Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (2024)

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A classic, easy white chicken chili that tastes delicious and is ready in 30 minutes. A go-to weeknight dinner recipe that everyone will love.

Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (1)

This chili recipe is one of our most popular, along with the classic Easy Ground Beef Chili.

About The Recipe

This recipe is for a classic white chicken chili that uses ingredients like shredded chicken, white beans, canned diced green chilis and corn.

The creaminess of this recipe comes from 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt. This is a lighter/healthier substitute for heavy cream, which is found in most white chili recipes. If you like, you can use heavy cream for this recipe but the taste is nearly identical.

Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (2)

Easy White Chicken Chili Ingredients:

The full recipe is at the bottom of this page, but here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe:

  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 (4 oz cans) diced green chilis
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 (15 oz cans) cannellini beans, drained
  • 1 (15 oz can) corn, drained
  • 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
  • 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt (or heavy cream)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

How to Make Easy White Chicken Chili

Step 1:

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

Step 2:

Add broth, green chilis, seasonings, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes,uncovered.

Step 3:

Stir in beans, chicken, and yogurt. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until the chili is heated through.

Step 4:

Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Add optional toppings of cilantro, cheese, and avocado.

Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (3)

Tips for The Recipe

Tip to save time:

  • This recipe uses 3 cups of cooked & shredded chicken. To save time, skip cooking your own chicken and buy pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Tip to make it spicy:

  • Add 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper or a few pinches of red chili flakes.

Tip to make it creamier:

  • Substitute heavy cream for greek yogurt.

Print

Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (4)

Easy White Chicken Chili

★★★★★5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Megan
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

An easy, classic white chicken chili that tastes delicious and is ready in 30 minutes. A go-to weeknight dinner recipe that everyone will love.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 (4 oz cans) diced green chilis
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 (15 oz cans) cannellini beans, drained
  • 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
  • 1 (15 oz can) corn, drained
  • 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt (or heavy cream)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Toppings:

  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • Avocado, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
  2. Add broth, green chilis, seasonings, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. If you like more broth in your soup, add a little extra here.
  3. Stir in beans, chicken, corn and yogurt. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until the chili is heated through.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Add optional toppings of cilantro, cheese, and avocado.

Notes

Note: you can substitute cooked & shredded rotisserie chicken for chicken breasts.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner, Lunch

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (5)Tamiflu

    This was tasty. I didn t really change the recipe to much but I did use a little less chicken broth. And it looked a little bit to soupy for my tastes chili for me has to be thick. So I spooned out some of the beans about a cup and pureed them then added them back in so it would thicken up. The family really enjoyed it. Thanks! Read More

    Reply

  2. Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (6)

    We loved it !!!

    Reply

  3. Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (7)

    What do you do with the corn

    Reply

    • Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (8)

      Hi! The corn goes in at the same time that you add in the shredded chicken, beans and yogurt. It goes into the chili in step #3!

      Reply

  4. Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (9)Cristina Vit

    Simply delicious!

    Reply

  5. Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (10)Colleen

    Would canned chicken breast work in
    the chicken chili recipe?

    Reply

    • Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (11)

      Yep, as long as it’s cooked and shredded.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Easy White Chicken Chili | 30 Minute Dinner Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken up white chicken chili? ›

From the Editor
  1. Use a cornstarch slurry: Mix together equal parts cornstarch and cold water, then stir it into the chili.
  2. Simmer the chili longer: The longer you simmer the chili, the thicker it will be. ...
  3. Add more beans: Mash another can of cannellini beans with a potato masher, then stir it into the chili.
Oct 19, 2023

What is white chili made of? ›

White chili is made with white beans, chicken (sometimes pork), and mild green chiles. (That said, if you must, must have scorching heat in your chili, there are ways to do that while still keeping the chili white.

Why is my white chicken chili watery? ›

A base of beef broth, chicken broth, or stock (and occasionally water, milk, or cream), sets the tone for most chili recipes. If your chili looks watery, you may have poured in more than required. Next time, add just a little at a time and increase the liquid as necessary. Cooking it for a short time.

How to make chili taste better? ›

Elevate with Extra Flavor

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Should chili be thick or soupy? ›

Chili should be thick and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there's just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot. While you can simply keep simmering the chili, that method risks overcooking softer ingredients like the beans, losing all your nice texture to mushy monotony.

What liquid is best for chili? ›

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

Do you put sugar in chili yes or no? ›

The chili tastes completely different without the brown sugar so if you like a subtle sweetness in your chili then you've just got to go for it! Trust me, it will not make your chili taste like candy. It's all about balance between spicy, smoky, and sweet.

What veggies to put in chicken chili? ›

Vegetables - sweet onion, green onions, yellow bell pepper, jalapeno. Seasonings - garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Cans - Cannellini Beans, Northern White Beans, Pinto Beans, Sweet Yellow Corn, White Corn, Green Chiles.

Why do you put white vinegar in chili? ›

Stirred into the pot right before serving, a spoonful of vinegar brightens up the finished product, and gives it that full, rounded taste that was missing. Even if the chili recipe you're using doesn't call for vinegar, go ahead and add it anyway. You won't actually taste the tang or sharp flavor of the vinegar.

Why put sour cream on chili? ›

The slightly tart flavor will add brightness and complexity to your tried-and-true chili recipe, while the thick texture creates heartiness and a creamy mouthfeel.

What can I use to thicken my white chicken chili? ›

All-purpose flour and cornstarch are useful for thickening chili, as well as sauces, soups, and stews. However, you'll want to avoid adding these ingredients directly to your recipe, as this will result in clumps. Instead, create a slurry and add it slowly to help the thickener fully incorporate.

How can I make my white chicken chili less spicy? ›

You can also stir in dairy like yogurt, sour cream, milk (only if the dish isn't sour, or it will curdle), buttermilk, or kefir into a dish; the capsaicin will bind with the milk proteins instead of the nerve receptors in your mouth.

Why put cornmeal in chili? ›

Cornmeal does an excellent job of absorbing extra liquids so adding a tablespoon of it to the chili will thicken the final dish. Mix 2 parts of cold water and 1 part of cornmeal, make it a slurry, and add this to the pot. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes after you add the slurry.

How do I make my chili more soupy? ›

Add more water or tomato sauce if it's too thick. Keeping the lid on can keep the steam in resulting in thinner chili. Also, if I cook chili in the crock pot it is usually thinner, as the lid collects the steam rather than it evaporating.

How do you thicken white sauce quickly? ›

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

How do you thicken creamy chicken? ›

Using a Thickener
  1. Thicken the sauce with a flour slurry. Whisk together equal parts flour and cold water in a cup or small bowl. ...
  2. Use a roux to thicken the sauce. ...
  3. Try adding a cornstarch slurry. ...
  4. Use egg yolk to thicken cream sauces containing egg. ...
  5. Stir kneaded butter into the sauce.

How to make sauce for chicken thicker? ›

Cornstarch, arrowroot, common wheat flour, and the flours or powders made from potato, tapioca, chickpea — to name but a few — long have been used to thicken cooking liquids. (Gelatins and gums also can play a similar role.)

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