White Bean Chicken Chili
This white chicken chili is a one pot, easy to make high protein dinner the whole family will love. Perfect for a cozy winter meal or meal prep recipe! Gluten free and ready in 30 minutes.
It’s chili season! While I love a classic or lentil chili, this white bean chicken chili is quickly becoming a favorite.
White chicken chili doesn’t use any tomatoes, chili powder or ground meat but instead has white beans, chicken broth, green chilis and some different spices.
It’s just as hearty and flavorful as traditional chili but has a different flavor profile and is still so easy to make. It’s creamy, full of flavor, packed with protein and perfect with tortilla chips, some rustic bread, or just as is! Try my gluten free shepherds pie, tuscan chicken soup or gluten free beef chili next!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Hearty & filling
- Packed with protein
- One pot
- Naturally gluten free
How to make white chicken chili
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and saute for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the garlic and green chilis and saute for 2-3 more minutes. Mix in the spices, salt and pepper. Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the chicken.
I suggest starting with 2 cups of broth and adding more only as needed. It’s much easier to thin it out if it’s too thick than thicken it up if it’s too thin!
Let simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors blend, then scoop out 1 – 1 1/2 cups and blend until smooth. This step is optional, but it will really help give it that thick and creamy texture.
Transfer back to the pot and stir in the chicken. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with fresh cilantro, tortilla chips & enjoy! Try my pumpkin chili or chicken burrito bowl next!
Key ingredients
CHICKEN. I love using shredded rotisserie chicken for extra flavor here, however, plain cooked chicken breast that you dice or shred will also work.
WHITE BEANS. Two cans of great northern beans will bulk up the chili and add a lot of protein and fiber. If you can’t find great northern beans, any kind of white bean will work!
ONION. One white or yellow onion will add a lot of flavor to this chili. Plus some garlic of course.
GREEN CHILIS. You need 8 ounces of diced green chilis from a can. There will be some liquid in there, no need to drain it off, it will add lots of flavor!
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BROTH. I used low sodium chicken broth here. If you use regular, I suggest cutting back on the salt.
CORN. Fresh or frozen corn will both work.
GREEK YOGURT. Might seem odd, but a bit of greek yogurt or sour cream will make this white chicken chili super creamy.
SPICES. White chili doesn’t contain any chili powder, but instead we’ll use cumin, paprika and oregano as our main spices.
Variations
Make it dairy free! This recipe does call for greek yogurt, but you can simply leave it out for a dairy free version. It will still be plenty thick and creamy because we’ll blend some of the chili up.
Make it vegan! I know this is a white chicken chili, but you actually can just omit the chicken for a white bean chili that is both vegetarian and vegan (just leave out the greek yogurt). You can also add in an extra can of white beans to thicken it up further.
How to store and freeze
This white chicken chili stores and freezes really well. To store in the fridge, allow the chili to cool, then transfer to a container and set in the fridge for about 3 days.
To freeze, let cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. I like to store in smaller containers so I can just defrost what I need at any time.
To reheat, I suggest warming on the stove, but the microwave will also do. The texture of chicken isn’t always great after microwaving, but since it’s shredded it should be ok!
Serving suggestions
Toppings are often my favorite part of a recipe, and this white chicken chili has so many delicious options. Some of my favorites:
- Avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded Cheese
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Fresh lime juice
- Gluten Free Cornbread
More one pot dinner recipes!
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White Bean Chicken Chili
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces diced green chilis from a can
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2-2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 15 ounce cans great northern beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- cilantro, avocado & tortilla chips for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add in the diced onion and saute for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the garlic and green chilis and saute for 2-3 more minutes.
- Mix in the spices, salt and pepper.
- Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the chicken. Start with 2 cups of broth and add more as desired to thin.
- Let simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors blend, then scoop out 1 – 1 1/2 cups and blend until smooth.
- Transfer back to the pot and stir in the chicken.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, mix in an additional 1/2 cup of broth.
- Stir in the lime juice. Serve with fresh cilantro, tortilla chips & enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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This is amazing! I’m recovering from oral surgery, so I blended the whole mixture before adding the chicken, which I shredded very finely. It turned out to be the most filling meal I’ve had so far. I was a bit unsure about the paprika—should it be smoked or regular?
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I prefer regular but either works- more of a personal preference.
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