This creamy White Chicken Chili recipe is made with cream cheese, chicken, white beans, and green chiles for the creamiest chili recipe you’ll ever taste. This recipe is so easy, so flavorful, and so comforting! Cook up a batch of this famous chicken chili for family dinners, game day, or to store up for winter. Did I mention this is ready in less than an hour?
What’s in this Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe?
This easy white chili is filled with chicken, beans, green chiles, cream cheese, and lots of other ingredients to make the most delicious and creamiest comfort recipe.
- Chicken: Use fully cooked chicken in this chili recipe. You can leftovers it into cubes, or use shredded chicken. Grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for the easiest option.
- White Beans: Great Northern white beans are best, but you can also use cannellini beans or white kidney beans.
- Cream Cheese: This makes the chili sooo creamy and smooth. You can use low fat or full fat.
- Heavy Cream: This also helps to create that signature creamy chili texture.
- Green Chiles: These add that delicious spicy heat you’d expect from Tex-Mex and southwest cuisines.
- Seasonings: You’ll find a mix of herbs and spices in this recipe, including chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. I also use cilantro, but you can skip it if you don’t like it.
Pro Tip: If you want to cook your own chicken for this white bean chili recipe, I recommend using this Instant Pot shredded chicken. But you can cook it with your favorite method up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep it in the fridge until you make the chili.
What are the best toppings for white chili?
The thick, creamy texture of this white chicken chili is ripe for toppings! The Tex-Mex seasonings pair perfectly with crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, sliced jalapeños, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado slices.
Use cooked chicken in this chili recipe. A rotisserie chicken works great for an easy option, or make a simple chicken breast ahead of time.
The cream cheese really helps to thicken up this chili, and the longer it simmers, the thicker it will get. If it’s still too watery or soupy, make a slurry (1 tbsp of cold water and 1 tbsp of flour or cornstarch) to stir in.
It tastes amazing either way! If you want to let this simmer all day, use the slow cooker. If you need it ready asap, make it on the stove.
White chili is made with white beans, and usually has chicken instead of beef. Regular (red) chili also uses tomatoes, whereas white chili does not.
Yes, you could swap out turkey in place of chicken if you prefer. I also recommend trying this Turkey White Bean Chili.
This recipe calls for Great Northern Beans. You can also use cannellini beans.
I added cream cheese and heavy cream to make this chili super creamy and smooth.
The green chiles, as well as the cayenne pepper and chili powder, do add some heat. But overall, it’s mildly spicy.
This recipe is meant to be quick and easy, so it will be ready to go after just 30 minutes on the stove. However, simmering longer will make it thicker and more flavorful.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover white chicken chili in airtight containers, and keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm on the stovetop, stirring regularly. You can mix in a bit more heavy cream to help get that creamy chili texture back.
How to Freeze
Store leftovers in the freezer up to 3 months. Let the white chili cool, then pour into freezer-safe containers. I recommend separating the chili into smaller portions so you can take one container out to reheat at a time.
If you want to store it in freezer bags, pour it into a bag with a bit of space left at the top (don’t overfill it). Then lay the bag(s) flat on a baking tray, and place in the freezer until fully frozen. Then you can rearrange the bags as needed for longer storage.
To reheat, thaw portions of the creamy chicken chili in the fridge overnight, then you can reheat on the stove as directed above.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
A bowl of this white bean chicken chili (loaded up with lots of toppings) is plenty filling on its own. But you can also add some bread, like this easy skillet bread or classic cornbread.
If you want to add some veggies to dinner, make this crispy Air Fryer broccoli, roasted mushrooms, or corn on the cob.
5-Star Review
“Wow! Best white chicken chili I have made! Seriously this is amazing!! I made no adjustments…It is perfect!” — Tammy
This cream cheese chicken chili with white beans has been a family favorite comfort food for dinner, game day food, and even Cinco de Mayo. It’s always a crowd pleaser!
White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
This creamy white chicken chili is so easy to make on the stovetop, so you can have it for dinner any night of the week!
Ingredients
optional toppings
Instructions
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In a 6 qt dutch oven or stock pot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil and lime juice over medium high heat. Cook until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
2 onions, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice
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Add in the cooked chicken, chicken broth, beans, chiles, and seasoning. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until it’s the thickness you desire. Stir occasionally. I let mine simmer for a full hour to let all the flavors blend fully and to get a nice thickness. It would have been ready to go after 30 minutes, so just do what you like best! *** (See below for Crock Pot Instructions)
2 pounds cooked chicken, 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth, 4 cans great northern white beans, 3 cans diced green chiles, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
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Turn off the heat and stir in the cubed cream cheese. Stir constantly until the cream cheese melts and incorporates completely. Stir in the heavy cream.
8 ounces low fat cream cheese, 1 cup heavy cream
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Top with as many or as few optional toppings as you desire. I used them all! The more the merrier.
Tortilla chips or strips, jalapeños, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, or whatever you’d like!
Becky’s tips
- Use a 6 quart dutch oven or large stock pot for this recipe.
- Make sure you use chicken that is already fully cooked. Do not add uncooked chicken into the chili.
- You only need about 30 minutes to fully cook this chili, but letting it simmer a little longer will really enhance the flavor and create a nice consistency.
Storage: Store white chicken chili in airtight containers in the fridge for 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 591kcal (30%) Carbohydrates: 48g (16%) Protein: 39g (78%) Fat: 27g (42%) Saturated Fat: 11g (69%) Cholesterol: 113mg (38%) Sodium: 700mg (30%) Potassium: 1419mg (41%) Fiber: 10g (42%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 855IU (17%) Vitamin C: 14.6mg (18%) Calcium: 240mg (24%) Iron: 8.2mg (46%)
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