White Bean Chicken Chili

A comforting one-pot white bean chicken chili recipe with plenty of chicken and loads of seasonings. Good old comfort food with just the right amount of spice. So easy to make any night of the week!

I've always loved a good spicy white bean chicken chili recipe. As much as I enjoy more traditional tomato-based chili recipes, I find myself continually drawn to the rich, comforting flavors of this particular recipe.

I've enjoyed other white chicken chili recipes, though this is my favorite. I've perfected, for me, the right amount of seasonings and spice, and a good ratio of chicken to beans. I've also got a nice combination of chili peppers that gives it the edge I've come to expect.

Let's talk about how to make white bean chicken chili, shall we?

White Bean Chili Ingredients

• Chicken. I use a combination of chicken breast and thighs - 1.5 pounds. You can use only breast or thigh, or your favorite cut.
• Peppers. I use 2 jalapenos and 2 roasted poblano peppers. Great combo! See the recipes notes on pepper options. If you can't find fresh peppers, a can or 2 of green chilis is fine.
• Onion and Garlic. Use 1 small onion, diced and 2 tablespoons minced garlic.
• White Beans. Use 2 cans white beans (drained - 16 ounce cans).
• Stock or Beer. Use 2 cups chicken stock or use a good flavored amber colored beer. Beer will give you a great flavor boost. Vegetable broth is good, too. Feel free to use your favorite.
• Oil. 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking.
• Seasonings. I use 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ancho powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Corn Meal. I use 2 tablespoons cornmeal as a thickener, but also for a touch of corn flavor.
• Hot Sauce. Use Hot Sauce to your own personal tastes. I love it!
• For Serving. Crumbly white cheese, spicy chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley.

How to Make White Bean Chicken Chili - The Recipe Method

Heat your olive oil in a large pot and add in the chopped chicken with the jalapenos and onion. If you're not roasting your poblano peppers, chop them and add them in now. Cook them down about 5 minutes or so, until the veggies become tender and the chicken starts to cook through.

Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring.

Add in the following ingredients - 2 cans drained white beans, 2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth (or use a good flavored amber colored beer), 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ancho powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.

Bring it to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and let it all simmer for at least 20 minutes. You can easily let  it simmer longer, up to an hour. The longer you simmer, the more the flavor will develop. Try my Homemade Spicy Chili Powder for this recipe.

Thicken it up by stirring in the cornmeal. Simmer another 10 to 15  minutes or so, until it begins to thicken.

Serve it up in bowls and enjoy the heck out of your white chicken chili! Save some for ME, please!

Boom! Done! Such a great recipe, isn't it? I love me a good white chicken chili recipe. The best!

Recipe Tips & Notes

• The Peppers. For this recipe, I'm using 2 jalapeno peppers and 2 poblano peppers. The poblanos are roasted first, then peeled and chopped. The roasting brings a slight bit of smokiness to the final bowl, as well as a boost of flavor, though you won't get much heat from them. The jalapeno peppers bring that extra bit of heat that I crave. You can easily include spicier peppers if you're looking for a hotter chili, but most times I'm not the only one eating it, so I keep it fairly mild compared to some of my other 5-alarm chilis. I've also made this recipe several times using fresh, not roasted, poblano peppers, and I love them both. So, if you're looking to save some time, you can skip the roasting.
• One Pot or Crock Pot. I usually make this recipe in a single pot, normally with my Dutch oven, but you can very easily just toss everything into a slow cooker/crock pot and let the mix simmer for a few hours until the flavor properly develops. The choice is yours. It works either way.
• Other Ingredients. You can include other vegetables in this recipe, such as frozen corn or peas, as well as other beans.
• Best Toppings for White Bean Chicken Chili. I love to serve my chili with roasted and sliced jalapeno peppers, a bit of crumbly white cheese, spicy red chili flakes, and freshly chopped cilantro or parsley. Some other great options include shredded cheese (like cheddar or Monterrey jack or pepper jack), crushed tortilla chips, and sour cream or crema.
• What are the Best Beans for White Bean Chicken Chili? I used great northern beans for this chili recipe, though Cannellini beans are an excellent alternative. They are slightly larger than great northern beans and have wonderful nutty flavor. Also try it with navy beans. Also, you can make this recipe with other beans, such as kidney beans or black beans, or use a mixture of your favorite beans for your own preferred version.
• How do you Thicken White Bean Chicken Chili? I prefer using cornmeal to thicken my white bean chicken chili. Corn meal is a good thickener, and the flavor compliments the overall mixture of ingredients. However, you can also stir a couple tablespoons of flour into 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk, then stir it into the chili. Then, simmer the chili, stirring a bit, until it thickens up. Another way to thicken chili is to stir crackers into your bowl of chili. The crackers will help to soak up some of the excess liquid.
• Can I Freeze White Bean Chicken Chili? Yes, white chicken chili can be frozen by transferring it to freezer safe containers. Seal them properly, then freeze it in serving portions for 3 months or longer.

How To Roast Poblano Peppers

Roasting the peppers before cooking is not essential, but adds some great flavor to the finished recipe. You can learn how to roast chili peppers here, but here is a simple broiler method.

ONE: First, set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.

TWO: Broil them for about 10-15 minutes, or until the skins puff up and char and loosen from the pepper flesh. Flip them halfway through the process to get both sides.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.

THREE: Peel off the skins with your fingers. They should remove easily.

Try Some of My Other Popular Chili and Related Recipes

• Pork Chili with Roasted Red Hatch Peppers
• Southwest Style Slow Cooker Chili
• Chili Verde
• Chili Colorado
• Chili con Carne
• "Real Deal" Turkey Chili
• Chipotle Chili
• Crockpot Chili
• Southwest Style Chicken Gumbo
• Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

This recipe was updated on 11/5/2020 to include new photos. Originally published on 5/19/2014.