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!”
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!
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 and let us know how it turned out!
PrintAward Winning White Chicken Chili
Spicy and delicious white chicken chili!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
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
- 1/2 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.
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, 1/2 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, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 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.
Keywords: chicken, chili, white beans
[Originally published January 2016. Updated September 2018. Same delicious recipe with added nutritional information]
Vicki Edwards
June 28, 2018 at 6:59 pmi want to make this chili, can I freeze it
Lisa
June 29, 2018 at 5:29 amYes Vicki. It freezes well. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat it gently so it never comes to a boil. Enjoy!
Tammy
March 27, 2018 at 4:18 pmHave you ever tried this in a slow cooker?
Lisa
March 28, 2018 at 12:34 pmI haven’t, mostly because it doesn’t need to cook for very long.
RayMingaHammondIN
March 13, 2018 at 2:34 pmI am trying this tonight! My husband and I are tired of eating the same old stuff. We are branching out, in the house of course. When I mentioned White Chili he chuckled and said “this should be interesting”. I will let you know how it turns out!!
Lisa
March 14, 2018 at 1:02 pmGreat. Can’t wait to hear!!
Kori-Lee Dymond
March 1, 2018 at 10:45 amI won first prize for this chili. I was a MAJOR hit. I doubled the recipe, and was a little worried that would muck the taste up, but it didn’t! It was the best chili I had ever made and ever tasted.
Everyone raved over it.
Thank you for sharing it!
KD
Lisa
March 1, 2018 at 11:02 amWoo hoo!! Congratulations!!! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the chili and that you won!
Krissy
February 22, 2018 at 2:24 pmI plan on making this recipe soon. I was wondering if the chili would be too liquidy if I only used 1.5lbs of chicken? I plan to follow the rest of the recipe as is… except when seasoning the chicken I would use a little less spice. What do you think?
Lisa
February 25, 2018 at 11:13 amHmmm. If you’re using half the amount of chicken specified, you might want to simply cut the recipe in half. That would be the best bet in my opinion. But if you want to go ahead with the recipe as is, at least hold off on some of the chicken broth until you see the consistency of the chili. Maybe add 2 cups of broth instead of 4 and then adjust with more broth towards the end of the cooking time (see step 3 in the recipe). I hope you enjoy!
Sharon
February 9, 2018 at 4:49 pmCan I substitute the sour cream with anything else? Trying to make this clean recipe.
★★★★★
Lisa
February 10, 2018 at 2:35 amHi Sharon, I usually opt for Greek yogurt to sub for sour cream. It’s got that nice thick and creamy consistency and a sour taste. I think that would work well. I suggest using whole milk yogurt for best results. Since yogurt has less fat than sour cream it’s a little more likely to curdle. So you may want to stir it in at the very end and heat the chili very gently. Here’s an great article for you to read on the subject https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-how-to-substitute-yogurt-for-sour-cream-tips-from-the-kitchn-219130 I hope you enjoy the chili. Let me know!
Erin
February 2, 2018 at 1:09 pmLia, I need to make 8 quarts of Chili for a soup exchange. Do you know if I should double this recipe or about how much one batch will make quart wise?
Lisa
February 2, 2018 at 3:50 pmErin I’m not sure of the exact amount but I’d guess the recipe makes at least 4 quarts and maybe 5. I think you’d be safe to double it.
Courtney
February 1, 2018 at 4:25 pmI’m entering this in my workplace chili cook off tomorrow! Wish me luck! I’ve nade this before and i use a rotisserie chicken from Costco instead of roasting my own. Faster and just as tasty!!
Lisa
February 1, 2018 at 4:56 pmBest of luck to you in the cook-off! Let me know!!
Cheryl
January 31, 2018 at 11:21 amMake no this Sunday. Did you use cumin seed or ground cumin?
Lisa
February 1, 2018 at 9:58 amGround cumin. Sorry it wasn’t clear. I hope you enjoy the chili.
Hellen
January 20, 2018 at 5:49 pmThank you very much for this recipe, l made this chili for a chili cook-off charity event, l did not win but everybody said it was the best chili, some were coming for seconds. Highly complimented. May do it again next year. Like someone said, be gentle on the spices, l did just that.
★★★★★
Mrs.AAP
January 4, 2018 at 1:47 pmFirst time making a white chili and this is def a keeper. Tasty, easy to prepare and cook time is reasonable for a busy person. Having this for dinner tonight.
Thanks for the share.
★★★★★
CK
December 4, 2017 at 12:55 pmThis recipe has been a hit with family and friends. Thank you!
★★★★★
Lisa
December 7, 2017 at 4:07 amI’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for checking back to let us know.
Alex
November 7, 2017 at 9:57 pmI made this tonight and had a hard time getting the cheese to blend well into the broth… it almost was too liquid with chunks of cheese engulfing the chicken, even after stirring incessantly. Any suggestions? It’s in the fridge now as I am reheating for a few hours in a crockpot tomorrow at work before a chili cook off. (I was hoping the slow reheating with occasional stirring may help blend all together for a creamier texture… possibly the addition of some cornstarch?) Thanks for any insight!
★★★★★
Lisa
November 8, 2017 at 2:09 amI’m not sure what’s going on with your chili. Is it possible the chili was still simmering on the stove when you added the cheese? Too much heat can have a negative effect of tightening the cheese into hard pieces, rather than gently melting it. In any event, we’ve got to save the chili before your cook off! Any chancy you can scoop out most of the cheese clumps and go out and buy new cheese? Even if it’s time consuming, it’s probably your best bet. To add the cheese, heat the soup up, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then stir in the cheese. It should melt perfectly. Fingers crossed for you. Let me know!
Janet B.
November 5, 2017 at 12:54 amThis is absolutely delicious!!! Was easy and fast
Just perfect on a cold, rainy fall night. Picky
Hubs loved it.
★★★★★
Fawn Staten
November 4, 2017 at 3:30 pmI can’t thank you enough for posting this incredible recipe. I woke up early this morning to make this before my boyfriend woke up and the delectable smells made him rise early from bed. This was the first time I made chili ever in my life and I can’t see me trying any other recipe. It was absolutely amazing, and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Molly
November 1, 2017 at 9:04 amFirst, this is the best chicken chili I’ve ever had. Second, I think you can still further decrease the sour cream and cheese and make it delicious. I used lite sour cream and just 1 1/2 cups of cheese. It was a little liquidy – probably because it didn’t have the extra cheese and sour cream – but I think you could either decrease the amount of broth or add a little cornstarch to thicken it up. I can’t wait to eat this again for dinner tonight!
★★★★★
Kristi C
October 31, 2017 at 4:12 pmI used your recipe as a base in our work annual chili cook-off and came in 2nd! I used some roasted peppers from our garden instead of canned and then added some corn to the mix too. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Rose
October 13, 2017 at 3:20 pmThis looks delicious! I would love to try Eddie’s award-winning pork and beef chili recipe too though!
Lisa
October 15, 2017 at 6:46 amThanks Rose. I agree with you – Eddie should post his chili recipe. I’m going to work on making that happen!
Eddie
December 12, 2017 at 4:28 amNo sooner said than done!
https://www.panningtheglobe.com/eddies-award-winning-chili/
Hope you enjoy!
Terra Braniff
October 12, 2017 at 12:55 pmHow can you make this in a crock pot instead of on the stove?
Lisa
October 15, 2017 at 6:53 amI don’t think this is a good dish for cooking in a crock pot because it isn’t a long-cooking kind of dish. If you’re short on time and want to get this on the table quickly, perhaps you can roast and shred the chicken the day before and keep it in the fridge.Then it will take you only about 45 minutes to make the chili, start to finish. I hope this helps!
Justine Pitt
October 8, 2017 at 7:59 amThis is INCREDIBLE!! My new favourite dish! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Lynn Daniel
September 29, 2017 at 9:59 pmThank your husband for me! I used his recipe for a chili contest for my son’s school and I won!! It was a huge hit!!
Lisa
October 4, 2017 at 7:03 amWow, congratulations! I will pass along the news. 🙂
Nicole Schultheis
September 26, 2017 at 12:11 amOh gosh, Lisa, you’re so responsive to comments. I live alone and divided the recipe by 3. But of course when you adapt a recipe the exact measurements are merely advisory. I started with dry beans the other day… with no clear plan in mind except reducing the amount of meat in my diet. After I soaked, cooked, portioned them out and froze them, I somehow didn’t quite have enough in the small container that I thawed for this recipe.
To compensate, I added some brown rice to the pot, and upped the low-sodium chicken broth to accommodate the rice. And the little can of green chilis I was scrounging around for in the pantry turned out to be chipotles, so no. Instead, to the sauteeing onions/garlic, I added a couple of jalapenos that were starting to turn red in my garden. And then I found a lonely chayote squash in my fridge. Once the chicken came out of the oven, I cubed the chayote (dice sized) and coated it with oil and roasted it in the chicken pan while the chicken was cooling off and the brown rice was cooking in the chili pot.
Then I assumed I could use some Greek yogurt somehow instead of sour cream, cuz I didn’t have any sour cream, but d’oh, I was out of Greek yogurt. But I did have apocalypse-ready cream cheese powder, and made do with that, adding a little cider vinegar to make up for sour cream acidity.
So you get the picture. It’s your recipe but it’s not. More veggies, and I assert, still quite healthy. 🙂 I actually took a pic but it just looks like the recipe you posted. Anyway… thank you!
Nicole Schultheis
September 26, 2017 at 12:14 amI forgot to say at the end: It was delicious! Just finished a bowl of it with shredded cheese on top.
H l
September 25, 2017 at 10:09 amWell I did mine exact except I did three poblanos instead of canned chiles, and the cheese and cream has separated even on a warm setting… frustrated, this was for a potluck and now I don’t even want to share it!!!!
★★★
Maryann Holtcamp
August 29, 2017 at 4:54 pmThis recipe never disappoints! LOVE IT
★★★★★
Rob White
July 2, 2017 at 5:19 amYo! Finally got around to making this tonight, award-winner indeed! Great way to use up those end pieces of cheese, had about six variates in there, otherwise followed the recipe. Excellent recipe, just finished my third bowl – can’t move – send help!
Lisa
July 2, 2017 at 9:10 amhaha! Maybe I should put a warning on that chili “eat at your own risk.” It’s hard to stop, isn’t it? 🙂
David Adams
March 7, 2017 at 10:56 amThis was absolutely delicious! I agree with you, you can halve the cheese/sour cream, but do not skip adding some directly to the pot. This chili gets outrageously good as it sits for a day or two! I substituted two fresh poblano peppers and two jalapeno peppers (minced) for the canned chiles, put in one can of garbanzo beans with two cans of cannellini and also used 1/2 boneless, skinless thighs. My new go-to chicken chili recipe!
★★★★★
Jody Osborn
March 5, 2017 at 7:23 pmExcellent…my family loved it!!
★★★★★
Teddy
February 4, 2017 at 6:01 amI made this recipe with a slight twist of Fajita marinated smoked chicken and wow. Can’t wait to share this with everyone. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Trinh
February 2, 2017 at 9:51 pmHi after searching for an award winning chicken chili recipe I found this recipe pop up. I sat down and read all the comments. Every single comment made mention this chili is amazing. This is my first time making it and it already taste delicious. I am making this chicken chili for my school chili cook off tomorrow. Do you think it okay if I don’t add the cheese and sour cream in until tomorrow when I warm it up?
Lisa
February 3, 2017 at 10:36 amYes, you can definitely wait to add the cheese and sour cream! Enjoy!!
phil
February 2, 2017 at 1:32 pmLisa,
Thanks for posting this, i cooked it yesterday for a chili cook off at work (i have entered several of these at various companies trying multiple recipes, never winning) and my coworkers plowed through it!
i backed off the meat seasoning before cooking, more or less sprinkled over the meat. Plus, i found that i only needed three cups of broth.
Still though, I won my first workplace chili competition, and couldn’t be happier! This is indeed, an award winning chili recipe!
Thanks again!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 2, 2017 at 2:40 pmCongratulations on your win! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili. Great that it continues to win awards! 🙂