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White Chicken Chili Recipe (Easy!)

This white chicken chili is creamy, comforting, hearty and deeply satisfying. It’s destined to become a new easy family favorite that everyone will beg you to make again and again. This white chicken chili recipe is made with juicy, shredded chicken, white beans and sweet corn in a lusciously creamy broth spiked with salsa verde then topped with refreshing sour cream, zesty cilantro, creamy avocados and salty, crunchy tortilla chips AKA the perfect spoonful. This quick and easy white chicken chili is ideal for weeknight dinners but also fabulous for crowds. It’s a make ahead friendly, pantry friendly meal-in-one that will be a repeat favorite for years to come.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author [email protected]

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, patted dry OR rotisserie chicken (see notes)
  • 1/2 large yellow onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced if you want spicy
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 14.5 oz. cans Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz. can cream style corn
  • 1 15 oz. can sweet corn drained and rinsed
  • 1 16 oz. jar mild salsa verde
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon Knorr® Granulated Chicken Bouillon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt

Add later

  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 2 tablespooons minced cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  • Sear chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven/soup pot. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper then sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave drippings.
  • Sauté aromatics: Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat. Once melted, increase to medium-high heat and add onions and jalapenos; cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
  • Cook roux: Sprinkle in flour and cook one additional minute while stirring (it will be thick).
  • Add ingredients: Add chicken back to the pot followed by beans, creamed corn, corn, salsa verde, chicken bouillon and all seasonings. Whisk cornstarch with 1 cup of chicken broth and stir in. Add remaining chicken broth.
  • Simmer: Cover the soup to bring to a boil then uncover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to shred, stirring often so the bottom doesn't burn. Remove chicken to a cutting board, shred, then stir back into the soup. Stir in half and half and cilantro and warm through.
  • Season to taste: Add additional half and half or broth to thin to desired consistency if you like. Season with salt/pepper/cayenne pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, chopped avocados and cilantro.

Video

Notes

*Don't miss the recipe video located at the top of the post!

Cooking Tips

  • *Rotisserie chicken:  To use rotisserie chicken, add about 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken to the soup when the recipe calls for adding the shredded chicken back to the soup at the end of step 5.
  • Customize spice level:  This recipe i is “medium” spicy if you add the jalapeno.  To make the chili less spicy, omit the jalapeno or if you’re not sure, omit the jalapeno.  You can always add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste if you would like more heat. Also take care you use mild salsa verde even if you want a spicy soup.  There is a lot of salsa verde in the recipe so if you use medium salsa verde, your chili will be hot!
  • Gluten free: Use gluten-free flour – the rest of the ingredients should be gluten free.
  • Recipe variations:  See post for how to use cream cheese, sour cream, other veggies, etc. 
  • Stir often:  The soup can stick to the bottom and burn while it’s simmering because it’s quite thick, so you’ll want to stir often so the bottom doesn’t burn.  
  • Make it less thick:  I love my soup thick and creamy BUT the consistency is totally up to you!  For a thinner soup, simply add additional chicken broth.
  • Season to taste:  Spice it up with hot sauce or cayenne pepper, add lime juice for more tanginess, add Knorr® Granulated Chicken Bouillon to enhance the flavors.

HOW to store and reheat

  • Storage:  this recipe tastes even better the next day!  It will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. 
  • Stove:  reheat large batches on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally – about 10 minutes.
  • Microwave:  transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish and cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel.  Microwave for 90 seconds, stir, then continue to microwave at 30-second intervals, if needed.
  • Crockpot:  transfer soup to a crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours.  The time will depend on how much soup you have remaining.

How to freeze  

As a general rule of thumb, creamy soups do not freeze well as the texture can become unpleasantly grainy as the dairy and fat separate. You can still freeze White Bean Chicken Chili with these expectations, or omit the half and half when freezing, then add the half and half to the soup after thawing – then you will have no problem.  Alternatively, you can swap the half and half for evaporated milk.  If freezing with half and half, reheat the thawed soup very gently over low heat to help incorporate the cream back into the soup. You also may want to add some fresh heavy cream or softened cream cheese to improve the grainy texture.