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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
Loved it! I did 5 cups of broth and it was perfect.
Hey Emilie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
this was sooo good! i’ve made tons of white chicken chili recipes but this has been my favorite. per others, I used only 4 cups of broth and more cheddar cheese. I also added extra salsa verde (siete brand is so good!) and corn. I didnt have jalapeño and it was still fantastic. the leftovers were even better. thanks as always tieghan!
Hey Olivia,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Yum!! I love this recipe. I added chickpeas to it as I forgot to thaw the chicken in time. The cream cheese and all the flavors. Mmmmm so good. Perfect Colorado fall recipe.
Hey Alicia,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
We didn’t have any poblanos, so we used canned chipotles in adobo (with seeds). The smokiness was awesome and gave it a nice spice without a real kick.
We also used 3 cups of broth which was perfect in our opinion, a good medium between soup and chili
Hey there,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious! Looked just like the picture. Followed the recipe exactly with the addition of 1 can Summer Crisp corn. I used 1 jalapeño with some seeds and it was the perfect heat. Used a whisk when I added the warmed cream cheese and it blended perfectly. As instructed I did not leave out a single topping?. Yielded 6 nice sized servings. Definitely a family favorite I will make again.
Hi Sara,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Sooo tasty!!
Thanks so much Rachel!
I think the flavors are good j hi pervert I found it to be way too thin for my preferences for chili. I would add more beans and more chicken and cut the broth back to the 4 cups.
The jalapeño was listed as optional and I was concerned it might make it too spicy. Next time I would include at least a half of a jalapeño because the flavor was very mild without it. I’ll probably doctor this batch with a little bit more chili powder rather than trying to add jalapeño to the fully prepared recipe
Oops – meant I prefer!!! Lol
Hey Ann,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Very tasty. I did not add the shredded cheese, and pureed the soup since no one here likes beans 🙂 No one noticed them after that! Great flavour. The extra toppings were a great addition.
Hey Jane,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this recipe last night! I agree, it reminded me more of a soup- but who doesn’t love a good soup. It was so easy to make, loved coming home from work and dinner being ready.
I did not have cilantro or fresh lime juice which would have taken it over the top. I made the beer bread to go along with it- we were PLEASANTLY surprised with how much we loved it. Will definitely be making that again. Overall enjoyed this recipe and recommended it to a friend!
Hey Kara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was so delicious!! I agree with Tieghans comment that it’s more like a soup, than a chili, but it is amazing nevertheless. I ended up doubling the beans and it turned out great.
Served with all the recommended toppings and homemade beer bread (also amazing!) and we devoured it. I had a little leftover for lunch the next day and it was even better the next day!
This is will a go to recipe from now on especially heading into the winter months!
Hey Kaci,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Had high hopes for my first attempt at white chicken chili however this was more like pepper soup than a chili,really needs more kick and beans.The warm cream cheese did not fully dissolve and left some floating around on top.The beer bread was interesting and very good,will file it in do again,really enjoyed the simplicity in making it.
Hey there,
Sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Other than the fact I put in too much broth, I love the flavor of this meal. Made it with the Beer Bread as well, very nice accompaniment. Added an extra can of white kidney beans. We like beans. LOL
Hey David,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was so, so good! I had to make a few adjustments due to what I had on hand, but it still came out great! Will definitely make again.
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Delicious meal. It is more like a creamy soup than a chili but my family really enjoyed it regardless. I had to whisk this like mad to make the cream cheese “creamy” instead of curdle-y.
I made a couple modifications..
– Roasted the poblanos at 375F for 20 minutes while I prepped all the other ingredients then let cool before chopping them up. Added poblanos in just before the chicken
– Didn’t have salsa verde so I used a 4oz can of hatch chiles that I added in with the garlic. Spice came out just right.
Cilantro and avocado toppings were just perfect, so yummy and definitely a great cold weather meal! Thanks Tieghan for another solid recipe. 🙂
Hey Lynn,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Family loved this, so good. Will definitely make again.
Hey Tammy,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
I was so excited to make this and have to say it was mostly disappointing. The words “chili” and “creamy” would imply something thick, the only thing creamy was the appearance, it was very brothy. Flavor was good but I also used more spice than called for and my own roasted poblanos. Definitely only needed four cups of broth, and one can of beans wasn’t near enough, only get 1-2 beans per bite. My cream cheese didn’t melt in until I used a whisk and vigorously whisked it. I like the idea of the recipe but may look for another version instead of making so many changes to fix it.
Hey Karen,
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan