This healthy white bean chicken chili recipe is a favorite for the cold months! It is hearty, warming, packed with tons of flavor and incredibly delicious. Plus, it is super simple to prepare. Topped with creamy avocado and crunchy tortilla chips, this easy white bean chicken chili is the perfect meal for cozy days at home!
I feel like chili recipes and cold weather simply belong together. Because I just can’t imagine anything better than being snuggled up on the couch and having a delicious, warming and intensely flavored chili while it’s cold outside. And this white bean chicken chili has definitely been a must these past few days! Because it really is incredibly delish and has the most amazing broth ever. The best part: it is super easy to prepare AND it is healthy. So no need to spend all day in the kitchen. Just whip up this easy white bean chicken chili and enjoy your cozy days at home.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for making this white bean chicken chili recipe are very simple, but incredibly powerful. The most important part is using all of the spices as they give this dish most of its flavor and a lot of depth. Because remember, this is not just a chili. This is the best white bean chicken chili! Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Chicken breast. The chicken breast is used to make delicious shredded chicken for the chili.
- White beans. I used cannellini beans, but other types would work well, too.
- Frozen corn.
- Yellow onion.
- Garlic.
- Canned mild green chiles (diced). You’ll usually find 4 oz cans of diced green chiles. They are perfect for this recipe!
- Spices. This is where the culinary magic happens! The spices that make this the best white bean chicken chili are dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder (trust me!) and chili powder. If you want to give this chili an extra spicy kick, add a bit of cayenne pepper, too.
- Chicken broth.
- Lime. The chili tastes great even without a lime wedge, but I still recommend not skipping it. It just balances out all the flavors in a nice and delicious way.
- Toppings. This is where you can be creative! I love avocado, fresh cilantro and crunchy tortilla chips, but feel free to adjust things and add your own toppings. And definitely let me know in the comments what your favorite toppings are! I am always in for exciting and new tasty ideas!
How to make the best white bean chicken chili
Making this healthy white bean chicken chili is super easy and simple. Here are the steps:
- Sauté the aromatics. Preheat a pot with some olive oil or avocado oil over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic, diced onion and diced chiles until the onion is translucent.
- Add the spices. Next, add the spices and sauté for 1 minute to toast the spices.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken broth, chicken breast and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot and let everything simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Make white bean puree. While the chili simmers, add one can of white beans and some chicken broth to a food processor to make a white bean puree.
- Shred the chicken and simmer. When the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the pot, shred it with two forks, and add it back to the pot. Add the white bean puree and corn to the chili and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings and lime wedges.
Storage tips
Besides being a favorite for cozy Sundays at home, this healthy white bean chicken chili is also perfect for meal prep and busy weeknights! You can easily prepare a large batch and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Refrigerator: You can store the chili for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: You can freeze the white bean chicken chili for up to 3 months.
More hearty and healthy soups and stews
Soups and stews should definitely be on your cooking rotation when it gets cold outside! Here are some of my favorites you might love:
- Easy Beef Chili
- Classic Stovetop Beef Stew
- Vegetable Lentil Soup
- Cozy Chicken Soup
- Creamy Carrot Potato Soup
Best White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can mild green chiles
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cups chicken broth save ½ cup for making the white bean puree
- 1 lb chicken breast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cans white beans
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- lime wedges, tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a pot with avocado or olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, diced onion and green chiles to the pot and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Then, add the spices to the pot and sauté 1 more minute to toast the spices.
- Now, add the chicken broth (save ½ cup of the chicken broth!), chicken breast and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- While the chili simmers, add 1 can of white beans and ½ cup of the chicken broth to a food processor and blend until you have a creamy white bean puree.
- When the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the pan, shred it with two forks and add it back to the chili. Now add the white bean puree, white beans and corn to the pot, cover it with the lid and let the chili simmer for 10 minutes.
- Check if you need more salt and pepper. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings and a lime wedge.
Notes
- I used cannellini beans to make this recipe, but any type of white beans should work.
- This white chicken chili is on the mild side so anyone can enjoy it. If you want a slightly spicier version, add some cayenne pepper.
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