Description
This creamy white chicken chili is a comforting and flavorful dish made with tender chicken thighs, white beans, green chiles, and a blend of warm spices. Enhanced with cream cheese and sour cream, it offers a rich and smooth texture balanced by a gentle heat from jalapeños and cayenne pepper. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it’s easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Produce
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeño
Meat
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Canned Goods
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (drained)
- 1 15 oz. can pinto beans (drained)
- 1 7 oz. can diced green chiles
Dairy
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
Pantry
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Prepare Aromatics: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Deseed then dice the jalapeño. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large pot with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add Ingredients to Pot: Add the chicken thighs, drained cannellini beans, drained pinto beans, diced green chiles, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Simmer Chili: Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high to bring the chili to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the chili simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Shred Chicken and Add Corn: After simmering, remove the chicken thighs from the pot and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the frozen corn. Stir to combine and heat through, about 5 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese and Sour Cream: Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the chili until fully melted and creamy. Stir in the sour cream thoroughly. For a thicker texture, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon.
- Final Seasoning: Taste the chili and adjust seasoning if needed with additional salt, pepper, or spices. Serve the chili hot with your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or avocado.
Notes
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for tender and forgiving meat, but chicken breasts can be used if cooked carefully to avoid drying out by maintaining a gentle simmer.
- Customize the spice level by omitting jalapeño and cayenne for mild chili, or keep seeds and add extra cayenne and hot sauce for more heat.
- Favorite toppings include sour cream, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, green onions, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, hot sauce, fresh or pickled jalapeños, avocado, and lime wedges.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
