Tender chicken with cannellini beans and chilies topped with Monterrey Jack cheese. Yum!
I was first introduced to White Chicken Chili years ago when we lived in the farmhouse in North Carolina.
We were going away for a couple days and one of my husband’s soldiers house sat for us while we were gone. We had pets – and chickens – who needed caring for and we couldn’t take them with us to where we were going. We offered to pay her for house sitting, but instead, she asked for me to make her a pot of “White Chili” as payment.
Back then, I had never even heard of it and had to search online for a recipe. I don’t remember what recipe I made back then, but this is the version I came up with since.
Watch me make this White Chicken Chili in the Video below.
In the video I reference that I made it differently than I had it on the website here. However, I realized the way I made it in the video was quicker and simpler. So I updated this recipe to reflect those simplified instructions.
To begin, heat the butter and oil in your Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Toss in cubed chicken, onion, jalapeño pepper, and minced garlic.
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Cook until the chicken is opaque and the onions are tender. About 5 minutes.
Add in oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, green chilies, and broth.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Turn the heat up for a few minutes to bring the soup to a boil.
Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small dish. Add half of the mixture to the boiling soup to thicken. If you would like it thicker, add the rest of the cornstarch slurry.
Serve topped with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.
Serve this with some homemade Skillet Cornbread if you like.
This recipe can easily be made with leftover cooked chicken or turkey. Simply add the diced chicken or turkey in after sautéing the onion & pepper.
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White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced
- 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless – cubed in 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 Tb butter
- 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz diced green chili
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 45 oz canned cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ c cold water
- 3 Tb corn starch
For Serving
- Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- To begin, heat the butter and oil in your Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Toss in the chicken, onion jalapeño pepper, and garlic until the chicken is opaque and the onions are tender. About 5 minutes.
- Add in the oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, green chilies, and broth.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Turn the heat up for a few minutes to bring the soup to a boil.
- Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small dish. Add half of the mixture to the boiling soup to thicken. If you would like it thicker, add the rest of the cornstarch slurry.
- Serve topped with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
Unit Conversions:
Unit Conversion for measurements (if displayed), going from US to Metric is an auto-generated conversion. If you are using the metric measurements, please double-check to confirm that these are accurate with your favorite preferred conversion tool.
This recipe was originally written in 2014, and updated with simplified instructions in 2022.
Oh my goodness this white chili is so, so good. My husband and I are both too full because we had to have another bowl. Made cornbread to go with it. Thank you so much for an awesome recipe that will be made again and again.
I’m so glad you liked it! :D
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never had white chili – I might need to change that!
never heard of white chili till today sweet looking meal.
White chicken chili is so good and your version just looks fantastic. Yum!
So gorgeous and that chunk of cornbread!
A nice lighter alternative to beef or pork chili
I don’t think I’ve ever had a white chili. From the looks of yours, I really need to give it a try!
My mother in law always makes a white chili instead of a red one; definitely a yummy twist!
I made my first white chili last year, I had never heard of it either but it was so good it will definitely be something I make more often.
I’ve never made a white chicken chili before. It looks delicious!!
I have never tasted white chili, but would LOVE to! Your recipe sounds delicious and I am sure I would love it! Thank you for sharing Constance!
White chicken chili is really delicious, those who won’t try it because it’s not the traditional beef kind (*cough* some Texans *cough*) are really missing out. Thanks for posting!
Never had white chili but cannellini beans are my favorite and I prefer chicken to beef most days. Sounds great!
I have never tried a “white” chili before but it really sounds goodddd
Drooling over every picture seeing how you made this, never had a white chili, awesome!!
I’ve always enjoyed white chili and sometimes wonder if it is also good with turkey (I prefer turkey over chicken). Great that you got to use a batch of chili as payment for house sitting.
First of all, may I have that blue pot? Second of all, may I have a bowl of your delicious chili? Yes to both?
This was the first time I ever made chicken chili and i love it! I love your chili, it is beautiful, loaded with flavor and looks just amazing! I love it!
There’s something so comforting about a white chicken chili. . love this one!!!
Constance, my family loves this type of chili! Your recipe looks terrific!!!