Go Back

White Chicken Chili

White chicken chili with a creamy golden broth made by melting cream cheese into simmering chicken and beans. Packed with shredded chicken, white beans, corn, and green chiles, then finished with pepper jack, jalapeño, cilantro, and a sour cream swirl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and chili base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cooked and shredded.
  • 2 can (15 oz) white beans Drained.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained.
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed.
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Seasonings
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper To taste.
Serving toppings
  • Sour cream For serving.
  • pepper jack Shredded, for serving.
  • cilantro For serving.
  • jalapeño For serving.
  • lime For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics and bloom spices
  1. Sauté the diced onion in a large pot for 4 minutes.
  2. Add the minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer chili
  1. Add the chicken broth, white beans, corn, and diced green chiles, then bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce the heat and stir in the cubed cream cheese until fully melted.
  3. Add the shredded chicken and the heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve hot with sour cream swirl, shredded pepper jack, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

Pro tip: If your cream cheese doesn’t melt smoothly, keep the chili at a low simmer and stir until the cubes disappear before adding chicken. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and half-and-half in place of heavy cream (texture stays creamy but slightly thinner).