It's easy to cook a big pot of this award winning white chicken chili, and it's the absolute best! Tender chicken, chilies, white beans, spices and a few more goodies in this winning recipe.
Winning the office chili contest is an annual objective for my husband. Eddie has a really great, very meaty chili recipe that he's been perfecting over time. Last year Eddie's chili took first place and time before he came in second. In both cases the contest was decided by one vote and in both cases the other contender was his colleague Dean.
When Dean's white chicken chili took first place, Eddie came home with his empty pot a bit dispirited by his second place status but couldn't stop raving about the winning chili. I said "let's invite Dean over for chili -- his chili!"
THE BEST White Chicken Chili Ever!!!
Dean came over and cooked chili for us and it was INCREDIBLE - rich, creamy, flavorful, loaded with tender chicken and white beans, and just the right amount of heat. Easy to see why this chili is always a favorite at the office chili cook-off.
How to make Award Winning White Chicken Chili:
There are multiple layers of delicious flavor and spice in Dean's white chicken chili. The first layer is baked right into the chicken.
Cumin, chile powder, a bit of cayenne and salt are spread over boneless chicken breasts and they go into a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes.
While they bake you can get the rest of the chili cooking - onions, garlic, beans, broth, chili peppers, spices.
The cooked chicken is shredded and simmered for a bit with everything else.
Then, for the final (knock-your-socks-off) layer, shredded cheese and sour cream get stirred into the mix. And the result is truly spectacular! This white chicken chili is one of those savor-every-bite kind of dishes.
Now, I have to admit that I tweaked Dean's recipe the tiniest bit in this area of cheese and sour cream. I stayed with the quantity of cheese and sour cream that Dean prescribed but I only added half of each into the soup. I left the other half for adding as a garnish. My reasoning for doing this?
- Firstly, after I made this chili a few times and experimented a bit, I discovered that it's still totally amazing with only half the cheese and sour cream.
- Secondly, I love adding exciting garnishes to the top of my chili, so better to reserve lots of cheese and sour cream for that.
I can also appreciate that many of you may want to follow Dean's white chicken chili recipe to the T and so I've explained how you can do that, if you wish. Delirious food happiness will be yours no matter which version you choose.
Dean and Eddie have been work associates for many years, and over that time he and his wife Kathy have become our friends. But even as a friend, Dean was extremely generous to share his secret winning white chicken chili recipe with us and with the world (PTG's followers).
I am so appreciative! Also, how about a friend who you invite to dinner and he brings all the groceries and does all the cooking? Dean is the best! Thank you Dean!
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Dean's white chicken chili is great for a crowd and just the thing for Sunday football.
It's also perfect if you're looking for a delicious festive dish that you can make ahead. It will keep for several days in the fridge. Just remember to reheat it slowly and gently.
Exciting news flash - Eddie's award-winning pork and beef chili recipe is now on the blog!
Also, check out Eddie's other great recipes on Panning The Globe: Eddie's olive bread, Eddie's linzertorte, Eddie's Swinging Sultan Cocktail, and Eddie's Perfect Manhattan, Eddie's Basil Vodka Gimlet
Here's the recipe for Dean's award winning white chicken chili. If you make it I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment and let us know how it turned out!
PrintRecipe
Award Winning White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Spicy and delicious white chicken chili!
Adapted from Dean's Award Winning Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chile powder,*divided
- 3 tablespoons cumin, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 3 cups chopped onion (2 medium)
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic or more if you love garlic (4-5 large cloves)
- 3 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
- 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles (hot or mild, depending on your preference)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 4-6 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 6 cups shredded cheese, divided (half Monterey Jack, half cheddar)
- 2 cups sour cream, divided
- Garnish:
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Your favorite hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- • A note on chili powder: One of my secrets to great chili is to use two or three different chili powders for a great depth of flavor. For this chili I used New Mexican and Chipotle chile powders.
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Instructions
- Spice and Roast the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread chicken out in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch or two of cayenne. Roast for 30 minutes. Shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- Cook the Chili: In a large pot heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until tender. Add beans, shredded chicken, chilies, oregano, 2 tablespoons chile powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or more, to taste). Add 4 cups of chicken broth, reserving the rest for thinning the chili to your desired consistency. Stir to combine and simmer gently on low for 20 minutes. (to keep the chicken tender, do not let the pot boil)
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes or so before proceeding. With the pot still off the heat, stir 3 cups of cheese into the pot, 1 cup at a time. Then stir in 1 cup of sour cream. (Or for Dean's richer, creamier version, add all 6 cups of cheese to the pot and 2 cups of sour cream) Bring the pot back to a gentle simmer over low heat (to keep the dairy products from separating, don't boil). Simmer the chili for 15-20 minutes, adjusting with additional chicken broth, if you like. A method I like to use for great added texture is to use a potato-masher in the pot to mash half the chicken and beans. Then stir to combine with the rest.
- Serve chili in bowls with garnishes on top or on the side.
Notes
- Nutritional information for this white chicken chili recipe is calculated assuming you're following the lighter version of the recipe.
- Nutrition Information shown is an estimate calculated by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
[Originally published January 2016. Updated September 2018. Same delicious recipe with added nutritional information]
kayla
I am all set and ready to cook this recipe but i thought that i had to roast the peppers. Would that work? or should i just dice and cook?
Lisa
Hi Kayla. The recipe calls for canned chopped green chilies. Canned chilies are already roasted, seeded and peeled.If you have those, there's no need to roast them. If you're using fresh raw green chilies, you'd do well to roast them, peel and deseed them, and then chop them and add them. I hope you enjoy the chili!
Nancy
My chicken breast were not done in 30 mins. I cooked it an additional 30 min?
Lisa
Hi Nancy. Sounds like you fixed the problem, but also the chicken doesn't have to be completely cooked through in the oven because it is further cooked in the pot. I hope you enjoyed the chili!
Christy
This was the best White Chicken Chili I have ever made. The hubby approved!
Lorretta
Delicious! Keeping this recip
e.
Janet
This recipe is easy and sooo good!! My whole family loves it. It’s going into our regular rotation. Thank you!!
Ed
I have tried all sorts of white chicken chili recipes and this was the best by far. I made it exactly per the recipe and it was a huge hit at the socially distanced gathering we had last weekend with two other couples. I was asked for the recipe and was able to send along this link. Thanks so much!
Kristin
How well does this Chili freeze? Looking to make my dad some freezer meals where all he needs to do is heat up. Thanks!
Lisa
It freezes well, Kristin! Reheat it gently to keep the dairy from separating. I hope your dad enjoys!!
Andrea R.
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS!! I cut the recipe in half since Were just a 2-person household and I only had 2 chicken breasts. My only alteration was adding a jalapeño and some hot pepper sauce I had on hand, and also added about a 1/4 cup of masa since that’s what I do with my beef chili. I look forward to having some for lunch today!
Deb
Could this be made the day before and reheated in a crockpot for a neighborhood potluck?
Lisa
Definitely!
Checka
I read all the comments before I posted to make sure this hadn't been asked yet. It hasn't been that I could see...probably because it's an odd question! LOL!! We have bean lovers and bean haters in the family. This will be my first attempt at making a white chili. With my red chili I heat up the beans and put them with the other "Fixin's" and bean lovers just add them in and everyone is happy. I noticed you're recommending mashing half the beans to help create a nice thick chili consistency. Can you give me your thoughts and advice on making this without incorporating the beans into the cooking of the dish? How "soupy" or thin would it be without beans? Any suggestions to off set this? Thank you so much!
Lisa
I love that you're trying to make everyone happy. Adding the beans in with the other fixins is brilliant! I do think the chili might be too thin without something. I have a couple of ideas for you to add some body to the chili: 1. Add a handful or two of crushed tortilla chips or a tablespoon or two of cornmeal or masa harina. 2. Use a potato masher or an immersion blender, to mash some of the chicken and chilies. I hope this helps! Let me know 🙂
Checka
Brilliant! I'll see how it goes together and make the call from there. I like the tortilla chips idea or the corn meal. I'll definitely mash up some of the chicken and chilis like it's my job!! This is for a family birthday on Saturday, so I'll let you know how it goes! Thank you so much for your quick response!! 🙂
Checka
As promised, I’m back for an update. I decided to take a can of the white beans and puree them in the food processor. I stirred them into the pot and it did thicken up. The result was delicious and everyone enjoyed it. I even got a recipe request! Thank you!!!
Lisa
Great work! I'm glad it was enjoyed by all. Thank you for letting me know!
Vicki
Best white chicken chili I’ve ever made. I was so sad that I couldn’t find this recipe again - until today - when I found it in my recipe folder on my ipad! Making it tonight and my husband is so excited because this is his FAVORITE chili recipe ever - he even called his friends and bragged that this is what we are having tonight ???????? Next time will also try your ground turkey version because that sounds delicious as well! Thanks for the great recipe!
Valerie Bethel
This was absolutely delicious! I’m writing this review while my husband goes to get seconds! I added a little bit of fresh jalapeño and topped with sour cream, cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and a little bit of cilantro. I also cheated and used store bought shredded chicken (the fresh kind from the deli) it worked just fine. I only changed because I have 2 babies and zero time.
Brenda
FANTASTIC!!! I have officially tossed out all other White Chili recipes. This is the only one you need. Couldn’t wait for soup and stew season to roll around again so I can crack this one out again. Thank you so much for sharing.
Maria
Has anyone tried using chicken thighs rather than breasts? My family loves chicken thighs.
Thanks, Maria
Lisa
Hi Maria, I haven't tried this with chicken thighs but I bet it would be delicious. I agree with your family. Chicken thighs are the best!
Jamie Steffen
Wondering if you have any thoughts on making this a crockpot recipe?
Tracy
I am planning to make this a week ahead and freeze it until the night before we eat it. I’m wondering if I should wait to add the sour cream and cheese until I thaw and reheat in the slow cooker or if it would work to add it all, freeze, thaw and reheat?
Lisa
Hi Tracy, Though I've had success freezing the completed chili, freezing dairy is always a little risky. I like the idea of freezing the chili without the cheese and sour cream and then adding all the dairy when you reheat it in the slow cooker. That should work well. I hope you enjoy!
Tracy
Thank you Lisa! That’s is what I chose to do. I tasted it without the dairy prior to cooling and freezing and it was already delicious! I can’t wait to share this with my friends next weekend!
Gayle
Incredible recipe. One of my all time faves
Lisa
So happy to hear that Gayle! I really appreciate that you took the time to leave a rating and a comment. 🙂
candice
Amazing! Always get rave reviews whenever I make this recipe.. Thanks for sharing.
Brooke W
This is the absolute best white chicken chili I've ever made OR had. It is regularly requested by the family, especially when we have guests. (Making it for the um-teenth time tonight!)
I loved the suggestion to mix up the types of chili powders, because that makes a huge difference in depth! I made the lighter version, but reserve the remaining three cups of cheese for people to choose to top theirs with more. Absolutely DELICIOUS.
Thank you, author.
Lisa
Hi Brooke, I'm so happy to know you and your family and friends are enjoying the chili so much! I always make the lighter version too 🙂 I really appreciate that you came back to leave a comment. Happy cooking!