This white bean chili is just perfect! It’s absolutely loaded with flavor, easy to make, and super filling. It’s healthy and the best white bean chili out there! A must for your fall and tailgating recipes rotation!
Why This White Bean Chili Is So Good
- This truly is the best white bean chili I’ve ever had! I cannot get over how delicious, filling, and creamy (without the cream!) this recipe is.
- It’s so simple to make but the result is a crazy flavorful and hearty meal.
- You can make it ahead of time and it’s great for meal prep and freezes well.
- It’s low in fat and high in protein for a deliciously well balanced meal.
What You’ll Need to Make This White Bean Chili Recipe
The ingredients to make this white bean chili are pantry staples or ingredients easily sourced:
- Chicken breast
- Canned white beans
- Chicken broth
- Spices and herbs (cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt and fresh cilantro)
- Green chilis
- Veggies (frozen corn, onion, garlic, jalapeno)
How to Make This White Bean Chili Recipe
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a pan. Add the chicken and saute for about 3-5 minutes then remove and set aside.
- In the pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Rough chop 1/2 cup of cilantro and add to onion, garlic and jalapeno mixture. Saute for a few seconds then add all to a large pot.
- Add all seasonings (cumin, cayenne, oregano, paprika, black pepper, salt). Reduce heat to medium and let simmer.
- Add the beans and chicken stock.
- Let the chili simmer at least another 30 minutes, but the longer, the better. Use a potato masher to mash the beans- a few mashes should do the trick. You should do this before adding the chicken if the beans are nice and soft.
- Add in the chicken, corn and chiles.
- Before serving, add the rest of cilantro.
Recipe Variations
This white bean chili recipe is so delicious as it is, but you can easily adapt it to your specific tastes or dietary needs:
- To make it vegetarian or vegan omit the chicken breast and use vegetable stock.
- To make it spicier add in an extra jalapeno
- To make it milder add in less green chilis
- Feel free to add in whatever veggies you have in your fridge!
What do you serve with white bean and chicken chili?
A good chili deserves to have a plethora of good toppings! Use all of your favorites for a flavorful finished dish! I serve my chili with:
- shredded cheese
- avocado slices
- jalapeno (fresh or pickled)
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream
- cornbread
Is chili a healthy meal?
Chili is a great well balanced meal, and my white bean version is no exception. The beans are a great source of protein and fiber and you get a good amount of vitamins and minerals from the veggies. It’s low in saturated fat and sugar and will help to keep you feeling full.
White bean chili is perfect for meal prep.
Chili is always on my meal rotation because it’s so easy to make, but it’s also perfect for make ahead meals. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, so it’s great to use later in the week for another meal. It also freezes really well, so I often make a double batch.
Top Tips to Make This White Bean Chili Recipe
- Use organic chicken breast that hasn’t been raised on antibiotics.
- Check that your spices aren’t stale for maximum flavor.
- You can use frozen, canned or fresh corn in this recipe.
- Let the chili simmer for as long as you can for a richer flavor.
Be sure to check out my other easy and delicious chili recipes!
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Vegan Chili
- Instant Pot Whole Chili with Butternut Squash
- Whole30 Chili with Chocolate
- Chicken Tikka Masala Chili
Hey – you’ve made it this far, and now we’re best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 15.8 ounce cans of white beans drained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cubed
- 2 cans green chiles undrained
- 16 ounces frozen corn
- 1 cup onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno chopped (about one jalapeno)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves packed
- Sour cream to serve
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a pan. Add the chicken and saute for about 3-5 minutes then remove and set aside.
- In the pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Rough chop 1/2 cup of cilantro and add to onion, garlic and jalapeno mixture. Saute for a few seconds then add all to a large pot.
- Add all seasonings (cumin, cayenne, oregano, paprika, black pepper, salt). Reduce heat to medium and let simmer.
- Add the beans and chicken stock.
- Let the chili simmer at least another 30 minutes, but the longer, the better. Use a potato masher to mash the beans- a few mashes should do the trick. You should do this before adding the chicken if the beans are nice and soft.
- Add in the chicken, corn and chiles.
- Before serving, add the rest of cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of two who lives in Memphis, TN.
Brittany Keith says
This is GOOD!!! I had to make a few substitutions and made it vegan, but wow. The blend of spices plus the cilantro kick makes this my new favorite chili.
Kim says
So good! I used a rotisserie chicken to save time since I had one on hand. I didn’t have a can of only green chiles, I had a can of rotel and used that instead. I added some Greek yogurt to my bowl to make it a little creamier, but it would have been just as good without! Will certainly make this again, very yummy – whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Glad y’all liked it!
Ariela says
Would this work with ground beef instead of chicken?
Thomas says
I made it with ground turkey and loved it!
Ann says
This was absolutely delicious. A keeper for sure!! Thank you.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you like!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We haven’t tested it, but it’s worth trying! 🙂
Alex says
This recipe is on point! Made it several times now and it’s so great. Thank you for the recipe.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That is so awesome to hear!
Stephanie Schuster says
If I want to leave out the chicken should I add more beans?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That would be a great substitute!
Lauren says
Didn’t come out thick ☹️. I followed the recipe but it’s super watery.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Did you mash the beans? We have made this recipe many times with no watery results!
Kristina Rivera says
This is my new favorite recipe! It’s so tasty and simple to prepare. It makes a great filling in a burrito too!
Sarah says
Will this work in the crockpot?
Cheryl Malik says
Sure!
Nikki Cavicchi says
What sized cans of green chilis did you use?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
4.5 ounces 🙂
Heather Pfeiffer says
I was looking for a basic recipe that I could 1) customize with stuff I had on hand 2) my son could make. Totally fit the bill. So I did both tonite and my son thanked me for the dinner he made us. Triple score, I think.
Chandy says
Can I do this in my instant pot?
Becky says
How is it that all of your recipes are just absolutely amazing?! As soon as I saw this added, I JUMPED on it. Made last night and made a few changes -I used smoked paprika (been obsessed with using this in pretty much everything that asks for regular paprika lol), added another jalapeno for more spice which you mentioned, and then also used ground white pepper instead of black. And just WOWWWW!!!
Next time I may try with smoked chicken broth which my parents sometimes will make from the pieces leftover from the rotisserie chickens they smoke. Thanks again for the amazing recipe! My mom demanded it as soon as she had her first bite lol!
betplus88 says
thanks for the recipe cheryl, look so tasty and healthy…is this white bean chilli recipe ok for whos plannin to loss weight and build muscle program like me??? thankyou cheryl…
Cheryl Malik says
Yes, it would totally work for you! Thanks for the great review!