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Creamy White Chicken Chili – Easy Budget Family Meal

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A budget-friendly, creamy white chicken chili that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Made with simple ingredients like canned beans, frozen corn, and chicken thighs, this one-pot wonder is incredibly creamy without heavy cream and can be customized for picky eaters.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can sweet corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
  • Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
  • Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (for serving, optional)
  • Crushed tortilla chips or corn chips (for serving, optional)
  • Diced avocado (for serving, optional)
  • Extra sour cream (for serving, optional)
  • Fresh lime wedges (for serving, optional)

Instructions

  1. Sauté the Aromatics (5 minutes): Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and jalapeño (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Bloom the Spices (1 minute): Stir in the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant.
  3. Build the Broth (2 minutes): Pour in the chicken broth, using your spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, drained corn, and diced green chiles. Stir everything together to combine.
  4. Add the Chicken (20-25 minutes): Nestle the chicken thighs into the liquid. They should be mostly submerged. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
  5. Shred the Chicken (5 minutes): Using tongs, carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs from the pot and place them on a cutting board. Let them cool for a minute or two, then shred the meat with two forks. Discard any large pieces of fat or gristle.
  6. Create the Creamy Base (5 minutes): While the chicken is resting, use an immersion blender to blend about half of the chili directly in the pot until smooth and creamy. If using a standard blender, carefully transfer about 2 cups of the chili (mostly liquid and beans) to the blender, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot.
  7. Finish the Chili (5 minutes): Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the sour cream and softened cream cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.
  8. Serve and Garnish (2 minutes): Ladle the creamy white chicken chili into bowls. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a dollop of extra sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.

Notes

For a thicker chili, blend more than half of the beans or let it simmer uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes after adding the dairy. If the chili is too thick, stir in a splash more chicken broth or water. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.

Nutrition

Keywords: creamy white chicken chili, budget family meal, one-pot chili, white chicken chili, easy chili recipe, chicken chili with beans, creamy chili without cream

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