I’m all about cozy soups and stews this time of year, and my crockpot white chicken chili has always been one of my favorites. But I decided to change it up by making a faster stovetop version with no jarred salsa and a super creamy finish. The result is an extra cozy, lush, and creamy White Chicken Chili that is easy enough for a weeknight. It’s so good; I think you’re going to want to make it all season long!
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“This was by far one of the easiest and best chili recipes I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it. I had only chicken breasts and browned them in a little oil and garlic before continuing the process. Delicious!!!”
Donna
Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe
White chicken chili is a thick and rich chicken and bean stew made with tender chicken thighs, beans, corn, green chiles, jalapeño, onion, garlic, and a medley of Southwest-inspired spices. Rather than using a tomato-based broth, like beef chili, white chicken chili uses chicken broth thickened with a little cream cheese and sour cream to make it extra rich and delicious. But my favorite part? This recipe is really easy to make, hot OR mild, depending on your spice preferences! I’ve shared exactly how to do that in the recipe card notes below.
Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I find they are more forgiving, as chicken breasts tend to dry out if overcooked, especially in dishes that simmer on the stove.
- Add toppings. You can most definitely eat the chili as is, but I love to pile on loads of toppings. My favorites include sour cream, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese, green onions, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, hot sauce, fresh or pickled jalapeños, avocado, or lime!
- Choose your spice level. You can adjust the spice in this chili so it’s spicy or mild. For mild chili, skip the fresh jalapeño and use mild canned diced green chiles and omit the cayenne pepper. For spicier chili, use the seeds from the jalapeño, buy hot diced green chiles, and adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level. To take it up another notch, I always add a touch of hot sauce.
- Swap the chilies. If you’ve got different types of chili peppers at home feel free to use them instead of the jalapeño and green chilies. Poblano or ancho would give the chili a touch of spice and smokiness.
- Use canned corn. Instead of frozen corn, if I have a can of corn in the pantry, I’ll use it instead. I just drain and throw it in.
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Cost $11.66 recipe / $1.46 serving
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs ($3.48*)
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (drained, $1.88)
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans (drained, $0.94)
- 1 7 oz. can diced green chiles ($0.97)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.30)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.39)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.78)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.93)
- ½ cup sour cream ($0.49)
Video
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Deseed then dice the jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.
- Add the chicken thighs, cannellini beans, pinto beans, diced green chiles, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, pepper, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Add the shredded meat back to the pot along with the corn. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the chili until melted. Stir in the sour cream. To further thicken the chili, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
- Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve hot with your favorite toppings!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make White Chicken Chili step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the veggies: Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Deseed then dice one jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.
Assemble the chili: Add 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, one 15 oz. can of pinto beans (drained), two 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans (drained), one 7 oz. can of diced green chiles, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 3 cups chicken broth to the pot.
Simmer: Stir everything together until combined. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Shred the chicken: After simmering for 30 minutes, I remove the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred them with two forks.
Add the corn: Then I return the shredded chicken to the pot and add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. Stir to combine and heat through.
Make it creamy: Add 4 oz. of cream cheese (cut into chunks) to the chili and stir until it has melted in. Stir in ½ cup sour cream.
Finish and serve: To thicken the chili further, I like to smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. The chili will thicken even more as it begins to cool. Taste the chili and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve it hot with your favorite toppings!
Recipe Variations!
- Use pre-cooked chicken. Got some leftover rotisserie chicken or a stash of shredded chicken in the fridge? Use it here! I’d add the cooked chicken in with the frozen corn to warm it through.
- Make it vegetarian. If you’re avoiding meat, you can skip the chicken and chicken broth (use veggie broth instead) and add an extra can of beans! The flavor will be slightly different, but it will still be super tasty.
- Want to cook it in a slow cooker? This recipe comes together in about an hour on the stovetop, but I also have a slow cooker white chili chicken recipe that you can set and forget! The ingredients are slightly different, but it’s just as delicious and perfect for those busy days.
Serving Suggestions
I can most definitely eat this chili with a fork, but it’s also fun to use tortillas or cornbread to scoop some out or dunk into the chili. I also like adding a scoop of guacamole for even more creaminess and flavor, and often serve the chili with a side of rice for a more filling meal.
Storage and Reheating
This white chicken chili is amazing as leftovers because the flavors continue to develop as it sits. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, stirring occasionally until warmed through. As this recipe contains cream cheese and sour cream, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it as the texture may change upon thawing and reheating. If you really want to freeze this recipe, you can try making the chili, but leave out the dairy until you’re ready to reheat and serve it. Just add the cream cheese and sour cream in at that point, stirring until melted and incorporated.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
Our Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe was originally published 11/28/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/7/25.
This was an awesome recipe. I used chicken tenderloin and took it out to shred it within 10 mins. It was delicious, everyone loved it. We ate it with cilantro, limes, sour cream, green onions, and lime chips!
I really love this recipe. I added jarred jalapeños, rotisserie chicken & canned corn. Also, I used neufchâtel cream cheese because it dissolves better. I added too much cayenne pepper (I love spice). Learn from my mistake: add the cayenne to taste at the end. Last, I made her cornbread recipe in a cast iron skillet. Delicious.
Alright, leaving a quick second review to say that sauteed mushrooms taste very good in this
Very good! It is full of flavor and hits the spot during the fall. I will definitely make this again.
This recipe is fantastic! Everyone I’ve made it for loves it. Great leftovers too
This White Chicken Chili recipe is a family & friends’ favorite. Quick, easy and delicious – who wants more than that in a meal? I like to stick an immersion blender in and give it a few pulses. It makes it extra smooth! We top it off with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro and corn chips. I like how it can be tweaked to make it spicier or milder depending on who’s dining with us. We always make a big batch and then portion it out for family and friends. Thanks for this recipe! It’s been in our regular line up for a while. It doesn’t disappoint!
Made CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN CHILI for our Super Bowl watch party and it was a big hit, no pun intended. It was easy to make and very flavorful. Thx
This is our amazing new go to recipe for chilly evenings!
I made this yesterday and it was an absolute hit. I put everything in a crockpot and let it sit for hours while I tended to my rescue animals. I didn’t have any cayenne pepper and only had 1 can of the white beans which I will add 2 next time and omit the pinto beans . Didn’t care for them maybe being in the crockpot they overcooked because they were kinda hard and dry. We added crushed Fritos on top with a little grated cheese . I wanted to try and add the CRM of chkn soup like someone suggested and omit the sour cream but didn’t have any. Flavor was just so right on and was not soupy. Consistency was good. Will be making this again. Loved it.
I subbed out the cream cheese with cream of chicken and left out pintos only cause I didn’t have. A little lime juice at the end and totally delish.
I just made this and it’s delicious!! I subbed the jalapeño with poblano. The seasoning is spot on!! Will make this again and again!!
This recipe is amazing! I don’t particularly enjoy tomato-based dishes, so finding a chili recipe that isn’t tomato is great. The cumin was overpowering, so when I made it for a second time I halved the cumin. I also halved the green chiles since I’m not great with spice, and left out sour cream because honestly, it was so good with just the cream cheese and mashed beans that I didn’t see the need for extra calories or cost. I forsee myself making this recipe many more times in the future. It freezes well, too.
There’s nothing special about this chili. I feel like it’s missing something. If I were to make it again, maybe I’d leave the jalapeno seeds in and add chili powder for a little more kick.
I just made this ! So good . I didn’t add the peppers or onions have a picky husband. I’ll just add hot sauce to mine . Next time I make it he’ll not be home . So very good.
This was by far one of the easiest and best chili recipes I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it. I had only chicken breasts and browned them in a little oil and garlic before continuing the process. Delicious!!!