Easy White Chicken Chili – Creamy 50-Minute Dinner

This White Chicken Chili earns a permanent spot in my weekly rotation because it is creamy without being heavy, gently spicy without scaring anyone, and it makes a big pot that feeds a crowd or fills my fridge for days.

You can make it on the stove top in under an hour or drop everything into the slow cooker in the morning and walk away. Same cozy bowl either way, and you only dirty one pot.

I keep the ingredients simple on purpose: chicken, white beans, green chiles, and a little cream cheese to make it silky. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find at the corner store.

About the Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

Use any neutral oil you have; avocado oil works just as well. Buy oil in a dark bottle so it stays fresh longer.

1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

Sweet onion or white onion can stand in; shallots work in a pinch, use about 4. Look for onions that feel heavy for their size with dry, papery skins.

2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced

If poblanos are not available, use 1 green bell pepper plus 1 jalapeño for a similar mild heat. Press the skin gently; firm, glossy peppers are the freshest.

3 cloves garlic, minced

Jarred minced garlic is fine here, about 1 tablespoon. Choose heads with tight, unbroken cloves and no green sprouts.

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Chicken breast works too but will dry out faster, so check it 5 minutes earlier. Look for thighs with even thickness so they cook at the same rate.

2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed

Any white bean is fair game; navy beans make it a touch starchier and creamier. Rinse well to wash away the canned, metallic taste.

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

Fresh roasted Hatch chiles are a wonderful upgrade in late summer, use about 1/2 cup chopped. Mild or hot, your call.

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Better-than-bouillon paste mixed with water is a great shortcut. Low-sodium lets you control the salt at the end.

1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

No cumin? A pinch of smoked paprika brings a different but lovely warmth. Buy cumin in small amounts; it fades after about a year.

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened

Neufchâtel is a lighter stand-in that melts the same way. Let it sit on the counter 15 minutes so it blends without lumps.

1/2 cup sour cream, plus lime wedges and cilantro to serve

Greek yogurt can replace sour cream for a tangier, lighter finish; add it off the heat so it does not curdle. Full-fat dairy melts smoothest.

Tips & Tricks

Do not boil the cream cheese

Keep the pot at a gentle simmer after adding it, and stir until it disappears into the broth. A hard boil makes dairy separate into grainy flecks.

Season the chicken before it goes in

A good pinch of salt and pepper on the raw thighs builds flavor from the inside out. Skipping this is why some pots taste flat.

Rinse the beans well

That cloudy canning liquid is starchy and slightly metallic. Thirty seconds under cold water gives you a cleaner, brighter chili.

Add acid at the end

A squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar wakes up the whole pot. Taste first, then brighten.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sear the chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C), and sear the seasoned chicken thighs 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. They do not need to be cooked through yet; you are building flavor. Transfer to a plate.

2. Soften the vegetables

Lower the heat to medium, about 350°F (175°C), and cook the onion and poblanos for 6 to 7 minutes until soft and lightly golden at the edges. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir 45 seconds, just until fragrant and no longer raw-smelling.

3. Build the base

Pour in the broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon; those bits are pure flavor. Add the green chiles and beans and bring to a gentle simmer, small bubbles breaking at the edges.

4. Simmer the chicken

Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and simmer on low, about 200°F (95°C), for 18 to 20 minutes. The chicken is done when a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) and the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.

5. Shred and thicken

Move the chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot. Mash a small handful of beans against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the broth slightly.

6. Make it creamy

Drop the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the cream cheese cubes a few at a time until fully melted, 3 to 4 minutes. The chili should look glossy and smooth, never grainy.

7. Finish and serve

Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Taste and add salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and extra lime wedges.

Delicious Variations

Slow Cooker Version

Sear the chicken and vegetables as written, then transfer everything except the cream cheese and sour cream to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours, shred the chicken, and stir in the dairy at the end.

Green Chile and Corn

Add 1 cup of frozen corn in the last 10 minutes for a sweeter, heartier bowl that kids especially love.

Spicy Version

Keep the seeds in one poblano and add a diced jalapeño with the onion. Finish with a few shakes of hot sauce at the table.

How to Store White Chicken Chili

Frequently Asked Questions

Give this White Chicken Chili a try this week and let the pot do the work while you put your feet up. Cook it your way, and tell me how it went.

White Chicken Chili

This White Chicken Chili is creamy, gently spicy, and made in one pot on the stove or in the slow cooker, so a cozy dinner is almost hands-off.

★★★★½ 4.8 (213 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings412 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus lime wedges and cilantro to serve

📋 Instructions

1. 1Sear the chicken — Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C), and sear the seasoned chicken thighs 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. They do not need to be cooked through yet; you are building flavor. Transfer to a plate.
2. 2Soften the vegetables — Lower the heat to medium, about 350°F (175°C), and cook the onion and poblanos for 6 to 7 minutes until soft and lightly golden at the edges. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir 45 seconds, just until fragrant and no longer raw-smelling.
3. 3Build the base — Pour in the broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon; those bits are pure flavor. Add the green chiles and beans and bring to a gentle simmer, small bubbles breaking at the edges.
4. 4Simmer the chicken — Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and simmer on low, about 200°F (95°C), for 18 to 20 minutes. The chicken is done when a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) and the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
5. 5Shred and thicken — Move the chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot. Mash a small handful of beans against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the broth slightly.
6. 6Make it creamy — Drop the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the cream cheese cubes a few at a time until fully melted, 3 to 4 minutes. The chili should look glossy and smooth, never grainy.
7. 7Finish and serve — Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Taste and add salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and extra lime wedges.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If your chili tastes flat at the end, it almost always needs salt or a squeeze of lime rather than more spice. Taste, adjust, and taste once more before you ladle it out.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 412 kcal · 34g protein · 27g carbs · 19g fat

Written by Mireille Baptiste

Mireille writes about weeknight cooking built around what is already in the pantry, with a focus on Haitian and Caribbean home dishes made simpler for busy kitchens. She favors short ingredient lists, honest substitutions, and recipes that forgive a missed step. Her angle is feeding a household well without a second trip to the store.