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.
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.
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.
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
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Cooking Video
Calories Per Serving: 537 kcal 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.White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
spices
toppings
Instructions
Notes
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
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Hi, this looks delicious. How would I make this in a slow cooker? TIA.
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!
Hi! Can I omit beans? Don’t love them. Thanks ((:
Hi, you can sub beans for potatoes and add more corn kernels. Hope you love it!
Thanks! Do you think this freezes well?
yes, you can keep it up to 3 months in the freezer.
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.
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.
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.
Fantastic, that’s really nice to hear! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it!
Does this recipe freeze well? Would like to bring as meal for new parents.
Yes, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy the recipe!
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!
Hi, you can start by adding about 1 tablespoon sliced jalapeños at a time. Enjoy the recipe!