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This simple one pot Creamy White Chicken Chili is the perfect bowl to warm up to on a cold fall/winter day. Made with poblano peppers, jalapeños (for just the right amount of heat), and shredded chicken. It’s spicy, creamy and so delicious. Top each bowl of chili with plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado too. Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade beer bread.
If there’s one recipe my cousin Abby asks me to make every fall it’s a white chicken chili. Well, white chicken chili and a classic chicken noodle soup. I took care of the chicken noodle soup back in October so I figured it was time to cross the white chicken chili off the list too.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Abby loves soup!
For the longest time I wasn’t on the “white chicken chili” train, but I’ve changed my tune. I can’t say that I really think of this as chili though. Chili to me is always red and tomato-based. This is more like a creamy chicken soup with yummy spices and lots of poblano peppers.
However you look at it, it’s delicious. And such a nice bowl to warm up to on cold fall/winter nights.
This chili is pretty simple, here are the steps
What’s great about this chili is how quick and easy it is. You can choose to make it in one pot in less than an hour on the stove. Or cook it low and slow in the crockpot.
Start by cooking up the onion and vegetables until they smell fragrant. Then toss the chicken in spices for added flavor, then add it to the pot.
Pour in the broth and simply let the chicken simmer until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.
While the chicken is cooking, take the cream cheese and melt it in the microwave. The cream cheese is what makes this a creamy chili. You only need a little, but it really makes the chili just that much more delicious.
Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out and shred it.
Next stir the cream cheese into the chili and finish it up with that shredded chicken and some white beans. Oh, and a small handful of cheddar cheese too!
One more thing…the toppings.
Guys, the toppings are the real secret here. Most chili is delicious, but what makes a chili recipe over the top good are really yummy toppings. So you have to do them all!
I layer as follows: a thick layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of yogurt, sliced avocados, then sprinkle on lots of fresh cilantro and green onions too.
And lastly, I love beer bread on the side for dipping, it’s a chili must. For a second I contemplated using tortilla chips instead. But this just needs a good simple slice of warm homemade beer bread. It’s delish.
And guys, that’s pretty much it for this one. Simple as can be, but every spoonful is so delicious. Think a little spicy, a touch creamy, filled with chicken, peppers, cheese, and all those toppings. I love a simple November dinner when the days are busy and the nights are cold!
Looking for other fall dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Lastly, if you make this Creamy White Chicken Chili be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Check out the how-to video:
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired and chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs
- 4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- avocado, cheddar cheese, and yogurt, for serving
- lime zest and juice, for serving
Instructions
Stove
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes, until very fragrant. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth. Season with more salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.2. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 3. Pull the chicken out and shred using 2 forks. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the shredded chicken, white beans, salsa verde, and cheddar cheese. Cook 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. If needed, thin with additional broth. 4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Zest lime over each bowl. Eat and enjoy!
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Add the chicken, then stir in 4 cups broth and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.3. Shred the chicken using two forks. Stir in the white beans, salsa verde, cheddar, and cilantro.4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired, with yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Zest lime over each bowl. Eat and enjoy!
Totally delicious as I’ve come to expect from all of your recipes. You’ve really inspired me to be a better cook. This recipe was great except the ingredients called for a chopped jalapeño, yet the directions don’t say how or when to use the jalapeño. I wound up adding it at the same time I added the chicken. Was that correct?
Thank you for creating delicious recipes that bring my family closer together.
Hey Rachel,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! The jalapeno can be added with the poblanos! Have a great week! xx
Haven’t made yet but I’m so excited to. Does it freeze well?
Hey Emily,
Yes, you can definitely freeze this! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I did this in the Instant Pot and the family raves about it!!!
Hey Chelene,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Quick question…when you use the slow cooker, are you sautéing the onion, peppers, etc before adding them to slow cooker? Or just putting everything in as is? The way I read the instructions, it appears I just put everything in as is.
Hi Shannon,
You are just putting everything into the slow cooker:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Another win! I made your white chicken corn dip when you released it last week so I had to come try this. I added the corn and the sour cream from the dip in the soup and then added the broth. Divine. Going to double next time for the freezer.
Hi Leslie,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
I made this last night and it was delicious! Our store didn’t have poblano peppers so I substituted with Anaheim peppers. Also, decided I didn’t need half a cream cheese leftover in my fridge so threw in the whole block. It was such a great chili! Definitely keeping in my rotation for chili’s moving forward.
Hi Cassie,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
My family loved this. I increased the amount of veggies, beans and chicken (also added frozen roasted corn, just because I had it) just to make it a little heartier (feeding a big crowd) and it came out great. Delicious!
Hi Kim,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
Delish!
Hi Katie,
Fantastic! I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was tasty for you! xT
OMG! I just made this! Some slight modifications. I roasted the peppers to bring out a little more smoky flavor. I added some fresh corn off the cob and I did not have chili powder on hand so I used cayenne and ground chipotle pepper instead and sweet paprika instead of smoked. I can not get myself to like smoked paprika. We host a weekly soup night for 8 weeks every fall and I am always looking for new soups to put in the rotation. This will be very popular. I am really jazzed about all the topping ideas to go along with this winner.
Hey Cari,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
Hi! How do you prep dried white beans differently than those from a can ?
Hi Molly,
Sorry, I am not sure, I would follow a recipe online for that. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Fabulous just as the recipe is written. ❤️??
Hi Noreen,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This was really good! Grocery store didn’t have poblano peppers, so I used a red and yellow pepper. Perfect about of zip and great flavor. Definitely add the toppings! So good!
Oops, forgot to add the stars. Five stars, for sure!
Thanks again Jenika:)
Hey Jenika,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for making it! xxT
Hi! I love this recipe but always have clumpy cream cheese.. if room temp isn’t working would you microwave it until it’s fully melted?
Hey Allyn,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! Sure, warming the cream cheese would be a great idea! I hope this helps! xx
Pro tip for everyone who gets clumpy cream cheese even after microwaving it – make sure the heat is really low when adding and whisk it! If the temperature is too high you can add an ice cube to help lower it so the protein bonds in the cheese don’t break down & make it clumpy. (Source courtesy of Google & personal experience)
Thanks for sharing Caryn!
Absolutely delicious! Such a great combo of flavors that show themselves individually while eating it. Soooo, so good and will definitely be making many times this Autumn!
Hi Danielle,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Have you ever added fresh corn? Feels like it might work well. If so, would you add it raw when you add the other veggies?
Hey Melissa,
Totally, that would be a great idea! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Unfortunately mine came out quite soupy, less like a thicker chili I would expect. I followed the recipe exactly. It tasted good though, so not sure what happened!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! White chicken chili typically isn’t as thick as regular chili, so you did everything correctly, this is how the recipe is meant to be:) xTieghan