Healthy White Chicken Chili

This healthy White Chicken Chili is an easy, hearty chili recipe with lots of flavor and a great change up from traditional chili. Gluten free and dairy free recipe.

I’ve been on a huge soup and chili kick this season!

This white chicken chili recipe can easily be made the evening of (doesn’t take too long!), prepare it on your day off and enjoy leftovers, or save some of the batch to freeze and bring to new parents who don’t always have time to cook when their newborn arrives.

I actually prepped this for ourselves when we welcomed our first little one and it was perfect.

Best White Chicken Chili Recipe

Let’s go over the ingredients…

What’s so great about this white chicken chili is you probably already have some of these items in your pantry.

If not, the ingredients list isn’t too long and you should be able to find everything you need at your regular grocery store.

 

White Chili Ingredients

• cooking oil – I typically use avocado or oil for medium heat cooking, but whatever you have on hand will work (as long as it’s not for low heat cooking).
• onion & garlic – always provide such great flavor in chili! For the onion white, sweet or yellow all work.
• canned green chiles – I go for canned because it’s easy and you can find them at just about any grocery store.
• corn – fresh, canned or frozen work.
• Great Northern Beans – If you can’t find these, any white bean will do, such as cannellini beans.
• salt & ground pepper – I ended up adding a full tsp salt, but start with 1/2 tsp and adjust to your liking.
• chili spices – A hefty amount of ground cumin (one tablespoon) is a must for white chicken chili. Then I add a decent amount of ground coriander, and a hint of ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder works too).
• chicken broth – adds loads of flavor; I don’t recommend making chicken chili without broth.
• shredded cooked chicken breast OR un-cooked chicken breasts – you can use rotisserie chicken (or leftover cooked chicken breasts) or use un-cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.
• limes – I always love adding fresh lime juice to chili recipes.
• cilantro – if you don’t love cilantro you can always omit, but it adds great flavor.

How to make Stovetop White Chicken Chili

This white bean chicken chili is ready on the stovetop in just about 30 minutes! Use a heavy bottomed pot, stock pot, dutch oven or something similar.

Step 1 – Prepare the beans

Drain and rinse the canned white beans. Add half of the beans to a medium bowl and mash until chunky. Reserve the un-mashed and mashed beans for later. This makes for a creamy white chicken chili without adding any heavy cream.

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Step 3 – Add chicken and cilantro

After 20 minutes of simmering, taste test (you might find you want additional salt here). Then add in shredded rotisserie chicken and cilantro.

Step 4 – Simmer until ready

Now just simmer another 5 minutes until ready to serve!

More Ways to Cook

After making this a variety of ways, instead of using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, you can also add uncooked chicken breasts into the pot while the chili simmers, cooking through, then remove the chicken breasts, shred with a fork, and add back to pot.

You can also make this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). It’s super easy to adapt and I’ve included instructions in the recipe card below.

Topping Ideas

We are all about those chili toppings! They add extra flavor and texture and help complete the dish.

I love serving White Chicken Chili with avocado, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro and and a little dollop of sour cream or full-fat greek yogurt (if not dairy-free).

More Healthy Chili Recipes You’ll Love:

• Sweet Potato Black Bean Pumpkin Chili
• Healthy Turkey Chili
• Butternut Squash & Bean Turkey Chili
• Vegan White Bean Chili

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

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