Creamy White Chicken Chili

This Creamy White Chicken Chili features chicken thighs, cannellini beans, pinto beans, green chiles, corn, cream cheese, and sour cream. It's a hearty bowl of comfort perfect for chilly nights.

Prep
10 minutes
Cook
50 minutes
Total
1 hour
Cover image for Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe

Ingredients

Serves/makes 8

All

Toppings (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Sauté the veggies: Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Deseed then dice one jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened.

  2. 2.

    Assemble the chili: Add 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans (drained), one 15oz. can of pinto beans (drained), one 7oz. can of diced green chiles, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, and 3 cups of chicken broth to the pot. Stir everything together until combined.

  3. 3.

    Simmer: Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Shred the chicken: After simmering for 30 minutes, remove the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred them with two forks.

  5. 5.

    Add the corn: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add 1 cup of frozen corn kernels. Stir to combine and heat through.

  6. 6.

    Make it creamy: Add 4 oz. of cream cheese (cut into chunks) to the chili and stir until it has melted in. Stir in ½ cup sour cream.

  7. 7.

    Finish and serve: To thicken the chili further, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. The chili will thicken even more as it begins to cool. Taste the chili and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve it hot with your favorite toppings!

Related

Notes

  • Adjust the spice level according to your preference by including or omitting the jalapeño seeds and cayenne pepper.
  • Use pre-cooked chicken or substitute with vegetarian options such as veggie broth and additional beans.

Adapted from Budgetbytes on March 23, 2025