The Best White Chicken Chili Recipe made with shredded chicken, jalapeno, onion, spices, in a creamy chicken broth with salsa verde, cream cheese, white beans, shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro. The perfect creamy white chicken chili recipe!
It's that time of year when creamy, comforting, warm soups just sound so perfectly cozy and inviting. I love to make the best white chicken chili recipe because it just seems to be almost universally loved. Kids and adults just seem to love a big bowl of creamy white chicken chili!
I wanted to share our go-to white chicken chili recipe that is super popular in our home.
Creamy White Chicken Chili Ingredients:
- Onion -- the base of flavor for the soup and an integral ingredient.
- Jalapeno -- this adds the perfect amount of flavor and spice.
- Olive Oil -- you can use any type of oil to sautee the onion and pepper in.
- Spices -- Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper. Add more spices for extra flavor!
- Chicken Broth -- any type of chicken broth or stock can be used.
- Shredded Chicken -- this can be poached shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- White Beans -- this recipe calls for canned white beans.
- Salsa Verde -- also known as "green salsa." This salsa is made with tomatillos instead of red tomatoes.
- Cream Cheese -- this adds rich creaminess to this white chicken chili. May use heavy cream instead of cream cheese.
- Cheese -- you can use cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, monterey jack cheese, etc.
- Fresh Cilantro -- this adds the perfect amount of freshness to the chili and should be added right before serving.
Creamy White Chicken Chili Toppings:
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Fresh Cilantro
- Avocado
- Tortilla Strips
What type of beans to use in White Chicken Chili?
There are many varieties and names of canned white beans. I suggest using the following canned white beans -- Great Northern White Beans, Cannellini White Beans, Navy White Beans, or White Chili Beans. I suggest draining and rinsing the beans before adding them to the white chicken chili.
The White Chili Beans will usually be soaked in a chili sauce with spices.
What type of chicken to use in this White Chicken Chili Recipe?
You can use any type of shredded chicken. If you want to make it extra simple, use shredded rotisserie chicken.
This recipe calls for the chicken to simmer with the other ingredients until cooked through. You can also use poached shredded chicken or shredded chicken cooked in a slow cooker.
Can this White Chicken Chili Recipe be made in a Slow Cooker or Crockpot?
Absolutely! This is the easiest method to make this slow cooker white chicken chili recipe. I suggest adding all of the ingredients except the beans, salsa verde, cheese, and fresh cilantro. These will be added when you shred the chicken and will just be heated up. Adding the beans toward the end of the cooking time will ensure they don't become mushy.
The crockpot white chicken chili will cook for about 6-7 hours on low.
Can I substitute another ingredient for cream cheese?
Yes! You can add heavy cream, half-n-half, or even sour cream. The sour cream will give the soup a little tang and I suggest adding it at the end.
Can I make this White Chicken Chili spicier?
Absolutely! I suggest adding an extra jalapeno for some extra spice. You can also add in some red chili flakes, hot salsa verde, and pepper jack cheese.
Can I make this White Chicken Chili milder?
Yes! You can remove any of the seeds and center membrane from the jalapeno which houses most of the spice. You can also use a milder pepper, such as a poblano pepper, in place of the jalapeno for less spice. This isn't a very spicy soup with the addition of cream cheese.
If you love soups, check out these popular soup recipes...
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Soup
- Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Creamy Gnocchi Chicken Soup
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper (finely diced)
- 4 to 5 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Breast * (boneless, skinless)
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- ¾ cup Salsa Verde
- 1 to 2 14-ounce cans White Beans (drained)
- 8 ounces Cheese, grated (Pepper Jack, Cheddar, etc)
- ½ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Toppings:
- Cilantro, Avocado, Sour Cream, Tortilla Strips, Cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Drizzle with oil. Add onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, until onions are softened. Add jalapenos and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Add chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken breast. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If using chicken tenderloins, it may take 15 minutes.
- Place the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 15 seconds until softened. This will help the cream cheese to melt into the soup.
- Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot (or if using rotisserie chicken, add it now). Add cream cheese, salsa verde, white beans, cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro. Heat until the cream cheese and cheese are completely melted.
- Taste for seasonings and add more spices if needed. When ready to serve, top it with cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips, and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Marty
I am on a low sodium diet. So I left out the salt in this recipe and it was still to salty. By leaving the added 1 teaspoon of salt out of the recipe I was able to subtract 387.5 mg per serving. I also rinsed the beans well. I think next time I will leave out the salsa and just add diced fresh tomatoes with the diced pepper. Do you have any other suggestions to make the sodium count less? I loved everything else about the recipe.
Kelly
Make sure you are already using a low sodium chicken broth or bouillon!
Misty
I made your white chicken chili soup tonight….WOW WOW WOW! Superb, outstanding, what else can I say about the best soup I’ve ever had in my life. Followed your instructions and ingredients to a T, I used the whole pepper-seeds and all, nice and spicy. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
Velda B
Ok I made this soup tonight for my family and all I can say is AMAZING! Probaby the best soup I have ever made - absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Mark
My wife had to go into work and I had the day off. I thought I would surprise her by having the table set and dinner ready when she got home. This was the recipe that I chose. She told me that it was the best white chili that she has ever had! I attempted to take all the credit but I'm not the best at pretending and so I told her about, "Modern Honey" and that was where I got the recipe. She called my daughter and she came over just to try some. She also loved it. Thanks for making me the "Hero of the day"!
Modern Honey
Hi Mark! Oh my goodness, your comment just made my month! That's the best that you made your wife dinner. I bet she appreciated it so much. I appreciate you trying my recipe and I am so happy you all loved it!
Nicole
The BEST Ever!!!! Made this for my family and my husband said it was the best soup he’s ever had in his life. I also made an extra pot to give to a friend’s family who was sick, and they loved it too. Thank you sooo much for sharing this with us. Another new family favorite from Modern Honey!!! So grateful!!
Kelyn
Absolutely delicious!!