White Chicken Chili With Corn, White Beans, and Peppers. Quick and Easy, this creamy chili recipe is Perfect To Make A Comforting Weeknight Dinner.
I actually first tried white chili at one of those work potlucks many years ago. She made it in a slow cooker, but it is just as easy to make in a dutch oven or instant pot. After growing up with only traditional smoky beef chili and Cincinnati Chili, I was blown away. “What is this heavenly soup?! It’s so good!” In fact it wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but I was hooked.
Most people when making this style of chili stick to the more classic beans and peppers. Yes this chili has traditional white beans and canned diced green chilis, but the addition of the cream cheese changes everything in the best way!
Crock pot version
It’s fall and everyone loves a good crock pot recipe. The good news is you sure can make this recipe in a crock pot or slow cooker! In fact it is super easy to substitute. Rather than pre-grilling the chicken, just throw everything (except the toppings of course) into the slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low setting for about 8 hours. Pull the chicken out and shred it using forks or a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Then put the chicken back in with the rest of the ingredients and serve.
Tools I use and recommend
3 Qt. Slow Cooker: The perfect size for side dishes for 10-12 people, this slow cooker is an absolute bargain and a workhorse.
Dutch Oven: I really like a quality enameled one that heats evenly and easy to clean. Plus, the cute colors!
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer: My stand mixer is a workhorse! I have always been glad I bought the professional series. It’s worth the extra investment for me because it is more powerful and larger. I use the standard paddle attachment for shredding pork and chicken.
Frequently asked questions:
You can use breast or thighs as long as they are skinless. I generally prefer a mix of the two, but your preference is fine!
Although this chicken chili has just a little kick, I wouldn’t call it spicy. If your family doesn’t like spicy food, the spice level is very easy to control with this recipe. For my family, I use diced fresh poblano peppers instead of the canned chilis, but you can also use red or green peppers. You can also use adobo sauce instead of cayenne or skip the cayenne powder completely. Adobo sauce has a smoky flavor that can add a little different taste to the chili.
If you want to make it spicier, add hot canned green chilis, fresh slices of jalepeno, or more cayenne powder.
I get asked sometimes about cooking the chicken in the pot rather than before. I find that it cuts down on cooking time to cook the chicken prior and a bit easier to not overcook the chicken. However, you can definitely cook the chicken during the step where the beans and chicken broth are added. The cooking time of the chili would need to increase as well.
Looking for more Soups?
- Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup
- Cabbage Beef Soup
- Zuppa Toscana (Sausage Potato Kale Soup)
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Mixer with Large Paddle
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced ½ cup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz. chicken broth low sodium
- 30 oz Great Northern beans drained and rinsed 2 cans
- 8 oz diced green chiles 2 cans or use diced fresh poblano peppers for less spice.
- 1 can 15oz whole kernel corn drained
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup half and half
Topping Ideas
- shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack
- sliced jalapeno
- sliced avocado
- fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips
- sour cream
Instructions
- Salt and pepper chicken and cook as desired. I like to pound out the chicken breasts to about ½ inch thick and then grill the chicken until just barely cooked. However, you can also saute the chicken breasts in a little bit of butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
- In a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment , shred the chicken on low speed. If you do not have a stand mixer, the chicken can be shredded with two forks.
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook the onions until translucent – about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir and saute about 1 minute or until the garlic is golden and fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, beans, green chiles, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and let cook, about 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Stir in cream cheese and heavy cream until well mixed. Warm back to temperature if necessary.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Nutrition
Not Sure
What's For Dinner?
Signup for recipe updates and get a free cookbook of Easy Weeknight Supper Solutions!
Check Out More of Our Favorite Soup Recipes
Chicken Tortilla Soup 
Cinncinati Style Chili Sausage Kale Soup
Jessica says
FANTASTIC! This was my first time making white chili. I thought it was delicious. My husband really liked it too. He even took the leftovers for lunch!
Shannon says
I made this last night for my family and I was absolutely in love! They enjoyed it too 🙂 Thank you for such a great recipe <3