• EN
  • PL
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search

Serving Dumplings

Weeknight Dinner Ideas for Everyone

  • Home
  • Cooking Club
    • Join The Club
    • Cooking Club Recipes
    • My Account
  • About
    • Stuff I Use
    • About me
    • workshops
  • Recipes
    • Cooking Club Recipes
    • 30 minutes
    • Pasta | Rice | Barley
    • One Pot
    • Meat | Poultry
    • Fish | Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Soup
    • Side Dishes
    • Bakery | Pastry | Sweets
    • Kid Friendly
    • Drinks
  • Cooking Videos
  • Converter
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • EN
  • PL
Meat, One Pot, Soup  /  21.01.2022

White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

by Anna Chwistek
Anna Chwistek

White chicken chili with cream cheese. This mildly spicy, weeknight-friendly white bean chili is as hearty, bright and comforting as it sounds. Imagine tender beans, juicy chicken and crispy corn kernels in a rich, ultra-creamy broth, layered with spices, a hint of lime and green chilis. Don’t forget to sprinkle with plenty of punchy toppings and serve with some crusty bread.

white chicken chili with cream cheese

The best trick when making any soup that includes shredded chicken is to cook the chicken right in the broth, together with all the other ingredients. This way you’ll only need one pot, while the chicken gets infused with all the flavors.
The key for tender, moist and juicy chicken? Use whole breasts and cook them no longer then 15 minutes, otherwise they will turn dry and stringy. 

To make this chili ultra creamy, rich and thick, we use full fat cream cheese and some big handfuls of grated cheddar. Stir it until completely melted into the broth. Bingo. So good.

white chicken chili with cream cheese

Use a mix of mild and hot peppers, jalapeños for their heat and poblanos for their fresh flavor, they will provide a delicious kick while creamy white beans mellow it all out. To decrease the heat level, remove and discard the seeds from the jalapeños before chopping. And don’t forget to use toppings, they seal the deal.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

white chicken chili with cream cheese

RECIPE NOTES

  • this white chili recipe works also well with ground chicken or turkey
  • to save some time, you can certainly make this chili with leftover rotisserie or shredded chicken
  • use toppings like cilantro, scallions, avocado, corn chips, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapeños, sour cream or plain full fat yogurt
  • sneak in some zucchini for extra greens
  • this chili is mildly spicy, it has a delicious warm kick, if you want it spicier, just add more jalapeños or Anaheims, or add extra red pepper flakes
  • instead of jalapeño and poblano peppers, use 3 (4-oz) cans chopped green chilis, (hot, mild or a combination). There are several heat levels for diced green chilis, so be sure you’re getting the one you really want. The hot versions can be pretty spicy
  • if you can’t find poblano peppers, use serrano pepper, ancho chili, green chili, banana pepper or habanero pepper. Green bell peppers are also a great substitution for poblano peppers. 
  • use Great Northern, cannellini or white kidney beans 
  • you can make this in the slow cooker, instant pot or on the stovetop. Use 4 cups chicken broth in the slow cooker instead of 5 cups as on the stovetop, since there is no evaporation. As for the instant pot, again, use 4 cups broth, cook on high for 15 minutes, then manually release the steam and shred the chicken. Then add the corn and shredded chicken, and warm it back up

white chicken chili with cream cheese

Try These Next

  • Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
  • Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Soup
  • Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage

white chicken chili with cream cheese

Cooking Video

White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

Yield: serves 6

White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

white chicken chili with cream cheese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 pickled jalapeños, seeds removed and minced
  • 2 poblano peppers (or green chili, or small green bell pepper), seeds removed and minced
  • 4 whole chicken breast fillets (about 800 g/1.8 pounds)
  • 5 cups/1.2 L chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup/240 ml whole milk
  • 200 g/7 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 150 g/5 oz grated sharp cheddar
  • 2 cans (=500 g/18 oz) cannelini beans
  • 1 can (140 g/5 oz) corn kernels
  • 2 tbsp lime juice

spices

  • 1 tsp each: salt, black pepper, crushed chili flakes, dried oregano, smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin

toppings

  • chopped cilantro
  • chopped scallions
  • sour cream or plain full fat yogurt
  • shredded cheddar
  • corn chips

Instructions

    1. Get all the prep done before you start cooking: finely chop the onions and mince the garlic. Remove seeds from the green peppers and mince.
    2. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium low. Add garlic cloves, onions and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in spices, cook for 2 minutes more. Add chicken breast fillets, pour in chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
    3. When ready, remove the chicken fillets onto a clean plate. Add milk, cream cheese and grated cheddar, stir to dissolve. Stir in white beans and corn kernels, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often.
    4. In the meantime, shred the chicken using two forks. Hold a fork in each hand, and use them to pull the meat apart. Prepare your favorite toppings, chop the cilantro and slice the scallions.
    5. Return shredded chicken back to the pot. Add lime juice and adjust salt and black pepper to your own taste. Top with some grated cheddar, chopped cilantro, scallions, corn chips and sour cream. Serve with some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 537 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 2097mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 37g

Calories Per Serving: kcal Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know! Leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me with @anna_s_table or #servingdumplings I’d love to see what you’re making. Happy cooking!

© Anna Chwistek
Category: Soup
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE RECIPE PDF

And …IF YOU LOVE THESE RECIPES … please consider supporting my work for just the cost of a cup of coffee.

Buy Me A Coffee

Sign up for my NEWSLETTER to receive the latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.

Tags

  • chicken
  • soup

Post navigation

Prev: Salmon all’Arrabbiata
Next: French Onion Pasta

14 comments

  • Brenda
    22.01.2022

    Hi, this looks delicious. How would I make this in a slow cooker? TIA.

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      22.01.2022

      Hi, add the chicken, 4 cups chicken broth, beans, bay leaf, onion, garlic, chilis and spices to the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. When the cooking time is done, shred the chicken. Add cream cheese, milk, cheddar, lemon juice and corn. Stir, then cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, or until chili is creamy and slightly thickened. Enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  • X
    24.01.2022

    Hi! Can I omit beans? Don’t love them. Thanks ((:

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      24.01.2022

      Hi, you can sub beans for potatoes and add more corn kernels. Hope you love it!

      Reply
      • X
        25.03.2022

        Thanks! Do you think this freezes well?

        Reply
        • Anna Chwistek
          25.03.2022

          yes, you can keep it up to 3 months in the freezer.

  • Anne
    26.01.2022

    I made this recipe for lunch with friends. There heat/spicy tolerance was unknown so I did have of what the recipe said. It came out awesome and everyone loved it. It did make more than 6 servings as stated in recipe. You said it can be done in the instapot but there aren’t any directions to do so. Would you please give instapot directions. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      26.01.2022

      Hi Anne, so happy everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try!

      Here’s how to make the recipe in an instant pot:
      Place the chicken in your instant pot bowl, add the other ingredients, except for the cream cheese and cheddar.
      Stir to combine.
      Cover and seal with lid, switch the valve to the “sealing” position and cook for 20 minutes on manual high pressure.
      When ready, let it naturally depressurize for 10 minutes then switch the valve to the “venting” position to completely release steam before opening lid.
      Remove the chicken breasts and shred.
      Add cream cheese and cheddar to the pot and stir everything together to melt the cheese into the chili.
      Add the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Serve.

      Reply
  • Jill
    7.02.2022

    My kids live White Chicken Chili so I try out new recipes all the time. This one was great- creamy, a little spicy, delicious ! Only change I made was a cup less chicken broth as we like it a little thicker.

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      7.02.2022

      Fantastic, that’s really nice to hear! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it!

      Reply
  • Kelly
    19.10.2022

    Does this recipe freeze well? Would like to bring as meal for new parents.

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      19.10.2022

      Yes, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  • Michael O’bryan
    20.01.2023

    Hi, when you say to put in one or two pickled jalapeños, do you mean a few slices, or whole jalapeños? I have jars of home pickled ones in the fridge, but they’re sliced so I was wondering about how many you’re putting in to manage the heat? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Anna Chwistek
      21.01.2023

      Hi, you can start by adding about 1 tablespoon sliced jalapeños at a time. Enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anna | Studio Kuchnia

Anna | Studio Kuchnia
eat. real food.
packed with flavor.
sometimes chocolate too.

Anna.

Follow me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

If you love these recipes …

… please consider supporting my work for just the cost of a cup of coffee.

Buy me a coffee

Saveur Blog Awards Winner - Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners

Search

Popular

  • Thai Coconut Salmon Curry Thai Coconut Salmon Curry
  • spicy coconut curry ramen Spicy Coconut Curry Ramen
  • thai coconut shrimp curry Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
  • Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
  • cheesy one pot beef and potatoes Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes
  • Home
  • About
  • Converter
  • Contact
  • Legal notice
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Saveur Blog Awards Winner - Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners
  • Copyright © 2013 - 2022 Serving Dumplings
  • Website by CRAFTED
Skip to Recipe