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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
I forgot to submit a rating ..
Thanks again Barb!
I made this last night for a few guests and everyone raved about it. (I doubled the recipe) I used Costco shredded chicken (2 lb 10 oz package) and I think, given the deep flavor of their oven roaster chickens, it added another layer of complexity. I also only used 8 C of broth. I didn’t have poblano peppers so I used 1.5 jalapeno instead. Next time I will make sue I have the poblanos, but the jalapeno added the right amount of spice. It was a winner for sure.. I also tempered the cream cheese before adding it to the broth and there was no curdling. thanks for the recipe..
Hi Barb,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
This chili was so tasty. I’ve made other recipes like this, but this one had so much more flavor. I can’t handle a lot of spiciness, but I was adventurous and used the whole seeded jalapeno; it was the perfect amount of spice and depth of flavor.
I read the other comments that mentioned the cream cheese curdling. It did curdle a bit to start, so I added a bit of warm broth to the cream cheese bowl gradually until I was confident it wouldn’t curdle, then added the cream cheese/broth mixture to the rest of the pot. I also added a second can of beans, but mashed them up to thicken the broth. 4 cups of broth was perfect. Thank you!
Hey Alison,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Husband loved it! So did I. He’s picky so it’s a miracle when we both love something. Thank you!! Will be making again.
Hey Syd,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Loved loved loved this recipe. The Poblanos were genius. I’ll be making this often.
Hey Bethany,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
I made this without the cream cheese (there is a shortage in my area) so it was less like chili and more like soup. However, once you add extras, sour cream, cheese, green onions, etc it thickens. The spices are just perfect- not too hot but lots of depth. Great recipe!
Hey Heather,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi Could i put all in slow cooker but put rotisserie chicken that’s already cooked?
Hey Melissa,
Sure, that would be just fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this today for Sunday lunch and the family loved it! I used a rotisserie chicken to speed up the process. So delicious! My first recipe of yours and I can’t wait to try many more!
Hey Mona,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
I enjoyed this recipe. It was not too difficult and had a yummy taste. I did not use the peppers or the salsa verde (difficult to find in France) and still found it very yummy. Will definitely make again.
Hey Malia,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Made it tonite in the slow cooker—-super yummy! But I agree on too much broth…next time will use 4 cups and I think it needs another can of beans.
Thx for the recipes, Tieghan!
Hey Heidi,
Happy Sunday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
can this be frozen
Hey Lisa,
You bet! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This looks absolutely amazing. Just curious if I could use a different kind of bean – my stomach and taste buds have a serious aversion to navy beans. I’m not a “seasoned cook” so I’m not even sure where to begin with a substitution. (Which I guess wouldn’t technically make it white chili, then?) I can’t wait to try it. I haven’t had anything I didn’t love yet! 🙂
Hey Andrea,
Sure, you could use really any other bean that you enjoy. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’m not much of a fan of navy beans either. I use cannellini beans instead.
I made this recipe for my book club and it was a huge hit!! I did add some pepper to the recipe but that was my only alteration I think! I love tiegan’s recipes, I’ve been making them exclusively for a few weeks and they’re all amazing!
Hey Emily,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
Really liked this chili, I didn’t have enough peppers but it still was excellent
Hey Joanne,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
How does this keep if made a day ahead (or longer)? I saw someone say they were going to freeze, how did that work out? Any modifications needed?
Hey Annie,
You can totally make this ahead or freeze. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan