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Creamy White Chili served in a gray speckled ceramic bowl sits atop a white textured surface. The chili is garnished with chopped cilantro, cheese, and ground black pepper. A second bowl of chili, a plate of lime wedges, loose tortilla chips, cilantro leaves, two gold spoons, and a blue and white striped linen napkin surround the bowl of chili.

Best-Ever Creamy White Chicken Chili

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: serves 8-10 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes, Soup, Stew, & Chili Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This Best-Ever Creamy White Chicken Chili is a cold weather staple! Chicken breast, white beans, & peppers braise in a fragrant stock laced with warm spices & beer for extra richness. Once simmered to perfection, the white bean chicken chili is thickened with masa harina, creating the best thick & creamy texture (without use of cream cheese or sour cream!).

Slow cooker & Instant Pot directions provided in the Recipe Notes, below.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (see Recipe Notes)
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 2 medium poblano peppers, deseeded as desired & diced (can sub 4 jalapeños)
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 heaping tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 heaping tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 (two) 5-ounce cans diced green chiles
  • 12 ounces light beer of choice
  • 2–3 (two-three) 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 32 ounces chicken stock or broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup masa harina
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
  • for serving, as desired: shredded cheese of choice, smashed avocado or guacamole, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, etc. Creamy White Chili ingredients arranged on a creamy white textured surface: boneless skinless chicken breasts, yellow onion, poblano peppers, garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, diced green chiles, Miller High Life light beer, cannellini beans, chicken stock, bay leaves, whole milk, masa harina.

Instructions

  1. Brown the chicken: Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a 5.5-quart cocotte or heavy bottomed pot with tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Season the chicken generously with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Once the oil is hot & simmering, add the chicken to the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point – that’s fine!Three browned boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with kosher salt and ground black pepper sit inside of a blue Staub dutch oven. The dutch oven sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  2. Cook the veggies: If needed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot used to brown the chicken. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add in the yellow onions & poblano peppers, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened & fragrant, about 5 minutes.An overhead shot of softened diced yellow onion and poblano peppers inside of a blue Staub dutch oven. A wooden spoon rests inside of the dutch oven and the dutch oven sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  3. Add the aromatics & deglaze the pot: Stir in the garlic, ground coriander & cumin, & diced green chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the beer, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pot. Increase heat to high, bringing the beer to a simmer. Cook, allowing the beer to simmer & reduce by half.
  4. Build & simmer the white chili: Nestle the browned chicken breasts from Step 1 into the vegetables, then add the cannellini beans, chicken stock or broth, & bay leaves to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover & simmer 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot & carefully shred into bite-sized pieces. You can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop them in a stand mixer & let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!). Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, stirring to combine.Three browned chicken breasts, shredded in a stand mixer bowl. The paddle attachment for the stand mixer rests inside of the bowl and the bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  6. Thicken the white chili: Prepare the masa slurry by whisking together the milk & masa harina in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. While stirring the chili constantly, slowly pour the masa harina slurry into the chili. Let the chili continue to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 10-15 minutes. Once thickened, remove the bay leaves & stir in the fresh lime juice. Taste & season with additional salt or ground black pepper, as needed.
  7. Serve: Portion the creamy white chili into bowls, serving with your favorite chili toppings: shredded pepper jack or cheese of choice, smashed avocado or guacamole, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeño, crushed tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy!Creamy White Chili served in a gray speckled ceramic bowl sits atop a white textured surface. The chili is garnished with chopped cilantro, cheese, and ground black pepper. A second bowl of chili, a plate of lime wedges, loose tortilla chips, cilantro leaves, two gold spoons, and a blue and white striped linen napkin surround the bowl of chili.

Equipment

Notes

  • Can I make this creamy white chili with shredded rotisserie chicken? While browning & simmering the chicken right in the chili adds a lot of flavor to the base of this white chili, creamy white chili is a great recipe to use up any leftover chicken that may be hanging out in your refrigerator. Rotisserie chicken is also a great store-bought shortcut. If you’re using already cooked chicken, skip Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above.
  • Storage & Freezing:
    • Storage & Reheating: This creamy white chili is incredibly meal prep & make-ahead friendly – it stores so well & it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits & its flavors meld together. Transfer cooled creamy white chili to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator. Leftover white chili will keep for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
    • Freezer Instructions: This creamy white chili is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer the cooled chili to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen white chili in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop.
  • Alternate cooking methods:
    • Slow Cooker or Crock Pot White Chicken Chili: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-3 above. Transfer the aromatics & chicken to your slow cooker, building the chili in the slow cooker according to Step 4, above. Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred, thicken & serve according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above.
    • Instant Pot White Chicken Chili: Use the Instant Pot’s browning/searing feature to prepare the recipe according to Steps 1-3 above. Build the white chili according to Step 4. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, ensuring the sure valve is in its sealed position! Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick release any remaining pressure in the pot by flicking the valve to its venting position. Remove the lid. Shred & serve according to Steps 5-7 of Recipe Directions, above. 
  • 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this creamy white chili comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week. Here’s what you’ll do:
    • Dice 2 medium yellow onions & 2 medium poblano peppers. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active)
  • Note: This recipe has been updated since its original publish in October 2016. If you are looking for the original recipe, which included rotisserie chicken & lime tortilla strips, click here to download a printable version!

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili-recipe/