This White Chicken Chili is super flavorful with filling white beans and tender chicken in a delicious broth.
I assume that almost everybody has at least a few favorite recipes they grew up eating. For me, it was my mother’s White Chicken Chili. No matter what time of year it was, a bowl of this stew-like soup always made me feel comforted and happy. Like so many family recipes, the ingredient list for this delicious chili has never been written down. At my insistence a few years ago, my mom rattled off a list to me of what she put in it and ever since, using a little this, a little of that, and a lot of love, I’ve been creating my own version of this heart warming stew.
Even now when we’re on the phone with each other from across the country and I ask my mom what she and my dad are having for dinner, more times than not she’ll tell me she pulled a batch of this delectable stew out of the freezer to warm up for dinner. It’s that easy, and it’s that good.
How to Make Easy White Chicken Chili
See recipe card below for measurements and in depth instructions.
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Start the Chili: Add the whole chicken breasts, stock and salt to the saucepan, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 18-20 minutes, remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
- Finish the Chili: While the chicken is cooling, add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Remove the chicken from the bone, chop into bite-size pieces, and add back to the pot.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream or green onions if desired. Enjoy!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Storage – Allow to cool, place leftover soup in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing – Allow to cool, place in appropriate tupperware or ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. Defrost in a pot over low-medium heat when ready to eat.Â
More Soups with Chicken
I love making soups because it’s a great way to get kids to eat when they’re feeling resistant, and also soups don’t require a ton of active cooking time so you can put them on the stove and get to doing other things. If you’re looking for more soups with chicken to try:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Chicken Soup & Rice
- Asian Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
White chicken chili is a hearty, flavorful, and easy-to-make meal that is sure to become a family favorite. Whether you’re looking for a comforting weeknight dinner or a satisfying dish to feed a crowd, this recipe is sure to hit the spot. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
Images by Ivan Solis
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, bone-in, skinless (about 2 large breasts)
- 1 quart (32 ounces) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen shoe peg white corn
- 1 jar diced green chilies these are mild
- 1 small lime juiced (about 2 tbsp)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Add the whole chicken breasts, stock and salt to the saucepan, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 18-20 minutes, remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
- While the chicken is cooling, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
- Remove the chicken from the bone, chop into bite-size pieces, and add to the pot.
- Serve.
I made a couple of small changes but my whole family loved this! 1) I couldn’t find diced chiles so I used about 1/2 cup of pepperoncini. It was just barely on the verge of being spicy but nobody minded (my daughter and I are very sensitive to spicy foods). 2) I tied some cilantro up in cheesecloth with kitchen twine and added it in step 5. It added great flavor without my kids complaining about green stuff int heir soup. 3) I didn’t have low sodium broth on hand and the regular broth did make it a bit too salty 4) I totally forgot to add the lime juice and we didn’t miss it.
I made this and it was a hit!! Great recipe
Quick and Easy Family Recipes
Thank you for your sweet comments!