White Chicken Chili Recipe
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Making this creamy white chicken chili with tender shredded chicken, white beans, and roasted chiles is something my family looks forward to every winter. It is rich, hearty, and full of flavor from slow caramelized onions and warm spices. I serve it loaded with cheese and green onions for the ultimate comfort meal.
I could eat soup every single day, no kidding! It does not matter the season, but winter just hits different where I live in Northwest Indiana. The moment the temperature drops, I am in the kitchen with a big pot on the stove. My wife jokes that I make enough soup to feed the whole neighborhood, but I like having leftovers for busy weeknights. Some of the ones I cook a lot lately are my beef and barley soup and my ham and bean soup.
White Chicken Chili
White chicken chili, also known as white chili or chicken chili, is a hearty soup made with white beans, chiles, spices, and shredded chicken. While there is no concrete history of its creation, many believe it originated in the Southwest region of the United States during the 1970s and 1980s as a lighter alternative to traditional beef chili.
A traditional white chicken chili is thick, with beans pureed and added back to give it body. This approach is similar to the one my dad used when he came up with this recipe in the 90s, which inspired me to create my own version today. I like to caramelize the onions slowly, roast the peppers with the garlic, and puree everything for a rich base. The shredded chicken gets added at the end along with cream, and I finish it with plenty of cheese before serving. Much like my Texas chili, the flavors get even better the next day.
What I love about this white chicken chili is how the caramelized onions, roasted peppers, and warm spices build layers of flavor you will not get from a quick weeknight recipe. My family requests this one all winter long, and it has become a game day favorite at our house. I always make a double batch because it freezes beautifully for months. Just follow my step by step below and you will nail this comforting meal for your family.
Ingredients and Substitutions
There are a few key ingredients that make this white chicken chili rich and flavorful. Here is what I use:
- Beans – I use dried navy, cannellini, or Great Northern beans. Pinto beans also work if that is what you have.
- Chicken – I prefer a whole roasting chicken because it is more cost effective and gives me homemade chicken stock for the soup.
- Peppers – I use a mix of green bell, poblano, and jalapeno peppers. Adjust the jalapenos based on how much heat you like.
- Onion – Yellow onions work best for caramelizing. Sweet or white onions are also good options.
- Celery – I like the extra flavor celery brings to the base.
- Garlic – I use plenty of fresh minced garlic for depth.
- Spices – Most recipes call for just cumin, but I add ground coriander and dry oregano for a more complex flavor.
- Cream – Heavy whipping cream makes this chili rich and creamy.
- Cheese – I load it up with shredded Monterey jack, white cheddar, or pepper jack cheese.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
Soak the beans: I cover the dried beans in water and soak them for 12 to 24 hours.
Caramelize the onions: I add oil to a large pot over low heat and cook the onions until well browned, about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook the chicken: While the onions caramelize, I add the whole chicken to a separate large pot with 1 gallon of water and simmer over medium heat for 60 to 75 minutes until cooked through.
Add flavor: Once the chicken is in, I add any fresh or frozen vegetable scraps to help enhance the flavor of the stock.
Prep the peppers: With about 20 minutes left in the chicken cooking process, I seed and medium dice the peppers.
Roast the vegetables: I add the peppers, celery, and garlic to the pot with the onions and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes to get a light roast. I avoid charring to prevent bitterness.
Toast the spices: I stir in the cumin, coriander, and oregano and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Make the stock: I remove the cooked chicken and set it aside to cool, then strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer.
Puree the base: I deglaze the pot with 1 cup of stock, then transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth.
Simmer the beans: I add the pureed mixture back to the pot along with the stock and drained beans, then bring to a boil and cook for 45 to 60 minutes until the beans are tender.
Add the chicken: I remove the meat from the chicken, roughly chop it, and stir it into the soup.
Finish and serve: I stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper, and serve topped with shredded cheese and green onions.
Chef Tip + Notes
I highly recommend taking the time to properly caramelize the onions. I cook them low and slow for up to an hour until they are deeply browned. This builds a rich and sweet base that is key for the final dish to taste amazing, and it is a step you should not rush. Patience is key here. This is not one of those quick generic recipes you find everywhere online these days. I curated this one after many rounds of testing to get it just right.
- Avoid charring the peppers: I cook the peppers over low heat to get a light roast. Charring can cause bitter flavors in the soup. If you are nervous about this, roast them separately, then peel, seed, and chop before adding.
- Thicken with beans: If the soup is not thick enough after cooking, I remove about 2 cups of beans with some stock, puree until smooth, and stir it back in for extra body. It can also be thickened with a slurry or roux if needed.
- Canned beans option: When using canned beans, I strain them and add to the pot with the pureed peppers and onions. I start with half the stock and add more to thin. The beans only need to heat through since they are already cooked.
- Add more heat: I add cayenne pepper or swap in serrano or habanero peppers if I want more spice.
Serving Suggestions
When I serve white chicken chili, I load each bowl with plenty of shredded Monterey jack cheese and sliced green onions. A dollop of sour cream on top is always welcome too.
I like to serve it alongside my homemade cornbread for dipping, or with my homemade dinner rolls which my daughter loves to dip into the chili. A fresh cucumber salad on the side balances the richness perfectly. On game day, I set out all the toppings and let everyone build their own bowl. So good!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: I make this white chicken chili up to 2 days ahead of time. In fact, the flavors get even better after sitting overnight.
How to Store: I cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This chili freezes beautifully covered for up to 6 months. I thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: I add the desired amount to a pot and cook over low heat until hot. I add a little chicken stock if it needs more moisture and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Video
White Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1- pound dry navy, cannellini, or great northern beans
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 peeled and medium-diced yellow onions
- 1 whole roasting chicken
- 2 seeded and medium diced green bell peppers
- 2 seeded and medium diced poblano peppers
- 2 seeded and medium diced jalapeños
- 2 medium diced ribs of celery
- 10 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- Shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese for garnish
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Start by soaking covering the beans in a container and soaking them for 12 to 24 hours.
- Next, add the oil to a large rondeau pot (8 quarts) over low heat and add the onions to caramelize. This can take up to 1 hour. Stir them occasionally.
- In the meantime, rinse your whole chicken well inside and out with cold water to remove any excess water it was packaged in. Transfer the chicken to a large pot (8 quarts) with 1 gallon of water and cook over medium heat for 60 to 75 minutes or until the chicken is cooked throughout.
- Once you add the chicken in there, you can add any fresh or frozen vegetable scraps into the pot to help enhance the flavor of the stock. With about 20 minutes left in the chicken-cutting process, seed and medium-dice the peppers.
- Add the peppers, garlic, and celery to the pan with onions and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes to get a light roast. Be sure not to char as the overly cooked skin can cause the soup to be bitter. See Notes.
- Stir in the dry spices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the stock and set it aside to cool. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer or chinois.
- Deglaze the pan with onions and peppers with 1 cup of chicken stock and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the roasted onions, peppers, and onions to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed mixture back to the rondeau pot along with the stock, drained soaked beans, and bring it to a boil.
- Next, cook the beans for about 45 to 60 minutes over low to medium heat or until the beans are tender.
- Remove the meat from the chicken and roughly chop it. Discard the skin and leftover carcass. Add the chopped chicken to the soup and mix to combine.
- Finish with cream, salt, and pepper. Adjust any seasonings with cumin, coriander, or oregano.
- Garnish with shredded cheese and sliced green onions.
Deep, rich flavor, and the house smelled so good. I made it exactly as he said, although I made the chicken and stock the day before and skimmed the fat. Absolutely delicious.
One of my favorite soups!
Chef Billy,
I made this early this morning. I let the beans soak over night. I did season the chicken water with bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, and onion. Made great stock
This recipe for chicken chili is the best I’ve ever had. Was worth the time it took to make. Absolutely delicious. You inspire me to be a better home cook.😊thank you for sharing all of your delicious recipes.
Amazing! Your prep and stock sound perfect — thanks for sharing how it turned out!
Making it this weekend. Is pureeing the aromatics key, or can you get as much flavor by leaving it rustic?
It’s not a must, but it’s great when you do!
Wow, this is awesome! Made it for dinner with corn bread, hubby loved it!
Excellent! Thank you!
Made this yesterday and it’s delicious. It is definitely elevated with some avocado slices. Didn’t use the cream, didn’t want the added fat and it didn’t need it. Big hit in my house. 3 recipes down, excited for sooo many more!
Awesome! Thank you!
Believe me when I say this is Delicious. with a few tweaks here and there, just to make it my own, I have won 3 Chili cook offs with this Chili. I Love this stuff and so dose my Family and every Fireman in my Town dose too. Thank you and God Bless you Chef. you make my Life so easy now… I do a lot of batch cooking, it really saves time.
So glad it’s a hit! Thank you!
How would this recipe change using rotisserie chicken? And I make my own stock, How much stock would I use, a gallon?
yup