Cozy up with a bowl of White Chicken Chili made with chicken thighs, white beans, poblano chilies, cilantro, coriander and lime. Flavorful and healthy, this one-pot meal is hearty and delicious! Serve it up with this Skillet Cornbread! Video.
This recipe for White Chicken Chili is hearty, healthy and delicious and full of so much flavor! Made with white beans, fresh poblano peppers, cilantro, coriander and lime giving it a delicious mild heat and brightness.
Watch How to Make White Chicken Chili!
How to make White Chicken Chili!
- Braise whole chicken thighs in the flavorful cooking liquid, then simply pull apart with two forks before adding the white beans.
- Although the cooking time on the stove is about 45- 50 minutes, the actual hands-on time is relatively short. And in the end, you’ll have a healthy, delicious, one-pot meal, made from scratch, perfect for Sunday dinner. . . and lunches thereafter.
- You can also make this in an Instant Pot or slow cooker!
While the chili is simmering, why not make a batch of skillet cornbread to go with the meal?
We’re back home after taking a couple of weeks off, exploring Boston and the coast of Maine. The fall color was absolutely astounding and we were incredibly lucky with the weather – blue skies and sunshine – perfect for kayaking and exploring Acadia National Park. So beautiful! I fell in love with the area. But home is nice too and it feels good to hunker in and get cozy.
Brian lit a fire in the fireplace and is bundled in a blanket watching the game while I around fiddle around in the kitchen making this chili and cornbread.
All feels well in the world. I savor these simple moments, grateful when they come, knowing how quickly the tides can change.
Give the White Chicken Chili a whirl and see what you think. I personally love these flavors. For even more flavor you can always toast whole cumin and coriander seeds and blacken the poblanos over a gas flame, removing the skin. But for ease and time, the recipe is simplified. Feel free to experiment.
Happy week, friends!
More chili recipes you may like:
- Vegan Chili Verde with Jackfruit
- Homemade Chili Seasoning
- Homemade Instant Pot Chili
- The BEST Vegan Chili
White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A flavorful recipe for White Chicken Chili using white beans, fresh poblano peppers, cilantro, coriander and lime. Serve with cornbread!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1–2 poblano peppers, finely diced (or sub 1–2 x 4 ounce cans green chilies – please see notes)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or GF Bragg’s liquid amino acids
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano ( or regular)
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thigh – boneless, skinless
- ——–
- 3 cups white beans, cooked. ( 2x 14-ounce cans drained –or 1 ½ cups dry, soaked and cooked)
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, divided
- 2 limes
- pinch cayenne or chipotle powder to taste
- —–
- Garnishes: cilantro, sour cream, lime, avocado, sliced jalapeno
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and poblano pepper and sauté until tender about 8 minutes.
- Add cumin coriander and chili powder and lightly toast, about 1 minute.
- Add broth, scraping up the brown bits. Turn heat to high.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, oregano and salt.
- Stir, add chicken thighs, whole, and bring to a boil. Cover turn heat to low and keep at a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- Once the chicken is tender, shred it into smaller pieces with two forks.
- Add the cooked beans and juice of 1 lime ( you could mash 1 cup of beans). Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, until it reduces and thickens a bit. Taste, adjust salt and spice level -adding a pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne of you like.
- Stir in half the cilantro and serve.
- Divide among bowls, serve with more cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, avocado, and lime wedges.
Notes
- If using canned green chilies, add when you add the chicken, no need to sauté. Fire-roasted canned chilies add good flavor, although I prefer the vibrant color of fresh poblanos.
- Feel free to add 1-2 cups corn for extra heartiness.
- SLOW COOKER: place everything in the slow cooker (including beans) and cook on LOW 7-8 hours or high for 6 hours.
- INSTANT POT: Saute and stir the onion, garlic and fresh poblano chilies (if using) in oil until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes, then add the spices, soy sauce, water or broth, vinegar, salt, oregano, chicken, and canned beans, scraping up any browned bits. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Naturally release 10 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks, returning it to the pot. Taste for salt, adjusting and adding a pinch of chipotle powder if you like. Stir in half the cilantro and serve with any garnishes.
Keywords: white chicken chili recipe, best white chicken chili, chicken chili verde , white chili, white bean chili, white bean chili recipes
This chili is amazing. I’ve cooked it many times now for friends and family, and it’s always a big hit. Family members have started feeding it to their guests as well. I usually reduce the broth by half to make it thicker. I also add 1-2 cans of hominy and 1-2 green peppers to add more veggies.
★★★★★
Thanks Karen! Love it!