Description

This White Chicken Chili recipe is a flavorful and creamy chili made with shredded chicken, white beans, corn, and mild green chilies, seasoned with cumin, paprika, and lime juice. It’s a comforting and hearty dish that can be easily prepared on the stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, making it perfect for cozy meals. The chili is finished with a mix of toppings like fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips for added texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder)
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
½ small lime, juice from
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans great northern beans
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
2 heaping cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie or leftover chicken)

Toppings

Fresh cilantro
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips
Green onions
Avocado

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Instructions

Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large (5-6 quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add Broth and Spices: Pour in the chicken broth and add diced green chilies, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, dried oregano, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine the flavors.
Prepare Beans: Drain and rinse the great northern beans using a strainer. Take a large ladleful of beans and a splash of broth from the soup and puree them in a food processor until smooth. This step is optional but helps create a creamy and thick chili base.
Combine and Simmer: Add both the pureed and whole beans along with the corn into the soup pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken.
Finish with Chicken and Sour Cream: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cooked shredded chicken and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Mix thoroughly to combine the creamy texture and savory chicken.
Serve with Toppings: Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with your choice of fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices, green onions, and tortilla chips for added taste and texture.

Notes

Yield: About 6 cups soup. Serving Size: About 1 ¼ cups.
Spice level: Use mild green chilies for mild heat, reduce to 1 can of chilies or omit cayenne if worried about spiciness.
Green Chilies: Substitute with ½ cup salsa verde if desired (Herdez is a recommended brand).
Chicken: Use raw chicken by adding 1.5 lbs with broth in step 2, or use rotisserie chicken for convenience.
Beans: Any small white beans work, including pinto beans in a pinch.
Vegetarian option: Omit chicken and use vegetable broth; add vegetables like bell peppers and zucchini for extra flavor.
Slow Cooker: Add ingredients except sour cream to slow cooker, cook on low 5 hours or high 3 hours. Shred chicken after cooking and stir sour cream in before serving.
Instant Pot: Sauté onions and garlic using sauté mode, add raw chicken and other ingredients, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with 15-minute natural release. Shred chicken, blend beans optionally, stir in sour cream.
Storage: Refrigerate for 3-4 days and reheat on stovetop or microwave.
Freezing: Freeze soup up to step 5 (without sour cream and chicken, which should be frozen separately) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat, then add chicken and sour cream.