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Cold nights call for something warm, creamy, and just a little spicy. This is the kind of chili I want simmering on the stove when fall rolls in—cozy, simple, and loaded with plenty of flavor.
Poblano and jalapeño give the broth a gentle kick, while cream cheese and cheddar make everything creamy without losing those brighter salsa verde and lime flavors. Add avocado, cilantro, extra cheese, and something warm for dipping, and dinner is done. Great on its own, but even better with a side of homemade beer bread.
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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.
Build the flavor base: 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.
Simmer the chicken:Pour in the broth and simply let the chicken simmer until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.
Make it creamy: 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.
Finish it up: 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.
Why You’ll Love This Chili
- One pot, weeknight-friendly, super cozy.
- Creamy (from cream cheese + cheddar), but still bright (thanks to salsa verde + lime).
- Easy to customize heat with the peppers and toppings.
Make-Ahead, Storage, Reheat
- Make-ahead: Flavors get better after it sits; reheat gently and add a splash of broth if it thickens.
- Store: Cool completely, refrigerate in airtight containers.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring often.
- Freeze: Freeze in portions; thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm gently. Add broth as needed to loosen.
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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This recipe was great! I only made slight changes: decreased chicken broth by 1/2 cup, added a lot more chicken (used rotisserie to make it easier on myself), and an extra can of beans to make it more filling. You are one of the recipe sites that I can always rely on when wanting to try something new.
Thanks so much, Andrea! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great week!
Hey, my wife and I love this recipe. A friend introduced it to us a year ago and now we make it every other month.
My wife is about to have a surgery and I would like to have on hand for her. How would you suggest freezing it?
Hey Danny,
Love to hear this recipe is always enjoyed! I would just freeze as is! Good luck to your wife:)
Thanks!
Hi Tieghan, I’m sure cilantro would be perfect, but it’s sometimes difficult to get it where I live; would parsley be a good replacement? Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
Totally, parsley will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
I like the recipe. I use less cumin and more chili powder. I also adjust the other seasonings to suit our tastes. The cream cheese is the secret ingredient.
Hi Cindy,
Happy Monday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
I’ve hated red chili since I was a kid. No matter how much cheese i used, Icouldn’t eat it. I still made it once in a while for my kids.
This White Chicken Chili is the best chili I’ve ever had. I’ve tried many of your recipes & loved them all.
This is definitely going to be made often. Thank u for so many wonderful recipes.
Hey Michele,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you!
Have a great weekend!
This is one of our favorite recipes! We have a newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic and need the full nutritional information if you have it please!
Hey Jamie,
Happy Sunday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
So sorry, I do not have that info at this time.
Copy and paste the ingredients into Chat GPT and ask it the nutritional information. It’ll pop right up.
Made this and it was like soup. Very tasty, but way too much liquid. I did thicken it but didn’t want to add any gluten. Any other suggestions
Hey Judy,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! White chicken chili definitely doesn’t have the same thickness as a classic chili:) Next time, I would reduce the broth.
Have a great weekend!
Saw your daddio grocery shopping today so I know you are cooking up a storm!! Making a double batch of this amazing chili as it’s a family You should see the mess in my kitchen. Love keeping it in the fridge over the holidays for a quick grab! I also hide a mason jar full for the freezer for ME!!!!
Hey Lainy,
Lol love that for you, I hope you said hi!! Thanks for making this chili:) I hope you and your family are having a great holiday season!!
Hi! Excellent recipe 😋 I had a question about the cream cheese. How do I get it to melt well? I use the crockpot for this recipe. Let me know!
Hey Gabby,
Yay!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
I would pop your cream cheese in the microwave before adding it to the crockpot, that should help.
Happy Sunday!
Blend room temp cream cheese in a Nutri Bullet (or you can use immersion/ whatever you have in kitchen to blend) with a little bit of broth. Add it at the end after cooking in slow cooker. Heating up the cream cheese does not work. It leaves chunks in the broth. Or if that sounds like too much work you can always use a splash of heavy cream instead
I made this recipe for a holiday party at work and it went over so well!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Dean,
Perfect! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Happy Holidays!🎁🎄
Could you add rice to this for a thicker consistency?
Hi Ellen,
Sure, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
I would love to use Bison and we have a dairy allergy in the family. Could I sub something for this?
Hey Sandra,
I would use your favorite dairy free products in this recipe.
Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love it!
This is now a part of my special meal repertoire! This yields tons of compliments and enough brownie points for a week!! Honestly delicious.. i am not a natural cook/chef followed recipe to a tea and it was perfection.. As i make this often enough i have gotten daring with adding in extra teaspoons of the cumin and paprika!!! Really this soup is more than a soup .. it’s a bowl full of love .. completely fulfilling. Enjoyment in each spoonful. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Nancy,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks for making it so often and your feedback!
This is like soup -not chili.😟
I added an extra can of beans and it is still way too liquidy.
Hi Elisabeth,
Thanks for trying this recipe and your feedback. White chicken chili is usually much thinner than a classic chili:)
Hope it still tastes yummy!
what about the jalepeno?
Hi Anna,
It’s added with the poblano peppers. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Can this be frozen?
Hi Gina,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions!