White Chicken Chili Leftovers
Store leftovers of this white chicken chili recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. To reheat, place only the amount that you want to eat in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring often, until it is warmed through.
Cream-based soups are not my favorite to freeze. The risk is that the soup will separate when you thaw and reheat it. If you do decide to freeze it, thaw it overnight in your refrigerator and reheat it over low heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
If you make this creamy white chicken chili, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you.
Recipe Video
White Chicken Chili
Serves: 6 people
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 38 minutes
Total: 43 minutes
White Chicken Chili is the perfect comforting soup recipe. This soup is made completely from scratch and is sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56.5 grams)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeño diced fine with seeds and ribbing removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (22.5 grams)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (946.353 ml)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 10 ounces green chiles undrained (two 5 ounces cans)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (453.592 grams)
- 1/2 cup low fat sour cream (113.5 grams)
- 1/2 cup half and half (118.294 ml)
- 30 ounces great Northern beans (850 grams) drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned corn (432 grams) drained
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 small yellow onion, 1 jalapeño, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Whisk in the flour, and once fully combined with the butter, whisk in the chicken stock, a little at a time, adding more once what you just added is fully combined. Add it more quickly as you go; this should take less than a minute.3 tablespoons all purpose flour, 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Add in the cumin, oregano, and green chilies and bring the broth to a boil. Add in the chicken and turn the heat down to a simmer. You should still be able to see intermittent bubbles. Cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer (the time this takes will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken).2 teaspoons oregano, 2 teaspoons cumin, 10 ounces green chiles, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, and return it to the soup. Stir in sour cream, half and half, corn, and beans, and cook until everything is warmed through, about two minutes. Serve topped with sliced avocado, sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.1/2 cup low fat sour cream, 1/2 cup half and half, 30 ounces great Northern beans, 15 ounces canned corn
Serving: 1.4cups Calories: 383kcal (19%) Carbohydrates: 35g (12%) Protein: 28g (56%) Fat: 14g (22%) Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 77mg (26%) Sodium: 714mg (31%) Potassium: 166mg (5%) Fiber: 8g (33%)
did you make this
White Chicken Chili
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Bernadette says
Hi Lisa!
Here is a stupid question about the white chicken chili. I am assuming when making the stock you add the chicken breast uncooked??? So, after adding the spices and chiles, when that boils then add the uncooked chicken?
Thanks
Hi Bernadette! No stupid questions :) I’m using store bought stock in this recipe and not making it. The chicken breast does get added to the soup raw in step number 3 and you simmer it for 20 minutes or until it is fully cooked through.
Sarah W says
What size pan would you recommend? Thanks!
I would recommend a soup pot that is at least 4 quarts.
Raymond Jump says
I like make crock pot soups. How can I make this in a crock pot?
You could adapt my Creamy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup instructions for this!
tammy says
Loved it! Great recipe and quick to make
I’m so glad you liked it!