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This simple one pot Creamy White Chicken Chili is the perfect bowl to warm up to on a cold fall/winter day. Made with poblano peppers, jalapeños (for just the right amount of heat), and shredded chicken. It’s spicy, creamy and so delicious. Top each bowl of chili with plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado too. Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade beer bread.
If there’s one recipe my cousin Abby asks me to make every fall it’s a white chicken chili. Well, white chicken chili and a classic chicken noodle soup. I took care of the chicken noodle soup back in October so I figured it was time to cross the white chicken chili off the list too.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Abby loves soup!
For the longest time I wasn’t on the “white chicken chili” train, but I’ve changed my tune. I can’t say that I really think of this as chili though. Chili to me is always red and tomato-based. This is more like a creamy chicken soup with yummy spices and lots of poblano peppers.
However you look at it, it’s delicious. And such a nice bowl to warm up to on cold fall/winter nights.
This chili is pretty simple, here are the steps
What’s great about this chili is how quick and easy it is. You can choose to make it in one pot in less than an hour on the stove. Or cook it low and slow in the crockpot.
Start by cooking up the onion and vegetables until they smell fragrant. Then toss the chicken in spices for added flavor, then add it to the pot.
Pour in the broth and simply let the chicken simmer until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.
While the chicken is cooking, take the cream cheese and melt it in the microwave. The cream cheese is what makes this a creamy chili. You only need a little, but it really makes the chili just that much more delicious.
Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out and shred it.
Next stir the cream cheese into the chili and finish it up with that shredded chicken and some white beans. Oh, and a small handful of cheddar cheese too!
One more thing…the toppings.
Guys, the toppings are the real secret here. Most chili is delicious, but what makes a chili recipe over the top good are really yummy toppings. So you have to do them all!
I layer as follows: a thick layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of yogurt, sliced avocados, then sprinkle on lots of fresh cilantro and green onions too.
And lastly, I love beer bread on the side for dipping, it’s a chili must. For a second I contemplated using tortilla chips instead. But this just needs a good simple slice of warm homemade beer bread. It’s delish.
And guys, that’s pretty much it for this one. Simple as can be, but every spoonful is so delicious. Think a little spicy, a touch creamy, filled with chicken, peppers, cheese, and all those toppings. I love a simple November dinner when the days are busy and the nights are cold!
Looking for other fall dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Lastly, if you make this Creamy White Chicken Chili be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Check out the how-to video:
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired and chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs
- 4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- avocado, cheddar cheese, and yogurt, for serving
- lime zest and juice, for serving
Instructions
Stove
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth. Season with more salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.2. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 3. Pull the chicken out and shred using 2 forks. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the shredded chicken, white beans, salsa verde, and cheddar cheese. Cook 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. If needed, thin with additional broth. 4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Zest lime over each bowl. Eat and enjoy!
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.3. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the white beans, salsa verde, cheddar, and cilantro.4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Zest lime over each bowl. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on November 11, 2021
So delish!
Hey Chrisyy,
Happy Fall Friday! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your comment!
Love this recipe, Tiegan!
I added a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 tsp of thyme and 1/2 tsp of coriander, I think those make this chili PERFECT. I shredded the chicken (out of the pot) with a hand mixer to save time/effort.
You’re so right – the lime zest and juice add the perfect bright note at serving.
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win! Have the best weekend:)
Hi! can I use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead?
Hi Kassidy,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
This is legitimately the recipe to use. I feel like it’s getting hard to find quality recipes from an online search anymore. And comments so often feel bot like. Don’t worry about that here.
It was so so good. Like it was supposed to be my meal prep for the week and my family swarmed. I’m not even mad. Something this good needs sharing.
Now we are a spice family. So I did double some things- I promise while it sounds like I changed a lot, regular cooks know you always have to throw more spice in if you want a punch.
I doubled the garlic, paprika, cream cheese and ground the cumin myself which makes it stronger. Two jalapeños and the store didn’t have poblanos. I shredded a whole rotisserie chicken to save time, which likely comes to more than the recipe calls. Used Sartori Farmhouse for the cheese.
Yay! Love to hear this, Megan! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback. Happy Sunday!
Would subbing the cream cheese for unflavored Greek yogurt change the taste much?
Hey Ella,
That would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Can I make this in an insta-pot?
Hey Kathi, So sorry, I have not tested that with this recipe. For faster cooking, I would follow the stove top instructions. Please let me know if you give this chili a try! xT
When do you add Jalapeño??
Hi Laurel! You add it in with the poblano peppers! So sorry for any confusion! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
another delicious recipe 🩷 thank you!!!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Love to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Love this!, even though it’s August, in Florida.
Thank you SO much Claudette! I am so glad you loved this white chicken chili! xT
This recipe is very unclear for inexperienced cooks. It says nothing about bringing the broth to a boil, yet the chicken does not cook in 20 minutes on low heat. The addition of 4 oz of cream cheese does not result in a creamy texture by any measure. The video shows the addition of a bay leaf which is not mentioned in the ingredients.
Hey Betsy! Thank you so much for your feedback — I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. You bring up some great points, especially about clarifying the cooking steps for newer cooks. I’ll take a look at the recipe and update where needed to make sure everything is clear and consistent with the video. Thanks again for trying it out and for helping make the recipes better for everyone! xT
This is one of my favorite chili recipes! Any suggestions on cream cheese substitutes if a dairy-free option is needed?
Hi Addie! I would recommend using dairy free cream cheese, the kite hill brand is super yummy! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 xT
I follow this recipe with the only change being to blister all the peppers. It’s so delicious. We eat this at least once a month in my house.
Hey Erica! I am so glad you are loving this chili recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a kind comment! By the way, those blistered peppers sound amazing! xT
The flavor of this is fantastic! The only thing I didn’t love was that it’s a lot of broth and not enough substance, but I’m not gonna knock a star off for that because it can be easily rectified by added fixings (like avocado as mentioned, or tortilla strips/chips). Next time I might add a bit more chicken and/extra can of beans. Anyway, this was delicious! Best I’ve tried!
Hey Kiki,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for giving it a go!🌼
I’ve made this so many times. My husband and even 3 small children love it! It’s perfectly spiced and delicately creamy and cheesy and so comforting. I have never frozen this but would love to know how that work and for how long. Love all your recipes Tieghan!!!
Hi Emily,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it is always enjoyed! x
Super excited to try this! Wondering if its a good meal to freeze for post party meal prep?
Thanks, Cat! Totally, this would be a great option for meal and freezer prep! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx