Whole30 White Chicken Chili
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This white chicken chili is super rich and creamy, with tons of flavor, AND it’s Whole30 compliant! Dairy-free, grain-free, and gluten-free, this soup recipe fits perfectly into a round, and your family wouldn’t even know it’s paleo. Quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes, too!
🥣 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- One pot. One spoon. 30 minutes. That’s all you need for a rich, creamy, super flavorful pot of chili with minimal prep and minimal clean up. What could be better? I mean, besides actually sitting down and enjoying a giant bowl of this Whole30 white chicken chili.
- There’s so much flavor here! Diced green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne, garlic, onion, lime juice. Everything blends together beautifully and it’s all complimented by the creaminess of the cashew cream and the earthy, fresh cilantro.
- White chicken chili is perfect for meal preps and feeding large groups. I honestly love making soups and chilis when I’ve got a bunch of mouths to feed. They’re fairly cost effective, and they’re easy to scale up without a ton of extra work. You can also make up a batch and eat on it for a few days if that’s your thing.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days. To reheat, I recommend using the stovetop and simmering the chili over medium-low heat until it’s warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave. Just be sure not to add any garnishes (cilantro, lime wedges, avocado) until right before you serve the chili.
- For a freezer-meal option, let the chili cool completely and then transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Freeze it up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the chili, just defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stovetop.
- I don’t feel like this is a Whole30 white chicken chili with a lot of heat to it. If you’re especially heat sensitive, though, you might reduce the amount of cayenne pepper you use, or eliminate it altogether.
More Whole30 Recipes to Try
- Whole30 Breakfast Tacos
- Whole30 Everything Bagel Chicken and Scallion “Cream Cheese” Sauce
- BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes and Coleslaw (Whole30)
- Whole30 Gyro Meatballs
- Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Meal Prep (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- Oven-Roasted Diced Potatoes
Whole30 White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil olive oil, avocado oil, etc.
- 1 small yellow onion diced, approximately ¼ cup
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 7-ounce can diced green chilies
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream, see Notes
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken see Notes
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
- sliced or diced avocado for serving
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large wooden spoon
- high-speed blender
Instructions
- Heat large pot over medium-high heat. When pot is warm, add neutral oil and continue warming until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, add diced onion. Sauté onions 4 minutes or until softened, then add minced garlic. Stir to incorporate and sauté garlic 30 seconds or until just fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to pot. Stir well to incorporate ingredients. Let mixture come to low boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
- While mixture simmers, add coconut milk (or coconut cream) and raw cashews to high-speed blender. Blend until mixture is smooth.
- After broth mixture has simmered 10 minutes, add cashew cream to pot along with shredded chicken, fresh lime juice, and cilantro. Stir to incorporate and simmer until chicken is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Divide soup into preferred portions. Garnish with additional cilantro and diced avocado, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Coconut Milk or Cream: Do not use coco lopez or a sweetened coconut product, like coconut creamer. They aren’t the same as coconut milk or coconut cream and won’t work in this recipe.
- Chicken: You can use compliant rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or chicken cooked specifically for this chili.
- Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Replace the chicken with extra veggies (bell pepper, carrots, etc.)
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
This wasn’t too bad, good flavour
Thanks, Kylie!
This is AMAZING! I’ve tried several different white chicken chili recipes and resigned myself to not liking the soup altogether – until I found this one. It knocks it out of the park. If you like heat at least double the spices and add an extra can of chilis. I also added 2 jalapeños. Made this 2 weeks in a row for meal prep. Thanks for the amazing dish!
So glad it was a hit for you, Jen! Thanks so much for the review!
Made this for the first time today and it is DELICIOUS! Picky hubby even liked it (he did add some crushed Tostitos to his). Will definitely make this again. Had to sub dried cilantro because I didn’t have fresh.
So glad you both enjoyed! Thanks so much for the review, PJ!
could I use cream or milk vs coconut milk and cashews?
Are you on a Whole30 round, or following a paleo lifestyle? Cream or milk wouldn’t be allowed in those cases, and you’d want to use a dairy-free alternative like the cashew cream created in this recipe. If you’re not avoiding dairy, though, then you could likely use an equal amount of heavy cream (at room temperature) instead. We didn’t test this recipe with dairy products so I can’t say for sure what, if any, changes you’d need to make to accommodate it.
If you have an Instant Pot, you might enjoy this white chicken chili recipe that’s not specific to any dietary needs. https://40aprons.com/instant-pot-white-chicken-chili/