This white ground chicken chili is a delicious twist on my classic white bean chicken chili. It is super flavorful, packed with nourishing ingredients, and very easy to prepare, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
This white ground chicken chili recipe is perfect for anyone who loves a classic white chicken chili! It is spicy, flavorful, and super easy to make. Plus, it uses very simple ingredients.
If you prefer making a classic chili with a tomato-based broth, I recommend checking out my turkey pumpkin chili and classic beef chili. They are also super easy to make and perfect for a cozy dinner at home during fall and winter!
White Ground Chicken Chili Ingredients
To make this white ground chicken chili, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Ground chicken: You'll need ground chicken for this recipe. If you can't find ground chicken, you can use ground turkey.
- White beans: You'll also need canned white beans or dried beans that were soaked. I like to use a combination of white beans, but any type of white bean works for this recipe!
- Vegetables: You'll need bell pepper and corn for this recipe. If there are other vegetables that you'd like to use, feel free to add them. I recommend using either yellow or green bell peppers.
- Aromatics: To make this white ground chicken chili spicy and flavorful, you'll need garlic, onion, and canned diced green chiles. If you want to make this chili very spicy, feel free to use pickled jalapeños instead of mild green chiles.
- Liquid: You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or a combination of both. I usually use chicken broth or a combination when I make white chicken chili.
- Spices: You'll need dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder, and chili powder (American spice blend, not ground chiles) for this recipe. If you prefer your chili spicy, you can add some cayenne pepper.
- Toppings (optional): Adding toppings is optional but I believe that it makes any chili taste so much better! You could use avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, or tortilla chips. Lime wedges are also great for serving this white chicken chili.
How to make this white ground chicken chili
Sauté all aromatics. First, preheat some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Then add all aromatics and sauté until the onion turns translucent.
Cook the ground chicken. Next, add the ground chicken and continue to sauté until the ground chicken is fully browned. Season with salt and pepper.
Season. Now add all seasonings and continue to sauté until fragrant.
Simmer. Next, add the chicken broth, bell pepper, white beans, and corn to the pot. Make sure to save one can of beans and some chicken broth. Stir, cover the pot, and let everything simmer for 20 minutes.
Prepare the white bean puree. While the chili simmers, prepare the white bean puree by blending the reserved white beans and chicken broth in a food processor. Then add the white bean puree to the chili and stir.
Finish and serve. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve the white ground chicken chili with toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- If you prefer a spicy chili, I recommend using spicy pickled jalapeños and/or cayenne pepper when making this white ground chicken chili. The recipe that you'll find in the recipe box is mild to moderately spicy, so definitely add one of these two ingredients if you prefer your chili spicy.
- If you prefer a thick broth that isn't soupy, blend one more can of beans. I prefer a white chicken chili that isn't too thick, so I blend only one can. But if you prefer it thicker, make sure to use more canned beans for the puree.
- If the chili has too much liquid, let it simmer without the lid until it's perfect. The recipe should be perfect as is, but your preferences may be different. So feel free to let the chili simmer without a lid.
Variations
- Use another type of protein. You could use ground turkey or crumbled tofu (also great for making this dish vegan!).
- Replace the vegetables with other vegetables of your choice. I really like this combination of vegetables but feel free to use other vegetables that you may love.
How to serve this white ground chicken chili
- Add some additional carbs to your meal. Bread and rice are really delicious when enjoyed with this chilI!
- Add some toppings to your serving. They make this white chicken chili extra fun and delicious! You could use avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, or tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'd say that it's mild to moderately spicy. So if you prefer a little more heat, feel free to use spicy pickled jalapeños, fresh chili peppers, or cayenne pepper when making this dish.
The broth is not super thin but at the same time, it's not thick. I love the recipe as is, but you may want to use more bean puree if you prefer your white chicken chili thicker.
The best way to thicken white chicken chili is by using more white beans when making the white bean puree. If the chili has too much liquid for your taste, you can also let it simmer without the lid.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. Also, this chili freezes really well! So be sure to make a few extra servings and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More simple and delicious soups and stews
If you are looking for more warming soups and stews that you can make, I recommend checking out the following recipes!
- Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- German Sausage Lentil Soup
- White Bean and Kale Soup
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Spicy Mexican-Style Chicken Soup
White Ground Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 7-ounce can chopped mild green chiles or chopped jalapeños for a spicy chili
- 1 pound ground chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder American spice blend, not ground chiles
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 bell pepper yellow, orange, or green; diced
- 2 14-ounce cans white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen or canned corn
- toppings (optional) avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, lime wedges
Instructions
- First, preheat some olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Then add all aromatics and sauté until the onion turns translucent.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 7-ounce can chopped mild green chiles
- Next, add the ground chicken and continue to sauté until it is fully browned. Season with salt and pepper.1 pound ground chicken, salt and pepper
- Now add all seasonings and continue to sauté until fragrant.½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon curry powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder
- Add the chicken broth (save ½ cup!), bell pepper, beans (save 1 can!), and corn to the pot. Stir, cover, and let the chili simmer for 20 minutes.3 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 bell pepper, 2 14-ounce cans white beans, 1 ½ cups frozen or canned corn
- While the chili simmers, add the reserved chicken broth and beans to a food processor. Blend until creamy. Then pour the white bean puree into the pot and stir.
- Check the seasoning and adjust to taste. Then serve and garnish the white ground chicken chili with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!toppings (optional)
Cindy
Absolutely delicious as written. Pureeing the beans is brilliant - adds depth to the broth. Might decrease the liquid a little next time - or stir in sour cream (?) to thicken a little - only to meet my family’s preferences for a thicker soup.
Beri
Hi Cindy, I'm really happy that you liked the recipe! And decreasing the liquid or adding sour cream are both great options for thickening the chili. 😊
shannon
Excellent. Made as written.
Beri
Hi Shannon, I'm super happy that you loved this recipe! 😊
Meri
I made this for dinner tonight. The only change I made was leaving out the coriander because I didn't have any. I haven't usually liked chicken chili, but this was delicious. This recipe will be used again at our house. Thanks
Beri
Hi Meri, I'm super happy that you liked this recipe! 😊 And thank you for leaving such a kind comment!
Lou
I've never liked white chili. I'm allergic to tomato's found out a couple of yrs ago it was causing so many problems with my mouth and insides. How close to "chicken chili " does this taste. I miss chili so much. I'd love nothing more then to find a chili i could love ❤️ 😍 again without tomato's of course.
Beri
Hi Lou, it's hard to tell as this recipe uses very different ingredients compared to a classic chili. But it uses spices that you'd find in a tomato-based chili and I find it very delicious. Hope this helps! 😊
Siyay
Very yummy! Seasoned the chicken with Weber brand "kick'n chicken" gluten free seasoning. I didn't have white beans, so I used a can of each chickpeas and black beans. Also didn't feel like dirtying the processor lol so I used a can of unsweetened coconut milk. Also didn't have coriander. I added sliced green olives and diced butternut squash chunks, because I don't have any bell peppers or green chilies. Also added paprika and turmeric. This is so delicious!! Very customizable and versatile. Thanks for the recipe!
Siyay
I meant to add that I'm not loving the cumin. Will probably leave it out next time. Hence the 4-star rating. Otherwise, chef's kiss *muah*
Beri
Hi Siyay, I'm happy that you found a way to adjust the recipe using the ingredients you had on hand. 😊
Beverly
You didn’t use her recipe at all! With all your substitutions you made up your very own recipe!
Siyay
Forgot to say that I also only used 2 cups of chicken broth and it was more than enough liquid. Might take it down to just one or 1.5 cups next time!
Jp
Perfect meal on a cold winter’s day. Came together really quickly. Thank you for sharing! This will be my go to recipe for chicken chili!
Beri
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! 😊