Folks will enjoy a change from traditional chili when they dip their spoons into this flavorful blend of tender chicken, white beans and just enough zip. This is our favorite white chicken chili recipe. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, drained, divided
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sliced jalapeno pepper, optional
Directions
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chicken and onion in oil until lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, chiles, cumin, oregano and cayenne; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low. With a potato masher, mash one can of beans until smooth. Add to saucepan. Add remaining beans to saucepan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Top each serving with cheese and, if desired, jalapeno pepper. Freeze option: Freeze cooled chili in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth or water if necessary.
White Chicken Chili Tips
How do you make white chicken chili taste even better?
If you’re looking to enhance the chili's flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of granulated chicken bouillon to give the broth additional richness (if you're feeling adventurous, try making your own homemade broth!). Not only will using cooked rotisserie chicken save time, it will also add a great blend of flavors and saltiness. For added creaminess, add a dollop of sour cream to your bowl.
Can you freeze white chicken chili?
Yes, you can freeze white chicken chili! Chili is a great dish to make ahead and freeze. Learn how to properly store and freeze chili so that it stays fresh and delicious.
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Average Rating:
Janet
Oct 13, 2020
No comment left
Diana
Oct 7, 2020
Delicious. I did add creme de fraiche at the end instead of sour cream. A roux is necessary to thicken the sauce. Will make again :)
cLeighw
Aug 9, 2020
Excellent, easy to make and great leftovers!
Kristal
Aug 6, 2020
Followed recipe to a T and it was tooo spicy for us so we added one more chicken breast another can of beans and more chicken broth!
Lee
Jul 22, 2020
We love Great Northern Beans. We love them so much, we bought a huge jar from a local farm and it sat in the pantry for over a year. I saw the jar earlier today as I was making plans for creating dinner that was something different. I loved the idea of smashing some of the great northern beans to thicken the chili so I did that and then instead of chicken, I used ground turkey. Everything else, followed to a "t" with the exception of using menudo chili powder. We were blown away by the depth of flavor and how good the chili tasted. I am grateful for finding this recipe and giving it a "go" and will use this recipe again and again and again. The recipe is also flexible and will always produce an exciting dish. It didn't take long to make. Thank you!
Margaret
Jun 21, 2020
Big winner for our family. My daughter requests this a lot. I usually use rotisserie chicken and add fresh spinach. The basics of using canned white beans and smashing a can is perfect. I'm sure everyone will have their twist to spices... Today I will make with swiss chard since I brought a lot in from the garden.
Craig
May 20, 2020
It is really good and easy. I love the cayenne but had just enough but to give it an extra kick i added red pepper flakes. Thank me later. Then add sour cream if you dont like the spice
Emily
Apr 14, 2020
I love this recipe! People say the cayenne is a little much, and it does pack a PUNCH, but it make it extra great topped with sour cream to cool it down.
I didn’t mash any of the beans, and it turned out great.
dsm
Mar 11, 2020
I would rate it 5 stars only after reducing the cayenne pepper. I know it's a personal preference type thing, but it should be tagged "to taste" - 1 1/2 teaspoons is a lot! I used only 1/4 teaspoon as a reviewer mentioned, and my husband still said "this has a kick"! Have made it easier by using canned chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Definitely easy and tasty.
Monica
Feb 14, 2020
Fantastic and simple recipe... my husband made this for dinner tonight, and he is not as comfortable in the kitchen as some of us are. We used my homemade chicken stock, over double the green chiles because we had a big can and like green chiles, and half the cayenne in ours. It was just the right amount of spice for young and old alike. He made a double recipe for 4 adults and 2 kids... everybody went back for 2nds or 3rds, even the ones who weren’t sure if they’d like it. We used tortilla chips, saltines, sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream for our garnishes but would have even enjoyed it on it’s own. Mashing some of the beans was enough to make it seem creamy.
Next time we will be doing a triple batch so that there will be enough leftover for some containers for the freezer. What little we had left is already spoken for with some of our lunches tomorrow.
Reviews
No comment left
Delicious. I did add creme de fraiche at the end instead of sour cream. A roux is necessary to thicken the sauce. Will make again :)
Excellent, easy to make and great leftovers!
Followed recipe to a T and it was tooo spicy for us so we added one more chicken breast another can of beans and more chicken broth!
We love Great Northern Beans. We love them so much, we bought a huge jar from a local farm and it sat in the pantry for over a year. I saw the jar earlier today as I was making plans for creating dinner that was something different. I loved the idea of smashing some of the great northern beans to thicken the chili so I did that and then instead of chicken, I used ground turkey. Everything else, followed to a "t" with the exception of using menudo chili powder. We were blown away by the depth of flavor and how good the chili tasted. I am grateful for finding this recipe and giving it a "go" and will use this recipe again and again and again. The recipe is also flexible and will always produce an exciting dish. It didn't take long to make. Thank you!
Big winner for our family. My daughter requests this a lot. I usually use rotisserie chicken and add fresh spinach. The basics of using canned white beans and smashing a can is perfect. I'm sure everyone will have their twist to spices... Today I will make with swiss chard since I brought a lot in from the garden.
It is really good and easy. I love the cayenne but had just enough but to give it an extra kick i added red pepper flakes. Thank me later. Then add sour cream if you dont like the spice
I love this recipe! People say the cayenne is a little much, and it does pack a PUNCH, but it make it extra great topped with sour cream to cool it down. I didn’t mash any of the beans, and it turned out great.
I would rate it 5 stars only after reducing the cayenne pepper. I know it's a personal preference type thing, but it should be tagged "to taste" - 1 1/2 teaspoons is a lot! I used only 1/4 teaspoon as a reviewer mentioned, and my husband still said "this has a kick"! Have made it easier by using canned chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Definitely easy and tasty.
Fantastic and simple recipe... my husband made this for dinner tonight, and he is not as comfortable in the kitchen as some of us are. We used my homemade chicken stock, over double the green chiles because we had a big can and like green chiles, and half the cayenne in ours. It was just the right amount of spice for young and old alike. He made a double recipe for 4 adults and 2 kids... everybody went back for 2nds or 3rds, even the ones who weren’t sure if they’d like it. We used tortilla chips, saltines, sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream for our garnishes but would have even enjoyed it on it’s own. Mashing some of the beans was enough to make it seem creamy. Next time we will be doing a triple batch so that there will be enough leftover for some containers for the freezer. What little we had left is already spoken for with some of our lunches tomorrow.