White Bean Chicken Chili
The best white bean chicken chili you'll ever eat! Healthy, flavorful, unbelievably easy to make in less than 30 minutes. Freezes well, too!
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.
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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.