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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
Made this on a chilly night here in Spain (pun intended ?) for my 12 year old daughter and myself. Added diced green peppers to up the vegetable game, and a little bit of maizena at the end to thicken it a little bit more. No need to microwave the cream cheese, I just added some spoon fulls directly into it and let it simmer out before adding beans and chicken. Also swirled some salsa verde on top of the bowl for an extra kick!
It was absolutely delicious, got some heat and we both loved it!
Hey there,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
I made it and I’m obsessed. I’m adding it my recipe rotation. Someone got to my jalapeño before me and I made it without, it’s still incredibly flavorful.
Hey there,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
A new favorite in our house! I subbed green Pasilla peppers for the Poblanos since that’s what was available at the grocery. Loved that it’s a no fuss recipe with minimal prep time! Thank you.
Hey Kathy,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
I follow you on instagram and have bookmarked many recipes, but finally got around to trying one. Last night I needed something quick and simple so I made this for dinner. I used rotisserie chicken and loved the soup! I meant to make beer bread but ran out of time, can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hey Kaley,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Seriously, so good. I forgot to set the cream cheese out but I mixed it into my shredded chicken before adding it back to the pot. Worked like a charm. Also added an extra can of beans. Will definitely make again
Hey Abby,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
This was delicious! I made green chili stew a lot and this was somewhat similar. I changed a few things:
1. I marinated the peppers, onions, chicken, and salsa verde overnight
2. I put in a crock pot on low for about 8 hours
3. I removed the chicken thighs and used an immersion blender to combine the peppers, onion, salsa, and cream cheese
4. added rice to my bowl, then the pulled chicken, then the broth, topped with cheese and radis
I also added aleppo pepper to the marinade…the immersion blender really helped give the broth more thickness without having to add more cheese / calories.
Hey Hannah,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
I was so enamored by the photos–that when I threw it in the crockpot, I was so disappointed my the outcome. I added the rest of the cream cheese block + half a cup of heavy cream, and I think it redeemed the soup.
If I could go back–I wouldnt have cooked it in the crockpot–I should have made this in the stove.
Half of this batch will go in the freezer for a rainy day! 🙂
Hey there,
Sorry the recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This was a winner! Made it just as the recipe says on stovetop and used 1/2 jalapeño because we like it spicy. Didn’t have time to make the beer bread so we used garlic bread. Want to try the beer bread next time. So many toppings…yum! Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey Anne,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
I don’t see the jalapeños mentioned in the directions! Should they just be added along with the Poblanos?
Hey Jennifer,
You bet! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely amazing! Will definitely be having this once a week. We loved every bite.
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
I made this last week and it was delicious! Thank you for all that you do!
Hey Deborah,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Made this last night for dinner with my husband and it was very delicious!! We used a rotisserie chicken that was already cooked and one less poblano pepper, and we loved it! Would absolutely make it again!
Hey Laura,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Delicious!!! I ended up using left over shredded chicken so I combined to seasonings with the peppers, onions and garlic. When trying to blend my melted cream cheese, it clumped, so I blended a little broth (1/2 cup) with the cream cheese in a separate pan. It all worked out and now is a favorite!!!!! Thanks for the delicious recipes! Your awesome.
Hey Tiffany,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was amazing. Make sure your cream cheese is room temp – or better yet, soften in the microwave, add a tablespoon or two of the warm broth and then slowly mix into the broth. Otherwise you run the risk of curdled cheese. I didn’t do this the first time and had to pick out the curdled cheese bits with a strainer.
Hey Maddie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
My cream cheese curdled as well, but I didn’t pick it out! I just let it simmer while I stirred and it completely melted.
AMAZING! I’m an American living in Asia, so I’m always looking for American comfort foods but it’s so hard to find ingredients! This turned out perfect and had simple Ingredients that I could easily swap with what is available here. Thank you!!!!!!
Hey Abigail,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan