White Bean Chicken Chili
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The easiest healthy White Bean Chicken Chili! Make it in the crockpot, instant pot or on the stove for a delicious, protein packed dinner!
Chili is the ultimate comfort food! This recipe not only tastes amazing, but it’s loaded with protein too!
This healthy white bean chicken chili takes just a few simple ingredients and some spices and comes together in less than an hour if you make it in your InstantPot or on your stovetop in one pot (meaning the cleanup is very minimal!).
liz’s tips for white bean chicken chili
- To save some time, use a rotisserie chicken cut into cubes. Add it to your sauce and cut the cook time in half.
- Mix in some cauliflower rice for added veggies.
Ingredients
Substitutions
Olive Oil: Olive oil can be substituted for melted butter, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs or even chicken tenders. You can also use cooked chicken. If using cooked chicken, cut the cook time in half. Rotisserie chickens from the supermarket would work well, just cube the chicken and add to your sauce!
Cannellini Beans: Any white beans (Cannellini, Great Northern beans, or Navy beans) would work in this recipe. You can also add other types of beans if you’d like (black, pinto, kidney, etc).
Diced Green Chiles: We can’t recommend a substitution for diced green chilies. They’re sold in most grocery stores in the canned goods section. You could try substituting a deseeded, minced jalapeño but they are often far spicier. It’s ok to omit them but the chili will not have as much flavor.
Tomatoes: If you don’t prefer tomatoes, try this other White Chicken Chili Recipe.
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth or beef broth. Any broth will work, but we recommend a low sodium chicken broth of beef broth. Our homemade chicken broth is our favorite!
Frozen Corn: Frozen corn is optional, but recommended.
Creamy White Bean Chili: We like this recipe as is, but if you’d like a creamy white bean chili, you can add 4 oz of cubed Neufchatel cream cheese when the chili is finished cooking/right before you serve it. It will give it that creamy texture. Topping this with some sour cream would add some great flavor and creaminess as well!
Vegetarian: Try Vegetarian Chili!
How to make White Bean Chicken Chili
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté cubed chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Add onions and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes until translucent and softened.
- Add all other ingredients and spices to the pot except frozen corn, cilantro and lime juice. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes. This will help thicken the chili!
- Once the chili has simmered for 25 minutes, add thawed corn and stir to combine.
- If you prefer your chili thicker or thinner, you can add more chicken stock to thin out or continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to thicken.
Cozy up with a bowl and enjoy!
Crockpot Method
- Note: If you’re making slow cooker white bean chicken chili, the browning of the chicken/onions is optional, but highly recommended.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, cube your chicken in ¼ inch pieces. Sauté chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onions and garlic. Sauté for another 3 minutes until they’re translucent and softened.
- Transfer chicken and onion/garlic to crockpot base. Add all remaining ingredients and spices to the crock pot except frozen corn, cilantro and lime juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- When ready to eat, stir in thawed corn. Serve with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
If you love your crockpot check out these Easy CrockPot Chicken Recipes.
Instant Pot Method
- Set your instant pot to sauté for 5 minutes. Heat olive oil. While the oil is heating up, cube your chicken in ¼ inch pieces. Sauté chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onions and garlic. Saute for another 3 minutes until they’re translucent and softened.
- Add all ingredients and spices to the instant pot except frozen corn, cilantro and lime. Cover the pot and set to sealing, manual, high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take the pot about 5 minutes to come to pressure and then it will cook for 8 minutes.
- Once cooked, let the pot naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, than quick release the remaining pressure.
- Add thawed corn to the cooked chili. Stir to combine.
- The chili is fine to eat at this point. If you prefer a thicker chili, set your instant pot to sauté and boil for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve this instant pot white bean chicken chili with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
Should this chili recipe be thick or soupy?
This is a more soupy white bean chicken chili. If you want to make it thicker, you can boil the chili with the cover off until the liquid reduces.
If you’d like an even soupier chili, feel free to add more broth.
How can you thicken chili?
- Our favorite way to thicken the chili is by bringing it to a boil on the stove with the cover off. The water will evaporate as the chili cooks down.
- You can also use a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tbsp of cornstarch in a little cold water then adding to the chili and cooking until the chili had thickened.
- If you want a thicker, creamy white bean chili, adding 4 oz of cubed Neufchatel cream cheese at the end of cooking will work.
What goes well with this White Bean Chicken Chili?
Serve with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice. You can also add a dollop of sour cream too! This chicken white bean chili is a meal in itself, but also goes great with:
- rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa
- Tortilla chips, a dollop of greek yogurt, and avocado slices
- roasted potatoes
- spinach strawberry salad
- homemade roasted plantains
- healthier cornbread
Storage Options
Storing Chili: White Bean Chicken Chili will last in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezing Chili: This white bean chicken chili freezes very well and lasts up to 4-6 months.
We love these airtight containers for freezing chili.
Reheating: You can take the chili out of the fridge or freezer and heat it over the stove or in the microwave. It’s great for a quick meal!
Other healthy chili recipes
We love a hearty and delicious chili and these are some of our other favorites:
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in ¼ inch square cubes
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans rinsed & drained – no or low salt
- 4 oz diced green chiles
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth no or low salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup frozen corn defrosted
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped, for serving – optional
- ¼ cup lime juice for serving- optional
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes or until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the chicken to the heated pan and sauté the chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add cannellini beans, diced green chiles, petite diced tomatoes, chicken broth and dried spices to the pot. Stir together well. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered. This will help thicken the chili!
- Once the chili has simmered for 25 minutes, add thawed corn and stir to combine.
- If you prefer your chili thicker or thinner, you can add more chicken stock to thin out or continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to thicken.
- Serve with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
Crockpot Instructions:
- Note: If you’re making this in the crockpot, the browning of the chicken/onions is optional, but highly recommended.Important: Skip the broth if making this in the crockpot!
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, cube your chicken in ¼ inch pieces. Sauté chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onions and garlic. Saute for another 3 minutes until they’re translucent and softened.
- Transfer chicken and onion/garlic to crockpot base. Add all remaining ingredients to the crock pot except frozen corn, cilantro and lime juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- When ready to eat, stir in thawed corn. Serve with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set your instant pot to sauté for 5 minutes. Heat olive oil. While the oil is heating up, cube your chicken in ¼ inch pieces. Sauté chicken for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the chicken has browned, add onions and garlic. Saute for another 3 minutes until they’re translucent and softened.
- Add all ingredients to the instant pot except frozen corn, cilantro and lime. Cover the pot and set to sealing, manual, high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take the pot about 5 minutes to come to pressure and then it will cook for 8 minutes.
- Once cooked, let the pot naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, than quick release the remaining pressure.
- Add thawed corn to the cooked chili. Stir to combine.
- The chili is fine to eat at this point. If you prefer a thicker chili, set your instant pot to sauté and boil for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.
I haven’t made this yet but have a question first. Is the chicken really only 1/4 inch cubes? That seems very tiny for cooking in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Thanks!
That’s what we do! If you want to cut it larger feel free.
This sounds amazing! We are big fans of soups and chilis, especially with a Mexican cuisine profile. When you say to reduce the cooking time by half if using precooked chicken, do you mean the 5-7 sauté time or the 25 minute simmer?thanks!
You’d skip sautéing (no need to sauté cooked chicken!) and cut the 25 minute simmer in half. I’d say about 15 minutes would be good! Hope you enjoy!
We are big fans of crockpot meals, this chili is perfect for all year round. I even took the beans and chicken and made chicken roll up. Thank you for sharing simple and flavorful recipes.
This recipe was amazing!!! The tiniest bit spicy for my little ones-but I honestly didn’t measure the red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, and I know I put in more than called for, so that’s likely why. The soup was devoured!!
Made this last night…soooo good! My first time making a chicken chili. Can’t wait to make it again!
This was absolutely delicious! I’ve never made a chicken chilli before, and this was the perfect one to go with. My only edit was seasoning the chicken breasts and searing them before adding them to the crockpot. Used the same seasonings as in the recipe for the chicken (chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic). My husband and I had seconds, and will be enjoying the leftovers for dinner tomorrow!
We have loved every meal we’ve made from your recipes!
This dish was absolutely delicious. So easy to prepare. I substituted one of the beans to great northern because I had only one can of cannellini, and it was delicious. I will be preparing it again. It was seasoned just right and had just a little bit of heat. Actually, the jalapeno peppers became mild once I added them to the dish, it lost some of it heat. However, it was eaten within two to three days.
Had this for dinner last night and it was excellent! Putting it into our meal rotation! Thank you for the great recipes and keep them coming!
I added 1 tsp of cumin and substituted cut up potatoes for corn. I used a whole carton of chicken broth. Overall, good recipe. I think I will add diced jalapeños next time. Easy and healthy.
This was really good. Very easy to make. I did not add add the pepper flakes, but everything else. I will definitely make it again.
So good! My boyfriend has severe acid reflux so anything tomato based is usually a no go, so being able to still have a chili type soup without typical chili is great. So yummy, even my kids ate it. Definitely plan to make again.
I made this for dinner tonight. Easy to make and packed full of flavour. It’s a winner. I will make it again.
We loved this chili! Even my pickiest eater enjoyed it and the spice level was perfect. Not spicy, but just enough flavor in it. We made the Instant Pot version before soccer practice and it was perfect to have when we got home. We’ll definitely be making this again!
The flavors in this recipe were SPOT ON!!!
I did the crockpot served over rice and topped with cheese and cilantro! No substitutions made it exactly to the recipe T. Had plenty of left overs for lunch which is even better! Used organic everything which made it even better! This will be in our recipe rotation!
So happy you liked it, Cheryl! Thank you so much!
This one was a hit! My husband’s only comment was that he wished it had more broth and corn. I threw it in the crockpot and served it over rice and it was absolutely delicious. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be keeping in frequent rotation for quick dinners during the cold months on the horizon!