White Chicken Chili

Ahh, White Chicken Chili. How I love you.

I did not grow up eating this recipe, though I wish I had.  I first discovered it while working in a local bakery a few years back. One of the owners had brought in and reheated White Chicken Chili for her lunch. It smelled heavenly over the breads and sweets and made my mouth  water.  Thankfully she was awesome and let me try a bite. I was hooked.  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.

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.

This chili is so hearty and filling. I use both Hominy and corn, it gives wonderful flavor and texture differences. I make a full batch, we eat until we are stuffed and then I freeze the rest for a rainy day when I just want something hot and filling to warm my bones.

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.

White Chicken Chili

Print Recipe

This white chicken chili is hearty, layered with flavor and has just a little kick of heat. You can make it on the stove top, crock pot or instant pot. It’s super easy and great for warming your bones and filling your belly.

• Author: Alycia Louise
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
• Cuisine: American, Mexican

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 TBS Garlic oil
• 2 Chicken breasts (Cubed)
• 1 Onion (Diced)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Bell Peppers (color of choice) (Diced)
• 2 Stalks Celery (Diced)
• 1 Anihime or Hatch pepper (Minced with seeds removed)
• 1 25 oz can Hominey (Drained)
• 1 15 oz can Pinto Beans (Drained)
• 1 15 oz can Sweet corn (Drained)
• 1 15 oz can White beans (Drained)
• 2 7 oz cans Salsa Verde (Roughly 1/2 if you are using fresh)
• 4 cup Chicken Stock
• 2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cream (Or Half-n-Half)
• 3 TBS Cornstarch + enough water to make a paste

Optional toppings

• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• Sour cream
• Diced green onion or chives
• Jalapeno slices

Instructions

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 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.

Notes

Heads up. Below are affiliate links. Which means if you decided to purchase anything using these links I will earn a small commission. This helps run the blog and keep it add free- I only link product I love and recommend.

I love making this 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.

Keywords: Chili, Gluten free