White Chicken Chili

4.86 from 47 votes

White Chicken Chili is a creamy soup filled with tender chunks of chicken, soft white beans, green chile, and plenty of spices.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy white chicken chili

Servings: servings (I usually double the recipe, so we have leftovers.)

Calories: 606kcal

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 cloves fresh garlic minced, or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups cooked great northern beans or 2 cans
2 cups chicken broth or (1) 14 ounce can
1 7 ounce can of chopped green chile
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken, onion, fresh garlic and saute until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the broth, beans, chile and the spices. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about half an hour. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream, pour into the hot soup and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

15 MINUTE DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, fresh garlic and saute 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the broth, beans, chile and the spices. Bring to a boil. Add 3 cups COOKED chopped chicken.
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream, pour into the hot soup and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients (except the sour cream and heavy cream) in a crock-pot set to LOW heat. I've made this with both fresh and frozen chicken breasts. When cooking in the crock-pot, it isn't necessary to dice the chicken first. Cook for 5-7 hours, if the chicken is frozen, if will take the full 7 hours. (I've also cooked this on high, when in a hurry. It takes about 3-4 hours that way.)
Once the chicken is cooked and tender, shred lightly with two forks or tongs. Toss it in the juices as you shred gently. Whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream until smooth and then pour over the mixture in the crock-pot. Stir to combine and cook on low for another half hour or so, until the soup is warm throughout. Enjoy!

Notes

FREEZER MEAL: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Soup can be reheated in the microwave or it can be thawed first and then reheated on the stove-top. I've also prepped all ingredients except the cream and sour cream and frozen the uncooked mixture in a large Ziploc freezer bag. When ready to cook, thaw completely and then cook as outlined above.

Nutrition