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Thick, creamy and loaded with tender chicken and white beans, this White Chicken Chili is cozy comfort food that’s ready in just 30 minutes. Leftover or rotisserie chicken keeps it weeknight-easy, while cream cheese, half-and-half and sharp white cheddar make the broth rich and velvety.
This creamy white chili recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, game day or anytime you’re craving a hearty one-pot dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Winner Winner Chili Dinner
- Why You’ll Love This White Chicken Chili
- What Is White Chicken Chili?
- Ingredients For White Chicken Chili
- How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Tips for the Best White Chicken Chili
- How to Make White Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot
- White Chicken Chili Variations
- What to Serve With White Chicken Chili
- How to Store, Reheat and Freeze White Chicken Chili
- How to Thicken White Chicken Chili
- More Easy Chili Recipes
- White Chicken Chili Recipe
My gosh, what a delicious chili! Just the right amount of zing and the neighborhood gals just went gaga over it. (We always share our new recipes.) Thank you for it!
– Bobbie
Kellie’s Note
Winner Winner Chili Dinner
When the weather turns cooler and game day vibes start creeping into our life, my family craves all the hearty meals from this classic chili recipe to my best beef stew, it’s all on the menu. Long winter days just make you want food that’s like a cozy blanket for your belly.
I’m not the biggest chili fan but add some cream cheese and chicken and I’m in. It’s cozy and comforting and with the temperatures starting to dip down I’m craving all the hearty recipes like this Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe. It’s budget friendly and made with mostly pantry staples much like my Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
When all you crave is mac and cheese and brownies, you can feel good knowing this Chicken Chili is pretty healthy so you get that dose of creaminess without all the calories!
Why You’ll Love This White Chicken Chili
- Stovetop or Crock Pot – Make it quickly tonight or let it simmer in the slow cooker when that works better for your schedule.
- Ready in 30 minutes – Cooked or rotisserie chicken makes this an easy dinner for busy nights.
- Rich and creamy – Cream cheese, half-and-half and sharp white cheddar create a velvety broth.
- Mostly pantry staples – White beans, chicken stock and simple seasonings keep the ingredient list easy.
- Easy to customize – Make it mild or spicy and pile on your favorite toppings.
What Is White Chicken Chili?
White Chicken Chili swaps the traditional beef and tomato base for tender chicken, white beans, warm spices and a creamy broth. This version gets its extra-rich texture from cream cheese, half-and-half and sharp white cheddar, while fresh lime adds brightness to balance all that creaminess.
Using already-cooked chicken also makes this version especially quick, so you can have a hearty pot of chili on the table in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients For White Chicken Chili
- Cooked Chicken – Leftover roast chicken breasts, Easy Oven Roast Chicken or rotisserie chicken makes this recipe extra quick while keeping the chicken tender and flavorful.
- White Beans – Small white beans, Great Northern beans or cannellini beans all work. Drain and rinse canned beans before adding them.
- Onion and Garlic – Build the savory flavor base for the chili.
- Chicken Stock – I like homemade chicken stock for its richer flavor, but chicken broth works too.
- Cream Cheese – Adds body and gives the broth its velvety texture.
- Half-and-Half – Half and half creates the creamy base without using straight heavy cream. Whole milk or heavy cream can also be used depending on how rich you want the chili.
- Sharp White Cheddar – Melts into the broth for extra flavor while helping the chili thicken.
- Seasonings – Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne add warm southwestern flavor. You can use homemade taco seasoning, Chili Seasoning or spices you have in your kitchen.
- Fresh Lime – Lime zest and juice brighten the rich, creamy broth.
- Cornstarch – Quickly thickens the chili. Use cornstarch rather than flour if you want to keep the recipe gluten-free.
For the full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion in olive oil until softened, then stir in the garlic.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken and beans. Stir in the cooked chicken and cornstarch, then add the lime zest, lime juice and drained beans.
- Simmer the chili. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the half-and-half, followed by the cream cheese and cheddar. Simmer until smooth and thickened.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish with your favorite toppings.y texture. Stir the pureed chili back into the pot and simmer for a couple more minutes.
Tips for the Best White Chicken Chili
- Use rotisserie chicken for the fastest version. It eliminates the need to cook chicken before starting the chili.
- Soften the cream cheese first. Cut it into small pieces so it melts into the broth more quickly and evenly.
- Lower the heat before adding the dairy. Gentle heat helps keep the creamy broth smooth.
- Drain and rinse the beans. This prevents extra canning liquid from thinning the chili.
- Want it thicker? Blend about 1 cup of the finished chili until smooth, then stir it back into the pot.
- Adjust the heat to taste. Reduce the cayenne for a milder chili or add diced green chiles or sliced jalapeños for more heat.
How to Make White Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot
Want to make dinner even easier? This creamy White Chicken Chili can also be made in the slow cooker.
- Sauté the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and cook the onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and seasonings. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken and beans. Stir in the cooked chicken and cornstarch, followed by the lime zest, lime juice and beans.
- Add the stock. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Transfer to the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 2–3 hours.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the half-and-half, cream cheese and cheddar. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Thicken and serve. Remove the lid and cook for another 5–10 minutes, or until the chili reaches your preferred consistency. Add your favorite toppings and serve.
White Chicken Chili Variations
- Use a seasoning shortcut – Homemade taco seasoning or chili seasoning can be used in place of the individual spices.
- Switch the beans – Great Northern, cannellini and small white beans all work well.
- Make it milder – Reduce or leave out the cayenne.
- Make it spicier – Add diced green chiles, fresh jalapeño or a little extra cayenne.
- Change the richness – Whole milk creates a lighter chili while heavy cream makes it extra rich.
- Keep it gluten-free – Stick with cornstarch instead of substituting flour.
What to Serve With White Chicken Chili
The toppings might be the best part of White Chicken Chili. Set out a few options and let everyone build their own bowl.
Try topping it with:
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Green onions
- Sliced jalapeños
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
- Fresh lime wedges
For a complete meal, serve your chili with homemade tortilla chips and guacamole, cornbread, warm crusty bread or a simple house salad.
How to Store, Reheat and Freeze White Chicken Chili
How to Store It
- Allow leftover White Chicken Chili to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
How to Reheat It
- Warm the chili gently on the stovetop over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
- You can also microwave individual portions in short intervals, stirring between each one.
- The chili will thicken as it sits, so stir in a splash of chicken stock if needed to loosen the consistency.
How to Freeze It
- Transfer completely cooled chili to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the chili before reheating and warm it gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally to help keep the creamy broth smooth.
- Do not refreeze leftovers that were previously frozen and reheated.
How to Thicken White Chicken Chili
This White Chicken Chili gets its thick, creamy texture in a few different ways.
The white beans naturally add body, while cornstarch thickens the chicken stock as the chili simmers. Cream cheese and sharp white cheddar make the broth even richer and creamier.
If you prefer an extra-thick chili, blend about 1 cup of the finished chili with an immersion blender or food processor until smooth. Stir it back into the pot and simmer for a few more minutes.
More Easy Chili Recipes
If a big bowl of cozy chili is exactly what you’re craving, try one of these easy favorites next:
- Hot Dog Chili
- Slow Cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili
- Instant Pot Chili
- The Best Chili Recipe
- Turkey Chili
- Chili Mac
- Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
For more easy dinner ideas, follow us on Instagram!
White Chicken Chili Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stockpot
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 15.5 ounce can small white beans, drained and rinsed, or your favorite white beans
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup shredded white sharp cheddar
Optional Toppings
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Sour cream
- Tortilla strips or tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
- Stir in the chicken and cornstarch, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the lime zest, juice and beans.
- Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the half and half. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream cheese and cheddar.
- Continue to cook the chili for 5-10 minutes longer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and limes.
Video
Notes
- Drain and rinse the canned beans before adding them to the chili.
- For the smoothest texture, soften the cream cheese and cut it into small pieces before adding it.
- If the chili becomes thicker than you like, stir in a splash of chicken stock.
- For an extra-thick chili, blend about 1 cup until smooth and stir it back into the pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Freeze cooled chili in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat gently over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to keep the broth smooth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Should you drain the beans???
Yes, they should be drained and rinsed.
I made mine with navy beans that I pressure cooked ahead of time. I had a hard time getting the cream cheese to melt into soup, as I had little white chunks floating, until about a half an hour later, I looked at soup and they were gone!
My gosh, what a delicious chili! Just the right amount of zing and the neighborhood gals just went gaga over it. (We always share our new recipes.) Thank you for it!
Thank you so much for your comment! I love that you made your beans from dried. And a good tip is to cut the cheese into cubes and let it come to room temperature before adding to the chili. It melts much more quickly that way.
I smash some of the beans before adding them to thicken the chili and I also add hominy to mine!
What a great tip! We have also added mashed beans to it but I love the hominy addition.
Hi
The white chili looks awesome!! What can I use instead of half and half? I’m have to do a skinny version .
Thank you
You can use milk instead but you’ll want to blend some of the chili to make it thicker if you want a less soup-y consistency.
Do you think I could make this without the cornstarch? My daughter is allergic to wheat and corn and soy so it’s hard to come up with recipes she can eat.
You can definitely leave out the cornstarch, it may just be a little less thick.
I did and it was amazing! I’m back to make it again today.
I do love white chicken chili! This looks perfect for these cooler nights!!
I have a secret love affair with white chicken chili and can’t WAIT to try this recipe! Looks so creamy and delicious, not skimping on any of the good stuff
Just looking at your pictures, I am craving this!! It looks so creamy & so tasty! I love white chili versions, so I will definitely be giving this a try!
I love white chicken chili! I can’t wait to make this.