• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop

Chili Pepper Madness logo

  • Recipe Index
  • RECIPES BY TYPE
    • BBQ/Grilled
    • Burgers
    • Chicken Wings
    • Chili
    • Curry
    • Dehydrator
    • Game Day
    • Hot Sauces
    • Jalapeno Poppers
    • Marinades
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Quick and Easy
    • Salsas
    • Sauces
    • Seasonings
    • Stuffed Peppers
    • Tacos
  • COOKING TIPS
  • Pepper Info
    • Chili Pepper Types
    • The Scoville Scale
    • Hottest Peppers in the World
    • Growing Chili Peppers
    • Preserving
    • Health Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Buy Plants & Seeds
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Pepper Info
  • Chili Pepper Types
  • The Scoville Scale
  • Growing Chili Peppers
  • Preserving
  • Chili Pepper Health Benefits
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cooking Tips
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • About Us
×

Home » White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili

by Mike Hultquist · Nov 5, 2020 · 10 Comments

Jump to Recipe
White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

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!

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

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 Chicken Chili Recipe with lots of delicious garnish

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.

A bowl of White Chicken Chili, ready to serve

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!

A bowl of White Chicken Chili

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.

White Bean Chicken Chili in a bowl with lots of garnish

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.

How to Roast Poblano Peppers

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

A spoonful of White Chicken Chili, ready to serve

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.

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
Print

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

This one-pot white bean chicken chili recipe is the ultimate comfort food with plenty of chicken and loads of seasonings. It's so easy to make any night!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, chili, one pot, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Calories: 340kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 3 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds chicken (I use a combination of chicken breast and thighs)
  • 2 jalapeno peppers diced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 poblano peppers (roasted, or fresh)
  • 2 cans white beans (drained - 16 ounce cans)
  • 2 cups chicken stock (or use a good flavored amber colored beer)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ancho powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • Hot Sauce to taste
  • FOR SERVING: Crumbly white cheese, spicy chili flakes, fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • To a large pot, add the oil with the chicken, onion and peppers. Saute about 5 minutes, or until they become tender and the chicken is mostly cooked through.
  • Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Add in the beans, chicken stock (or beer), and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes. You can easily let it simmer for an hour to let the flavors develop even further.
  • Stir the cornmeal into the chili and simmer about 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Serve!

Video

Notes

Heat Level: Mild-Medium. You can easily spice this up with hotter chili peppers, though there is some heat here. Hot sauce is a nice addition.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 340kcal   Carbohydrates: 12g   Protein: 24g   Fat: 21g   Saturated Fat: 5g   Cholesterol: 87mg   Sodium: 242mg   Potassium: 504mg   Fiber: 2g   Sugar: 3g   Vitamin A: 1300IU   Vitamin C: 41.8mg   Calcium: 51mg   Iron: 2.8mg
White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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

 

Categories: Chicken Tags: game day and superbowl parties, jalapeno pepper, tailgating

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Tracy says

    January 02, 2022 at 1:31 pm

    I don't normally leave comments, but oh my this is the best Chili we have had, and believe me, I have tried many! It has just the right kick of heat and is great as leftovers! I made it just as listed and again, it was fantastic! Thanks so much for such a great recipe!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 03, 2022 at 7:54 am

      Perfect! Glad to hear, Tracy. Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
  2. Diana says

    November 11, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last night. It was very delicious and not difficult. For mine, I used pinto beans. I could make this again with the white beans or the black beans or kidney beans and it would still be delicious. It's just a lovely adaptable recipe.

    As far as the chili powders go, I did omit the general chili powder and just added the ancho because of my husband. It was plenty spicy, but my son would have enjoyed both chili powders in there. Again, very adaptable dish.

    I did use the cornmeal and I liked the thickness of the chili.

    We all loved it. Thank you. It will be my go-to chicken chili recipe.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 11, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      Thanks, Diana. I agree, very easy to customize! I love it. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  3. Gary Finch says

    November 06, 2020 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Mike, being from the UK cornmeal isn't in a great deal of use over here so the tip to use it as a thickener is great - have also seen in curries, Bangladeshi friends toasting a tbs of rice with spice seeds and then grinding up as this also thickens - have a question for you - i really like the tex-mex style food as does my wife, however a jalapeño is her level of heat tolerance whereas i like the stuff getting up to a naga level of heat - do you have a recipe for something i could add to my portions after its all been cooked? Many of the 'hot sauces' available commercially have too much vinegar or sugar for my liking.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 07, 2020 at 7:28 am

      Hey, Gary. Many couples have this issue, with different heat preferences. The best way is to make it her level, then adjust yours by either simmering the pot longer with more spices, or just adding something like powders or hot sauce after. Or, you'll have to make 2 pots.

      Reply
  4. David says

    November 06, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    Try using masa harina to thicken. I think you'll like it!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 07, 2020 at 7:29 am

      Yes, masa is great, too!

      Reply
  5. B says

    October 14, 2018 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this chili!
    I did't use the cornmeal in fact I had to add more water.
    The spice was perfect.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 15, 2018 at 9:41 am

      Excellent, B!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

ALL. SPICY. RECIPES. Hi, I’m Mike and I LOVE Spicy Food! Say goodbye to bland and boring food with my easy-to-follow recipes. Let’s get cooking!

More about me →

Mexican
Cajun
Sauces
Seasonings

5 ESSENTIALS FOR SPICY COOKING

Subscribe and receive my FREE email series with tips for spicy cooking and new Recipes

Order The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND / BOOKS A MILLION

Order The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND

Most Popular Recipes

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)
  • Creamy Fish Taco Sauce
  • Michelada Recipe - Spicy Mexican Beer and Tomato Juice Cocktail
  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning - Taste of the Caribbean
  • Homemade Blackening Seasoning

Footer

NEVER MISS A RECIPE

Receive my "5 Essentials for Spicy Cooking" email series & new recipes

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Travel-Food | Stories | Privacy | Disclaimer | © 2022 Chili Pepper Madness

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD