Chili is one of those dishes, like BBQ and Thanksgiving turkey, that everyone has an opinion about. My personal opinion is that I love them all, but I’m really enamored with this creamy white chicken chili recipe! Of all my chicken recipes, this is one that I make over and over.
Chicken chili has all the hallmarks of good chili. It’s meaty, full of flavor, with a fantastic sauce, and just enough heat. Chili recipes cover a wide range of spice levels.
This one is very mild, but it can always be revved up to the level of some of my more spicy chicken recipes with jalapeno or some chili powder! You can customize it to your preference.
Let’s head to the kitchen and get this creamy white chicken chili cooking!
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What I Love About This Recipe
This creamy white chicken chili recipe is off the charts delish! Here are a few more of my favorite things about it.
- Just the right amount of heat
- Super meaty
- The cream sauce balances the flavors
- Feeds a crowd
Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe Notes
This easy White Chicken Chili recipe is very straightforward to make. Here are a few tips to make it even easier.
Deglazing the pan: You’ll miss out on lots of flavors if you skip this step. Deglazing loosens all the yummy bits that stick to the bottom of the pan when you’re sautéing the meat and onions. I add the liquid little by little and scrape the bottom of the pan until it comes clean.
Choosing the pot: This is a great one-pot wonder as long as you use a big enough pot, to begin with. I use a heavy bottom stockpot. It will need to have at least 6-quart capacity, and a thick bottom is best to prevent burning.
Ingredient Notes
Lighten up: To give this white chicken chili healthy boost, you can use low-fat sour cream and a half and half to decrease fat content, though you will lose a bit of thickness in the sauce. You can also use coconut or olive oil instead of vegetable oil to brown the chicken for this white bean chicken chili.
White Chicken Chili Storing Tips
It’s important to allow this white chicken chili to cool completely before putting it in the fridge. If it seems too thick when reheating, you can thin it down with some chicken broth.
Can You Freeze This?
If you are making this creamy white chicken chili recipe as a make-ahead option, freeze without adding the sour or heavy cream. The dairy doesn’t hold its texture well when it is reheated. To serve, simply heat the base to a low simmer and stir in the sour cream and heavy cream. It should hold in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
If you’re freezing leftovers, just know that the texture might be slightly different when you reheat it. Give it a good stir and add a splash of chicken broth if it is too thick. Generally, frozen leftovers soups will last about 2-3 months.
Make Ahead Tips
You can do several preparation steps for this creamy white chicken chili recipe beforehand. You can sauté the chicken or simply used cooked chicken like a rotisserie. You can also dice the garlic and onion. Just be sure to store them in a well-sealed container, so your fridge doesn’t smell like an onion!
You can also make the base up to the point of adding the heavy cream and sour cream. Allow it to cool and store in a well-sealed container for several days in the fridge. Reheat and stir in the heavy and sour cream just before serving.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
According to food handling suggestions, this creamy white chicken chili recipe should be good for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Famous White Chicken Chili Recipe Variations
Just like all chili recipes, there are countless White Chicken Chili recipe variations. Don’t be afraid to add your own twist. Here are a few variations to give you some ideas.
Can I Make This Into A Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe?
Making white chicken chili crockpot version is easy to do with this versatile recipe. Follow the instructions as written except transfer the cooked chicken and onions and the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the heavy and sour cream and allow the crockpot chicken chili to heat through again. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours to cook crockpot white chicken chili.
Can I Add Sriracha?
Sriracha goes with almost everything and is a great way to add a bit of heat to this creamy white chicken chili recipe. The slow burn of sriracha chicken is a popular flavor and would compliment the creamy sauce of the chili.
Like the honey in honey sriracha chicken, the heavy and sour cream would keep the hot sauce from becoming overpowering.
Can I Cook This In An Instant Pot?
Making instant pot white chicken chili is a snap. Use the sauté feature to cook the chicken and sauté the onion. Add the rest of the ingredients as instructed.
I would suggest using the slow cooker function to cook the white chicken chili the rest of the way. Set it on high for about 2-3 hours or low for 4-6. Just before serving, stir in the heavy cream and sour cream and allow them to heat through.
Can I Omit The Cream?
Without the cream, this recipe becomes green chicken chili, which is altogether scrumptious. It’s lower in fat and usually more soup-like. Give it a try both ways!
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
Chili:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, -divided
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (7-ounce) can mild green chiles, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Toppings (optional):
- cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
- tortilla chips crushed
- cilantro chopped
- jalapeno slice into rings or chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken in batches. Remove browned chicken onto a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and saute onion and garlic until onion softens about 6-7 minutes. Add chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits remaining on the bottom of the pan.
- Add beans, green chilis, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and browned chicken along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat immediately and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Remove chili from heat and mix in sour cream and heavy cream until blended.
- Ladle into individual bowls and top as desired. Serve!
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Conclusion
I know you’re going to love this delicious creamy white chicken chili recipe. The thick, rich sauce pulls everything together, and the flavors are perfectly balanced.
Feel free to add your spin on it by bringing up the heat or adding your favorite secret chili ingredient! I look forward to hearing about how it works for you. Be sure to leave me a comment!-
I always add one pkg of Philadelphia Cream Cheese to this, turns out just AWESOME. <3
<3 Woot! Glad to hear it turned out great, Brynska!
Yummmmmy!
Thanks!