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Home > Recipes > Dinner

White Chicken Chili

Written by Chrisy | 10/27/19

Dinner Recipes Side chicken soup

This white bean chicken chili is made with tender chicken, homemade chicken broth, roasted poblano chilis, and white cannellini beans. It's total comfort food!

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White Chicken Chili! This white bean chicken chili is made with tender chicken, homemade chicken broth, roasted poblano chilis, and white cannellini beans. It's total comfort food! | HomemadeHooplah.com

About White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili! A white chicken chili recipe made with whole chicken, homemade chicken broth, tender poblano chiles, and flavorful cannellini beans. This chilly weather comfort food will quickly become a new dinner favorite! | HomemadeHooplah.com

This white chicken chili recipeย has opened my eyes, because even though you’d never be able to tell given the other recipes on this site, I’m apparently a big fan of chicken chili.

Growing up, my mother used to make a killer recipe for good ol’ classic chili – a recipe I still hope to pilfer from her kindly ask her to share with me one day – but since I moved to Arizona, the only time I get to have chili is when I happen to be in the right place at the right time for a chili cookoff.

And since I left my office job in July 2014, the likelihood of that happening has dropped significantly.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I picked up The Chili Cookbook by Robb Walsh and decided to try my hand at the tastiest one I could find. Which, it so happens, was the best white chicken chili recipe I’ve ever had.

White Chicken Chili! A white chicken chili recipe made with whole chicken, homemade chicken broth, tender poblano chiles, and flavorful cannellini beans. This chilly weather comfort food will quickly become a new dinner favorite! | HomemadeHooplah.com

If I’m being honest, at first I was a little leery of tackling this recipe, since it involved two things I had never done before: cooking poblano chiles (a food I’ve only just begun to love) and boiling a whole chicken.

I know now that these are both so simple to do, but at the time, I was giving my new recipe book a very skeptical side-eye when I read it in the instructions.

I had to ask myself: do I love these new poblano peppers enough yet to go through the “trouble” of cooking them?

Or, better yet, do I really have to boil a whole chicken?

When I was shopping for ingredients, I even had a long discussion with the man behind the deli counter about the pros and cons of boiling chicken breasts vs the whole chicken.

And In the end, he convinced me that boiling the whole chicken as directed would be so much better – and even gave me some encouraging words about how the cooked chiles would be a night and day difference over anything canned – and you know what?

He was completely right.

White Chicken Chili! A white chicken chili recipe made with whole chicken, homemade chicken broth, tender poblano chiles, and flavorful cannellini beans. This chilly weather comfort food will quickly become a new dinner favorite! | HomemadeHooplah.com

Do you have to make this recipe from scratch?

This particular recipe is designed to be made completely from scratch. I personally recommend doing it this way (the flavor is out of this world) but there are a few substitutions you can make.

Roasted Poblano Peppers – Poblano peppers have a moderately spicy flavor and are fairly easy to roast. However, if it’s too much spice or too much trouble, you can substitute the poblano peppers for cut bell peppers. Just saute them in a skillet with a dash of olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 5-10 minutes.

Homemade Boiled Chicken and Chicken Broth – This recipe also includes instructions on how to make your own boiled chicken and chicken broth, but if you’re pressed for time, you can use pre-cooked chicken (three cups worth) and pre-made chicken broth (8 cups worth).

Cook it all on a stovetop – After all the prep work is done, this chili is cooked quickly on the stovetop in a large stockpot (can use a 6 quart stockpot or a 12 quart stockpot).

How do you thicken white chicken chili?

Since this chili uses chicken broth, it will be a little watery by default. If you’d like a thicker chili, try making a slurry.

Step 1 – Add one or two tablespoons of cornstarch (or flour) to a small bowl.

Step 2 – Take about 1/2 cup of the chicken chili broth and add it to the bowl with the cornstarch.

Step 3 – Use a form to vigorously stir the two together, making sure there are no longer any clumps.

Step 4 – Pour the slurry mixture back into the pot with the chili and stir. If needed, return the pot to the heating unit and slowly warm the chili, stirring frequently, until the chili reaches the desired level of thickness.

If the chili still isn’t thick enough, repeat Steps 1-4.

Notes & tips for this chicken chili recipe

  • If you’ve never cooked poblano chilies, don’t fret! When I made first made this recipe it was also the first time I worked with poblano chilies. It’s so much easier than it sounds!
  • I know it’s been said, but I can’t stress it enough: If you love chili, be sure to pick up The Chili Cookbook by Robb Walsh! This white chicken chili with poblano chilies is just one of the many delicious cooking recipes inside.
  • Make sure you have Ziploc bags (gallon sized) and a deep spaghetti pot (like this 12 quart stockpot) on hand before making this recipe.

More great chicken recipes

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

    Buffalo Chicken Wings

      Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

        Chicken Salad with Grapes

          How to make white chicken chili

          This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If youโ€™re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

          Step 1 – In a 12 quart stockpot, melt together butter and olive oil. Add white onion and garlic, then cook and stir until fragrant.

          • White Chicken Chili Step 1 - Add butter.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 1 - Add olive oil.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 1 - Add onion.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 1 - Add garlic.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 1 - Cook until fragrant.

          Step 2 – Add flour to stockpot, then quickly stir with the veggies until the flour absorbs the butter.

          • White Chicken Chili Step 2 - Add flour.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 2 - Mix and cook.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 2 - Mix and cook.

          Step 3 – Season with cayenne pepper, dried oregano, cumin, salt, and white pepper, then stir to mix.

          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Add cayenne pepper.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Add dried oregano.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Add cumin.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Add salt.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Add white pepper.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 3 - Cook and stir.

          Step 4 – Add the green chilies (whether made from scratch or from a jar), shredded chicken, cannellini beans, and chicken broth, then stir well.

          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Add green chilies.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Add shredded chicken.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Add cannellini beans.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Add chicken broth.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Stir and cook.
          • White Chicken Chili Step 4 - Stir and cook.

          Step 5 – Let cook.

          Step 6 – Serve with Mexican blend cheese and sour cream.

          This post was originally published on March 30, 2016. It was updated with new content on October 27, 2019.

          Recipe Details

          PRINT THIS RECIPE
          RATING:
          4.22 from 14 votes
          White Chicken Chili! This white bean chicken chili is made with tender chicken, homemade chicken broth, roasted poblano chilis, and white cannellini beans. It's total comfort food! | HomemadeHooplah.com

          White Chicken Chili

          This white bean chicken chili is made with tender chicken, homemade chicken broth, roasted poblano chilis, and white cannellini beans. It’s total comfort food!

          Prep: 30 minutes
          Cook: 50 minutes
          Calories: 718 kcal
          Yields: 6 servings

          Ingredients

          • 6 poblano chili peppers or 4 oz canned green chilies
          • 10 cup water
          • 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, any weight *
          • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
          • 2 tbsp olive oil
          • 2 yellow onions chopped
          • 2 tsp garlic minced
          • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
          • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
          • 1 tsp dried oregano
          • 1 tsp cumin ground
          • 1 tsp salt or to taste
          • 1/2 tsp white pepper
          • 43.5 oz cannellini beans (3 14.5 oz cans) rinced and drained
          • 1 cup mexican blend cheese for garnish
          • 1/3 cup sour cream for garnish
          US Customary – Metric

          Instructions

          For Roasting the Poblano Chilies

          1. Set oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Dampen 6 paper towels and have a Ziploc bag (gallon sized)ย handy.

          2. Clean and dry poblano chilies. Arrange the chilies on the prepared baking sheet, then set them in the oven on the topmost rack.
          3. Let chilies cook until skin is blistered and charred, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to let the chilies brown too much. Flip the chilies and let the other side cook to the same level, about another 3-5 minutes.
          4. Take cooked chilies out of the oven and wrap each one in a damp paper towel. Place the wrapped chilies in the zip lock bag, seal it, and allow the chilis to steam for another 10-15 minutes.

          5. Remove chilies from the bag and unwrap the paper towels. The chili skins will likely come loose with the paper towel. For any skin that remains, use a butter knife to scrape them off.
          6. Cut the chilies into strips. Place them back in the Ziploc bag (gallon sized) until ready to use in the chili.

          For the White Chicken Poblano Chili

          1. In a 12 quart stockpot, add water and cut whole chicken. Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes.

          2. Remove chicken from the pot and arrange on a plate to cool for 10 minutes. Reserve 8 cups of the chicken broth from the stockpot and discard the rest. If you are short the 8 cups, just add more water.

          3. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bones and shred with a fork. Meat should remove from bones easily. When finished, you should have at least 3 cups of chicken. Set chicken aside for now.
          4. Clean stockpot, then return to burner. Add butter and olive oil to stockpot and warm over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
          5. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle all-purpose flour over veggies, then stir to coat.
          6. Mix in cayenne pepper, dried oregano, cumin, salt, and white pepper, then stir in cooked & sliced poblano chilies, chicken, cannellini beans, and the 8 cups of reserved chicken broth.
          7. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

          8. Serve chili immediately with Mexican blend cheese and sour cream for garnish.

          Recipe Notes

          * Use any weight of chicken that you prefer. For this recipe, you should have at least 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken, but more is okay.

          Recipe adapted from The Chili Cookbook by Robb Walsh.

          Nutrition

          718kcal | Fat: 41g | Saturated fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 1230mg | Potassium: 559mg | Carbohydrates: 44g | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Protein: 46g | Vitamin A: 1140% | Vitamin C: 100.7% | Calcium: 451% | Iron: 6.8%
          I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

          Made this recipe?

          I’d love to see what you whipped up! Post it on Facebook or Instagram and tag @HomemadeHooplah or use the hashtag #HomemadeHooplah!
          Recipe shared by Chrisy

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          Dinner Recipes Side chicken soup

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          Reader Interactions

          Comments

          1. Melanie @ Gather for Bread
            03/30/16
            Reply

            That looks amazing. I love white chicken chili, especially with cornbread!

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              Thanks Melanie!

          2. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)
            03/31/16
            Reply

            Once you start roasting your own peppers, you can never go back! I love, love, LOVE poblanos, too. Smoky and rich flavor without too much bite–they’re perfect for just about any dish!

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              Exactly Dee Dee! I’ve started to keep roasted poblanos on hand in the fridge – they’re good on so many things ๐Ÿ˜€

          3. Alisa Fleming
            03/31/16
            Reply

            It’s been years since I’ve made a white chicken chili, and this one looks amazing. I’ve never roasted peppers for chili specifically -will need to give that a try.

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              Thanks Alisa! Roasting the poblanos is so worth it ๐Ÿ˜€

          4. Joanie @ ZagLeft
            03/31/16
            Reply

            I love white chicken chili and your version looks and sounds amazing. I honestly could eat this year round!

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              Thanks Joanie!

          5. Nutmeg Nanny
            03/31/16
            Reply

            LOVING the look of this soup. It’s so packed full of goodness.

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you!

          6. Megan @ Meg is Well
            04/04/16
            Reply

            I’ve come to believe that poblano peppers are magical. They add such awesome flavor to anything, but especially soups. The broth in the pictures looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this.

            • Chrisy
              04/04/16
              Reply

              Thank you Megan! ๐Ÿ˜€

          7. Lisle
            04/09/16
            Reply

            What ever formatting you’ve used makes it next to impossible to copy and edit instructions to save in a tidy format. I’m bummed.

            • Lisle
              04/10/16
              Reply

              I figured it out, and am happily editing the recipe. Very tasty, enjoyed!

          8. Elaine
            04/09/16
            Reply

            At what point do you put the shredded chicken back in? I couldn’t see it

            • Chrisy
              04/13/16
              Reply

              Thank you for catching that Elaine! It’s the most important ingredient and I somehow forgot to write it in. The recipe has been updated ๐Ÿ™‚

          9. Melody
            10/19/16
            Reply

            I made this a few weeks ago and it was a hit! The only changes I made was using a rotisserie chicken instead of boiling one, only because I am not a fan of boiled chicken and I used Knorr chicken bouillon. It was fantastic and it’s going into my recipe book!

            • Chrisy
              10/24/16
              Reply

              Thank you for writing in, Melody! I’m so glad everyone liked it ๐Ÿ˜€

          10. Sarah
            01/15/17
            Reply

            Could you do this in a slow cooker? I’m planning on making this today! ๐Ÿ™‚

            • Chrisy
              02/09/17
              Reply

              Hey Sarah, sorry for the super late reply! I haven’t tried making this soup in a crock pot, so I’m not sure offhand. If you tried it, I’d love to know the results!

          11. Shirley D
            08/18/19
            Reply

            Since itโ€™s Hatch chili season, I used mild Hatch chiliโ€™s in lieu of the poblanos. Also cooked my chicken in Instant pot. Was delicious.

          12. ANNETTE
            10/29/19
            Reply

            Please add videos with the your recipes for a quicker how to โ€ฆ.

            Thank you

          Leave a Reply to Melody Cancel reply

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