Easy White Chicken Chili — 🍲🙌🏻🍗Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, beans, and packed with bold flavor! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves! A one-pot EASY chili recipe that’s ready in just 30 minutes. It’ll be on rotation all fall and winter!
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Simple White Chicken Chili Recipe
Chili is the ultimate fall and winter comfort food. Who can say no to a bowl of warm, thick chili that’s loaded with tender chicken and hearty cannellini beans?
This white chicken chili recipe was some of the best chili I’ve ever had and is now in our rotation. It’s robustly flavored from sweet Vidalia onions, jalapeño peppers, and green chilis.
It’s so easy and ready in 30 minutes. No need to stand over a simmering pot for hours. Many ingredients get tossed into the pot all at once and in no time this hearty, healthy, and comforting chili is ready.
My family loved this easy white chicken chili recipe, and I love that it’s ready so quickly and with very minimal effort.
White Chicken Chili Ingredients
For this white bean chicken chili recipe, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño
- Canned green chiles
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Cannellini beans
- Lime juice
- Dried herbs and spices
- Fresh cilantro
Time Saving Tip: Make White Chicken Chili with Rotisserie Chicken!
To save time, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. However, you can also make my Sheet Pan Whole Roasted Chicken or my Poached Chicken, shred them, and use in the recipe.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make White Chicken Chili in 30 Minutes
This is a quick and easy white chicken chili recipe that comes together in about half an hour. You’re welcome to simmer the chili longer for added flavor, but I’m always in a rush to get dinner on the table on weeknights so 30 minutes is good enough for me!
- Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven and sauté the onion, chiles, and jalapeño until softened.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
- Dump the remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the cilantro.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, and / or sour cream.
Cooking Tip: Salt to Taste
Make sure to salt your chili to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium beans, and add a bit of salt to the chili so I can control the overall salt level. The saltiness of low-sodium broth, beans, rotisserie chickens, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Recipe FAQs
I prefer my white chicken chili to be fairly thick. To achieve this, I blend about 1 cup of the cannellini beans in a food processor to make a bean paste of sorts. This gets added to the white chili to make it even heartier. For a super thick chili, let it simmer uncovered for longer than the recipe calls for.
Absolutely! In fact, that’s what I do most of the time to save myself the effort of cooking raw chicken breasts or ground chicken beforehand.
This white bean chicken chili has mild to medium kick, but you can make it spicier by using the jalapeno seeds or by adding more red chili flakes or cayenne pepper.
I’m sure you ‘could’ but I don’t see the point because it’s ready in 30 minutes. Why lengthen an already rapid cooking time is my question? You’re just lengthening (and complicating) the amount of time it will take from start to finish for you to be enjoying this fabulous chili.
If you want to keep it warm in a slow cooker for an event or something along those lines, go for it. But prepare it on the stove as written is my advice.
Yes! Like all chili, it tastes better the day or two after you make it and the flavors marry, making this a perfect make-ahead meal. Make a batch over the weekend and you can enjoy it during the week.
Or you can stash half of it in the freezer for nights when pulling something out of the freezer for dinner is all you can muster.
This white bean chicken chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
Serve this classic stovetop white chicken chili with one or more of the following side dishes:
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread or Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Parker House Rolls
- No-Knead Dinner Rolls
- Basic House Salad
The chili is also delicious when topped with crushed homemade corn tortilla chips!
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Easy White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium/large onions)
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, about 4 to 5 inches long, diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; included or discard them based on preference)
- 7 to 8 ounces canned green chiles, don’t drain (I used mild heat)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 32 ounces 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, (use about 1 whole store bought rotisserie chicken to save tim, your favorite leftover chicken, or roast or cook your own chicken – see Notes for recipe links)
- two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see step 4 below about blending 1 cup of the beans with a splash of chicken broth or water)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
- tortilla strips, chips, crackers, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream; all are optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, jalapeno, green chilis, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, cannellini beans including whole beans and blended bean mixture (take 1 cup of the beans, add to a food processor or blender, add a splash of chicken broth or water and blend until smooth; mixture should be thick.
- Add the blended bean mixture along with the whole beans to pot), lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, optional cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Allow mixture to boil gently for about 7 to 10 minutes. It’s unlikely, but if at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your chili to be thinner, add 1 cup of water or as desired; you’ll adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end. For thicker chili, allow mixture to boil longer and reduce until desired thickness is reached.
- Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
- Taste chili and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, etc.).
- Ladle chili into bowls, and optionally garnish with tortilla strips, chips, crackers, avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately.
- Storage – Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Chili Recipes:
All of my chili recipes!
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Easy 30-Minute Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty chili with lovely SMOKY heat is ready in 30 minutes! PERFECT for busy weeknights!!
Slow Cooker Beef Chili – Easy, hearty, comfort food! As the chili simmers in your slow cooker it develops so much flavor! A foolproof chili recipe that you’ll want to add into your regular rotation!
Easy 30-Minute Turkey Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthy chili is ready in 30 minutes and it’s full of flavor! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthier chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Triple Pork Chili — Three types of pork including bacon, pork roast, and chorizo plus black beans and more in this comforting, hearty, and filling chili recipe! Easy and perfect for chilly weather, family dinners, or make it for game day or tailgating parties!
Originally published October 19, 2015 and republished February 19, 2020 with updated text.
Not a review-yet. Wondering if you have tried making this in the instant pot and if so how long did you put the pressure on?
No because it’s only a 30 minute recipe. I don’t see the point of the I.P. in this situation since it’s already such a fast recipe, why bother. Also I created this recipe in 2015, long before the IP was on anyone’s horizons. Make it as written, you will love it.
This was super tasty, thank you! My only question is have you ever adapted the recipe for a pressure cooker? I just got an instant pot over Christmas and would love to cut down the shredding and cook time by putting a chicken breast in the pressure cooker with the beans, broth, etc.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
No I have not because honestly I find it more work to use a pressure cooker (in general) when it’s a 30 minute recipe normally. Yes you do have to shred chicken and I’m sure your could quickly roast your own and shred it, but for soups like this I use rotisserie store bought that I shred in no time at all.
This recipe looks fantastic and I’m definitely trying it out soon. My only question is what vegetables might go well in this chili? I know chili doesn’t traditionally have veggies, but I’m trying to get more veggies in my meals.
I would do corn, mushrooms, bell peppers, chile peppers, extra beans, or something you think sounds good.
I have found so many great recipes from your site, and I really love easy ones like this! I don’t usually make changes to recipes and rate them, but I feel this one tiny change was harmless. My husband hates to eat chicken in soups and stews because he thinks the texture is “stringy”. I love it myself, but I’m all about making dishes my husband will eat and he’s not a big soup/stew eater, so this was a WIN. I substituted the shredded chicken for ground chicken. Everything else was exact to the recipe and it was fantastic! We enjoyed your White Chicken Chili with a pan of Mexican cornbread. Love this and it’ll go on my ‘Successful Pinterest Recipe’ board. Thank you for posting tasty, easy recipes for our busy lives!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you’ve been finding recipes that work for you and that are tasty and easy – that is my goal with everything I post!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely awesome! My hubby loved it! Will definitely make it again! Yum!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will make it again!
So easy and flavorful! This is a favorite of ours!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is a favorite of yours!
This is amazing!! Thank u for sharing :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s amazing for you!
Just made this to bring tailgating. My husband loved it, chili turned out delicious.
Glad your husband loved it and it turned out delish!
I made this recipe. I made some minor changes due to not having all the ingredients. It was good.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that it worked out for you.
It was great! Thanks so much. We Added cream cheese to thicken it,and we always add it to most chili. My kids said yummy.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad the cream cheese worked well for you!
I have been searching for a yummy chicken chili and I found it, thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for the five star review and glad your chili search is over!
My husband and I are obsessed with this recipe and make it very frequently. We cut out the jalapeño and add corn to suit our tastes!
Thanks for the five star review and glad this is a frequent obsession in your rotation!
Amazing! Sometimes we add an extra can of beans for a really thick chili and serve over rice. Yum! My kids love it too!
Can’t go wrong with extra beans and rice! Glad this is a hit with the kids too!
Is this a soupy type chilli or a thick one?
Thicker but you can thin it out with extra chicken broth if you want.
Absolutely delicious!! My whole family lived it; which is crazy! Even my picky daughter had seconds🙂. Definitely a keeper!
Glad this is a keeper for you!
Sooooo good! One of my husbands FAVORITE meals I’ve made and (he doesn’t even like beans usually)
Well that’s amazing then! Glad it’s a favorite!