White Chicken Chili

Vegetables – Onion, garlic, tomatillos, jalapeño, and corn are all you’ll need. All of these vegetables will add great aroma and taste. It’s a great combination of spice, sweetness, and acidity. (If you got extra tomatillos, make some Salsa Verde!)

Chopped Green Chilies – Depending on how much heat you want to add to the chili, get mild or hot. I typically opt for mild because there is also jalapeño and spices that add more heat to the chili. 

Chicken – I prefer to use raw chicken. That way, the chicken gets infused with all the flavors it’s cooked in. You can use chicken breast meat or a combination of breast and thigh meat.

Beans – Use navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern beans. 

Chicken Stock – If you have homemade chicken stock available, that would be the perfect one to use. Otherwise, use store-bought low sodium chicken stock.

Spices – It’s not a chili without the aroma and flavor of chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder. 

Sour Cream – Sour cream is the best compliment for this combination of vegetables.

Toppings – This chicken chili is wonderful on its own but even better with toppings like Monterrey Jack cheese, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, crunchy tortilla strips, or some fresh jalapeño if you like it spicy.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Prepare. Dice the onion, tomatillos, and jalapeños. Smash and mince the garlic cloves. For a spicier chili, leave the jalapeño seeds in the mix.

PRO TIP: Prepare all of the ingredients before you start cooking so it’s all ready to go!

Sauté the veggies. Add some oil to a large pot and let it heat over medium. Add the diced vegetables and sauté until softened (1). Once softened, add the garlic to the pot and sauté just until fragrant (2).

Add the chilis. Mix in the can of chopped green chiles (3).

Add the chicken. Add the halved chicken breasts into the pot and nestle them in with the veggies. (4) Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and cook for just a few more minutes.

Add more ingredients. Mix in the beans, corn, stock and spices to the pot. (5) Lower the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for about 1 hour.

Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot. (6) Shred it with 2 forks. You can chop the chicken instead if preferred.

How to Store White Chicken Chili

It’s always best to let your chili fully cool to room temperature prior to storing in an airtight container. Once it’s cooled off, store it in a container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

You can reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops to distribute the heat until warmed all the way through. You can also reheat it right back in the pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until warmed through if you have a little extra time.

How to Freeze White Chicken Chili

Absolutely! I often make a double batch and freeze half of it for later. 

Make sure to freeze the chili before adding the sour cream. Prepare chili as directed in the recipe, up to the step of adding sour cream.

It’s best to cool the chili as quickly as you can before freezing it. After it’s cooked, place the pot into a larger container filled with ice and make sure to stir it from time to time as it cools.

Once it cools, portion it into smaller freezer bags or larger bags, let all the air out, and close it well. Remember to label and date.

Lay the bags flat on the cutting board and freeze. You can stack the bags once frozen.

Chili can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Make sure to slow-thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Bring thawed chicken chili to simmer over medium heat and stir in sour cream until completely incorporated. Serve it with your favorite toppings.