Gluten Free White Chicken Chili

This Gluten Free White Chicken Chili is hearty, layered with flavor and has just a little kick of heat. You can make it on the stovetop, Crock Pot or in an Instant Pot. It's super easy and great for warming your bones and filling your belly. With three ways to make this chili, it's sure to become a staple in your household meal plan.

While I loved traditional Red Chili (and still have a soft spot for it), this White Chicken relative has become numero uno in my recipe collection. Bites of tender chicken, some veggies and beans with some herbs and spices. It truly is super simple and I love that it uses real food ingredients to bring such flavor to our dinner table.

It doesn't take anything crazy to make it and is ready in about an hour. You can't beat that for such a flavorful soup that doesn't require simmering all day.

Why you'll love this chili

• Easy to make ahead, making this great for meal prep
• A hearty meal that isn't too expensive
• It's a family favorite, loved by both kids and adults alike
• Simple recipe that uses pantry staples

Ingredients needed

Get the quantities and more info on these ingredients in the recipe card below.

• Garlic oil
• Chicken breasts: we used cubed chicken pieces, but you can certainly use shredded chicken as a great alternative
• Onion
• Garlic Cloves
• Black Pepper
• Salt
• Bell Peppers: you can use whatever color bell pepper you prefer
• Celery
• Anihime or Hatch pepper: don't forget to remove the seeds
• Hominey
• Pinto Beans
• Sweet corn
• White beans: you can use whatever kind of white beans you like. Great northern beans and cannellini beans are great options for white chili
• Salsa Verde (just a green salsa)
• Chicken Stock
• Ground Coriander
• Ground Cumin
• Cream: alternatively, you can use Half-n-Half
• Cornstarch
• Water: just a tad to mix with the cornstarch to make a paste

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• Dollop of Sour cream
• Diced green onion or chives
• Jalapeno slices
• Other favorite toppings

How to Make Gluten Free White Chicken Chili

Here's how to make this gluten free white chicken chili recipe on the stovetop.

1.  Take time to cut and prep all your ingredients.
2. Heat up a cast iron pot over medium heat and add the garlic oil. Once the pan is hot add the cubed chicken and cook until all sides are browned. 
3. Add in onions and garlic to the cooked chicken and saute until onions are soft and becoming translucent. 
4. Add in the remaining ingredients except the cream and cornstarch mixture. Mix to combine. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add in the cream and the cornstarch paste and thoroughly combine to make sure the cornstarch has dissolved properly. Let this cook for about 10 minutes so the chili thickens.
6. Serve as is or with optional toppings. Refrigerate any unused chili. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge or a few months in the freezer.

Storage

Once this easy white chicken chili has cooled off to room temperature, you can transfer any leftover chili to an airtight container and refrigerate the leftovers for up to a week.

You can freeze leftover chili using the instructions below.

Freezing Instructions

I love making enough of this soup to freeze some for later. Make a double or even a triple batch and freeze any leftovers to have dinner already ready to go for a later date.

Once your chili has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a zip top bag or a freezer safe container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When freezing this, always leave enough room in your container or bag for expansion in case this expands.

To thaw this white chicken chili, remove it from the freezer the night before and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Depending on how much soup there is to thaw, you may need to thaw on the counter top or in a sink full of water. Since this is all cooked from before, it is okay to thaw at room temperature for a few hours, but do not leave it in the sink or out on the counter overnight.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• I love making this simple white chili on the stove with my beloved cast iron pot, but if you don't have the time to spend in the kitchen then you can also use a slow cooker or instant pot to make this recipe.
• If you don't have garlic oil, you can use a few tablespoons of olive oil and add some minced garlic.
• Green bell pepper is used in a traditional chili recipe, but since this is a healthy white chicken chili, you can use whatever colored peppers that you want.
• If you don't have boneless skinless chicken breasts you can use pulled skinless chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken instead.
• I use both Hominy and corn, it gives wonderful flavor and texture differences but you can use just one or the other if needed.
• This recipe also pairs nicely with my creamy cornbread muffins, I like to use part of the muffin to mop up the remaining juicy bits when I'm at the bottom of my first bowl.

What kind of peppers can I use?

This recipe is a bit more mild than the first one I started out with. I found jalapenos too unpredictable in heat and quickly omitted them. Instead I opted for Anaheim or Hatch Chili's.

They are lower on the scoville (heat) scale but are pretty consistent with their amount of heat. If you like your chili spicy by all means add jalapeno (or hotter peppers) but I find that if I want a little extra kick I can just add a pinch of chili flakes to the pot or use pepper Jack cheese as a topping.

All this talk about this delicious Gluten Free White Chicken Chili is making me hungry, so it's time to head to your kitchen, grab the ingredients and whip up a big batch.

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