White Bean Chicken Chili
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This is without a doubt the most delicious white bean chicken chili—and the easiest to make! Each bowl is packed with tender chicken, creamy cannellini beans, and a simple yet irresistible base of salsa verde and green chiles for a decidedly Tex-Mex flair. It’s highly adaptable, takes less than 30 minutes to make, and freezes well.
This chicken chili with salsa verde and white beans has been among my personal favorite meals for more than three years, because it perfectly fills three categories that can be difficult to marry in one dish. It’s fairly healthy and high in protein, extremely quick and easy to make, and exceedingly delicious.
Salsa verde and green chiles make the most flavorful base and beautifully envelope creamy white beans, tender chicken, and tangy onions. Whip it up in one pot, then each bowl is the perfect canvas for your favorite fixings: avocado, cilantro, cheese, tortilla strips, etc.
My husband—always appreciative but a man of few words—emphasizes that this is the best white chili he’s ever had. What can I say? The man does have good taste. 🙂
Why You’ll Love This White Bean Chicken Chili
- The vibrant tang of salsa verde infuses every bite
- Wildly quick and easy to make: one pot, less than 30 minutes, minimal chopping
- Relies on real-food ingredients
- Creamy and rich yet dairy-free
- Flexible if you like more vs. less heat and a thin vs. thick consistency
- Easily doubles to feed a big crowd. Hello, chili bar!
Ingredient Notes
Don’t Forget the Toppings!
Shopping for this chili? Don’t forget to grab your favorite accessories! We love diced avocado, tortilla strips or crumbled up chips, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream for my husband and kids. Lime wedges, diced onion, and thinly-sliced jalapeño peppers are also fun.
A One Pot White Bean Wonder
Making this chili could not be simpler. You’ll lightly sauté the onion, garlic, green chiles, and cumin in a light drizzle of olive oil. This softens the onion and coaxes mellow flavor out of the garlic, chiles, and spice.
Add the salsa, beans, and sauce, then bring everything to a rapid simmer.
Thick or Thin, Your Choice
The simplest and easiest way to thicken this chili is to blend a portion of it—how much is your choice—after the beans and liquids are added to the pot, but before the chicken goes in. An immersion blender makes this completely fuss-free. Scooping out a portion to blitz in a traditional blender or food processor is pretty quick and easy, as well.
This approach lets you control how broth-y or thick your chili will be. A quick five or ten second blitz will give it a light consistency similar to a tortilla soup. The more you blend, the smoother it gets.
This is the key to a creamy chili that is naturally dairy-free with no thickeners or additives!
Pro Tip!
If you’re craving a thick, substantial chili that still has a good amount of whole white beans in the mix, reserve roughly 1/2 cup of the beans to stir in along with the chicken, after blending everything else.
Serving Suggestions
This is without a doubt a fantastic one pot meal, so I highly encourage you to keep it simple and serve bowls piping hot with toppings and call it a day!
This said, if you want to expand the menu for a special gathering or just because it brings you joy, excellent pairings include an everyday Mexican salad, buttermilk cheddar cornbread, or a fresh corn avocado tomato salad.
This chili really is excellent for feeding a crowd. I vividly remember preparing a double batch once for a large group of houseguests around the holidays; I unfortunately spilled almost one entire jar of salsa verde all over the front of the stove and my own shoes. The shoes did not survive, but the chili still earned rave reviews.
Storage and Freezing Tips
- To Store: Refrigerate any leftover chili in an airtight container. It keeps for at least 5 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave or a small saucepan.
- To Freeze: Transfer to an airtight container, leaving a couple inches of space for the liquid to expand when frozen. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or quickly in the microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently. The chili may appear to separate after it thaws, but will come right back together once rewarmed in a saucepan and stirred well.
More Cozy Chilis and Soups
If you enjoy these flavors, you’ll love my chipotle chicken tortilla soup and salsa verde slow cooker chicken. The latter is perfect for stuffing into tacos, bowls, enchiladas, and more.
For more hearty chilis, try this blue ribbon beef, red chicken, and sweet potato black bean combination. For a lighter take, try this summer vegetable chili. You truly can’t go wrong!
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles mild or hot
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 2 (15 ounce) cans Cannellini or other white beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde
- 2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- shredded cheese, tortilla strips or chips, fresh jalapeno slices, diced avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream, etc. optional toppings
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes, just until softened.1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 medium sweet onion
- Stir in garlic, green chiles, and cumin. Cook 1 minute more, just until fragrant.2-3 cloves garlic, 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles, 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Stir in the chicken broth, beans, and salsa. Increase heat to medium-high until liquid comes to a rapid simmer.4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock, 2 (15 ounce) cans Cannellini or other white beans, 2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde
- If you prefer a thick chili, blend part of the mixture at this point — you can either pulse an immersion blender straight in the pot for 5-10 seconds, or scoop out roughly 1 cup of the mixture, blitz in a blender or food processor, and return to the pot. If you prefer a thinner, more soup-like consistency, you can skip this step.
- Add chicken to the pot. Reduce heat back to medium, and let simmer for another 5 minutes, just until chicken is warmed through. Sample and season with salt to taste.2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Serve big bowls with all your favorite toppings.shredded cheese, tortilla strips or chips, fresh jalapeno slices, diced avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream, etc.
Notes
- Equipment: An immersion blender makes pulsing the chili to your desired consistency completely fuss-free, but scooping out a portion to blitz in a traditional blender or food processor is pretty quick and easy, as well.
- Beans: If you want a thick chili that still has a good amount of whole white beans in the mix, reserve 1/2 cup of the beans to add along with the chicken, after blending everything else.
- Onion: Sweet onion is my top pick for this recipe, but I’d not hesitate to toss in a yellow or red onion instead if that’s what’s available.
- Salsa Verde: Because this forms the base of the sauce, its heat profile will have a major impact on the finished chili. Mild salsa verde from Target and everyday grocery stores gives great results. Frontera salsa verde is delicious but has more heat.
- Green Chiles: Mild chiles are my go-to, thanks to kids; use what you like. Don’t hesitate to swap in medium or hot chiles, or add an extra diced jalapeno if you’re craving more heat.
- White Beans: Creamy cannellini beans are my go-to; great northern beans and navy beans are good substitutes if cannellinis are hard to find.
- Chicken: Using shredded rotisserie chicken keeps this ultra quick and easy, but of course it’s no problem to cook your own chicken breasts or thighs—it can be as simple as seasoning them with a little salt and pepper then grilling, baking, or poaching them.
- Storage: Refrigerate any leftover chili in an airtight container. It keeps for at least 5 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave or a small saucepan.
- Freezing: Transfer to an airtight container, leaving a couple inches of space for the liquid to expand when frozen. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or quickly in the microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently. The chili may appear to separate after it thaws, but once rewarmed in a saucepan and stirred well, it will come right back together.
Post originally published April 13, 2022. It’s been updated with new photos, more detailed recipe notes, and less ancillary information on salsa verde. The recipe is unchanged.
This is THE BEST WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI to ever cross our mouths! Thank you so much for this recipe. I have used a rotisserie chicken that I had shredded and had in my freezer, and I’ve also used a large can of Costco chicken breast. I like a little thicker consistency so I use 3 cans of beans, and blend one of them. Freezes beautifully. There is just two of us and it’s nice to pull it out of the freezer and quickly thaw in warm water. Try this. You will not be disappointed.