I have other White Chicken Chili recipes here, so I’m not really sure how I got inspired to make this one. A hint of fall coming, maybe? Yep. I said it. Fall. I’m not too happy about fall coming but I’m glad I made this Easy White Chicken Chili. It’s seriously delish.

Easy White Chicken Chili

I know it’s August now, but sometimes here in the Twin Cities, we can get a few cold, blustery days towards the end of the month or the beginning of September. It never lasts, though, but you can def feel a taste of what’s to come.

About Easy White Chicken Chili:

One of the nice things about a white chili is it seems lighter than standard old red chili and feels like it can span the seasons. This chili is especially nice. It’s not as rich as my Creamy White Chicken Chili and definitely not as serious as my Chipotle White Bean & Chicken Chili. And it’s a little more comforting and a lot quicker than my Slow Cooker/Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.

So not only is there always room for one more White Chicken Chili, each has its own personality and place in my repertoire. The recipe is basically a chicken version of Colorado Green Chili like I learned to make from my years in that state. I never really even had a recipe until I worked this one up, it’s so easy! I did add some beans though for a hearty meal and just a touch more spice just to bring it up to date.

This is just simple, down-home deliciousness with a lot of flavors and just a hint of heat from the green chiles and a bit of the bite from the chili powder. Choose your heat level ranging from the milder Ancho to the zippy Chipotle powder. If you’re a follower, you know which one I chose! Yep. Both, lol!!

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Making Easy White Chicken Chili:

This is really a super simple easy recipe. As a matter of fact, to make it even easier, I usually start with leftover chicken. It’s one of my favorite cook a little extra earlier in the week to have a head start on dinner kind of recipes. I give you instructions to start from scratch with raw chicken, too, so no worries if you’re not sitting on a stash of cooked chicken!

Easy White Chicken Chili uses canned beans for two reasons: One coz it’s easy, and the other for the starch residue in the canned product. I rinse two of the cans of beans but leave two unrinsed. That’s going to add a good amount of body to your chili without a big investment in time. I like this particular chili nice and thick but there is a range of beans and liquid in the recipe so you can go lighter if you wish.

Garnish with your fave items, cheese, sour cream and whatever else suits your fancy. And you can’t go wrong serving this with tortillas or even better, a little cornbread. It will really make this chili feel like a meal.

Saving Money on Easy White Chicken Chili:

Make sure to know your price ranges on any chicken you buy. You’ll find it often drops to a low about once a quarter wit multiple sales that aren’t quite as good. Keep track of it for a while so you’ll know what’s a good sale and fabulous one and stock up at the low. I usually repackage into sizes for my family so it’s really easy to pull out just what I need.

If you cook your own beans, you’ll save a little on this recipe. A pound of beans is about the equivalent of three cans.

Easy White Chicken Chili

Easy White Chicken Chili

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound cooked shredded boneless chicken breast (see note)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder for some heat, or ancho for a milder taste
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
• 3 to 4 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, 2 rinsed and drained, the other(s) drained but not rinsed and any starchy residue from the can added (see note)
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth or the equivalent of homemade
• 1/2 to 1 cup water
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup sour cream

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Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering, add onion to the pan. Cook for several minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, a minute more. Stir in cumin, and chili powders, and cook until mixture looks dry, a minute or two.

Add the green chilis, beans, chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. With a potato masher, mash beans to desired consistency. If desired, add a little water to bring to a preferred consistency. Add chicken and simmer gently for about 10 more minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning.  Garnish with sour cream, cheese, cilantro and green onions.

Any leftover chili may need to be thinned a bit with water when being reheated as the chili will thicken a bit upon standing.

Notes:

• If you do not have any cooked chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken breast and poach in the chicken broth until done and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from broth to cool. shred and set aside. Measure the broth and add a little water to bring it back up to 14 ounces, then use it in the recipe as directed.
• The starchy, salty beans add a thickness to the chili. If you’re watching your sodium intake, feel free to rinse.

Keywords: Bargain Meal of the Week, Beans, canned beans, Chicken, Chili, Freezes Well, Green Chili, leftover Chicken, Mexican or Southwestern, Soup, white chicken chili

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I’m toting this recipe over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #185, hosted this week by Suzanne @ apuginthekitchen and Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes. I encourage you to take a second or two, click over to the party and see what it’s about. Angie has one of the most amazing link-ups and it’s so much fun to see what the bloggers are making each week.