I have a lot of favorite soups, but most people who know me know that this White Chicken Chili is at the top of my list, partly due to the fact that I make it from things my pantry very rarely runs out of, so I end up making it a lot when other meal plans get tossed out the window. It’s really fast, and really easy, and it’s major comfort food for me. I often make a pot at lunch time and just keep it warm until dinner, grabbing a bowl or two in between! Kids love it because they can put chips and cheese on it. Heck, I love it because you put chips and cheese on it.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Chili
- Olive oil – You could also use non-stick spray.
- Chicken – This recipe calls for raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you want to speed dinner up or use up leftovers, rotisserie or previously cooked chicken works great, simply add it to the pot during the last 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat up.
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Great northern beans – This recipe calls for raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you want to speed dinner up or use up leftovers, rotisserie or previously cooked chicken works great, simply add it to the pot during the last 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat up.
- Great Northern Beans – Any white bean will do! Look for great northern, large white, or cannellini.
- Green chiles
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Coriander
- Salt
- Fresh cilantro and lime – These flavors add so much to the soup, but they also mellow quickly. If making ahead to refrigerate or freeze, omit the lime juice and cilantro. Add them after the soup has been reheated, just prior to serving.
- Chicken broth – This makes up the main body of the soup so make sure to use one you love. Canned or boxed broth is great, or Better Than Bouillon. Avoid bouillon cubes or powder.
Toppings
The possibilities are endless here. Don’t feel like you have to have every one of them available, just pick your favorites!
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Shredded Jack, pepper Jack cheese
- Cotija or queso fresco
- Diced avocado
- Tortilla chips or strips
- Bread – I LOVE this soup with a loaf of warm, crusty bread smothered with this Creamy Jalapeno-Lime Butter. When you dip the bread into the hot soup, the butter melts and it is seriously the most amazing thing.
- Spice – This is not a spicy dish. If you want to add some heat, add some diced jalapeños in while cooking your onions, or add some Tabasco sauce near the end of cooking or as a condiment.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- To start, you’ll cook up some chicken, onion, and garlic really quickly. You would do this in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven.
- When that’s mostly done cooking, you’ll add in some white beans (great northern or cannellini work) and some diced green chiles. These are mild, so they don’t add heat, just tons of flavor. Don’t drain them, you’ll want all those good juices, too. Add a handful of seasonings, and then let it simmer away.
- After a quick simmer, add in some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Then serve it in bowls with allllll the toppings. Seriously, guys. Don’t forget the toppings.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Like most soups, White Chicken Chili freezes well. Freeze in individual portions for a quick meal when needed!
Frequently Asked Questions
I LOVE soups as freezer meals. Most of them freeze and reheat beautifully. Simply prepare the White Chicken Chili but omit the lime juice and cilantro. Cool completely and transfer to your preferred freezer container. I love freezing individual servings in my Souper Cubes molds to pull out for an easy lunch. Once reheated, add lime juice, cilantro, and toppings.
Yep! Just add it in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to heat through.
I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency. If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth. Or, alternatively, take an additional can of beans (drained and rinsed) and place them in a blender. Ladle in a cup or 2 of the finished broth (avoid the chicken pieces, etc.) and puree until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup.
Another way to make this a creamier, heartier soup is to add about 1/3 cup dry rice with the broth and let it simmer until soft (about 20 minutes). You can also add a can of evaporated milk at the very end after the heat has been turned off.
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin, or non-stick spray
- 1 pound chicken, boneless cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
- 1 onion, medium diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 3.5-ounce can green chilies
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano leaves dried
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1 lime
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 32 ounces chicken broth
Toppings
- sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt
- cilantro chopped
- pepperjack or Jack cheese shredded
- avocado
- tortilla chips
- Also great served with crusty bread and Creamy Jalapeno-Lime Butter
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes. Then add green chills – along with all of the juices in the can.
- Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the ½ cup chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with toppings.
Notes
- ROTISSERIE CHICKEN – if you’re using precooked chicken, just add it along with the broth and let it simmer. Easy!
- I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency. If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth. Or, alternatively, take an additional can of beans (drained and rinsed) and place them in a blender. Ladle in a cup or 2 of the finished broth (avoid the chicken pieces, etc.) and puree until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup.
- Another way to make this a creamier, heartier soup is to add about 1/3 cup dry rice with the broth and let it simmer until soft (about 20 minutes). You can also add a can of evaporated milk at the very end after the heat has been turned off.
- Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Like most soups, White Chicken Chili freezes well. Freeze in individual portions for a quick meal when needed!
Questions & Reviews
Made this last night and it was delish! I couldn’t find the white northern beans in our store so I used white kidney beans. I don’t know if that makes a huge difference in the soup but it was still great. Thanks for another great recipe! OBB is the only cookbook I’m using these days and its become my standard gift to friends.
Oh. My. Goodness. That was delicious! And the kids were BEGGING for seconds and thirds! One tried to pick out the onions and peppers and I asked him to close his eyes and take one bite and see how it takes. Upon his seconds he said “OH YAY! More onions!”
Ya…I’m a happy mommy.
Oops – I didn’t say this….
THANK YOU!!!
I have your cookbook home from the library and needed a chicken recipe for dinner tonight. I saw the picture of this chili and new it would be perfect. Thank you so much for yet another fantastic recipe! I love a dinner that everyone from the one-year-old to the three-year-old to the husband will eat. Again, I’m so sorry I’m missing your book signings in Seattle. Next time….
This is soo yummy! I’ve never had white chicken chili before but I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while now and I’m so glad I finally did! My 2 year old even liked it, and at our house that’s kind of a big deal! Thank you thank you!
This is the first recipe of yours that I have tried and it was a hit in my family!! I just made it again tonight (second time) and my daughter’s friend came over to play and smelled the food. She thought it was absolutely fabulous so I invited her to dinner. She must have raved about it to her mom because she texted me asking for the recipe! 🙂 I told her where to find it. I also just made your Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies on Sunday and my family LOVED it! They didn’t flatten when I took it out of the oven either! My other cookies tend to do that so I stay away from making cookies. I’ll be making this more often! I can’t wait to try other recipes! Thanks ladies!! You’re cooking geniuses!
This recipe looks fantastic and I can’t wait to try it!
I have seen in other recipes a way to thicken soups, especially those with beans. After the soup is done cooking a bit, you can use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up some of the beans against the side of the pot. You can do it until you reach the consistency you desire. This really works. I also tried using a hand-held immersion blender once, but that tends to destroy the chicken!
Thanks for all of your great recipes. I also have found every one a “keeper”!
I just made this for dinner tonight! It’s DELICIOUS! Thanks! 🙂 It’s definitely going to go in my rotation of foods! 🙂
I just made this today, and I loved it! The only thing different that I did was not put in green chiles because I forgot to buy them, but the soup was still fantastic, and probably better for kids who may not like things spicy. Thanks for a great recipe!
I cooked this for another apartment for Valentine's Day, and they were super impressed. This is definitely a keeper. So far, all recipes from this site have been keepers.
I made this for dinner tonight! It was a huge success! I love how simple your directions are and they worked perfect for me, I'm not the greatest cook!(: Thanks so much!