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!
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!
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, award winning chili, white bean and chicken chili
[Originally published January 2016. Updated September 2018. Same delicious recipe with added nutritional information]
Beth
March 17, 2019 at 12:07 pmI am planning to make this for a chili cook off! The event is on a Sunday @noon. Would you cook the day before minus the dairy items OR cook everything the morning of?
Lisa
March 17, 2019 at 1:16 pmBeth, either way will be great! Do whichever is easier for you.
Casey S
March 17, 2019 at 1:12 amThis is my second time making it and my husband and I are HOOKED! I can’t eat hamburger meat (because of texture) and so I wanted to make a white chicken chili. My husband was a little hesitant at first, but now he insists that I make the full amount so he can have leftovers! So good!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Linda
March 13, 2019 at 9:04 pmWow..just wow. This lived up to the ratings and the hype. Delicious!!!
★★★★★
Tracey Waddell
March 4, 2019 at 9:11 amI’ve never made White Chili before but wanred to try. I googled “Award winning White Chicke Chili” and found this recipe. I made this for last night, my husband started eating it and said “Honey, this will win your chili cook-off at work”. Lol! I didn’t use all of the cheese or sour cream it called for, just my my preference. I will be making it again and definitely will submit it in October for our contest at work. Thank you for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Lisa
March 4, 2019 at 10:26 amI’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed! Keep me posted on your chili cook-off results. I hope you win!
Marie Barzin
February 25, 2019 at 11:58 pmCan I put the chilli in the freezer?
Maybe I can put it before adding the cheese and sour cream?
How long can I keep it in the fridge when it’s all mixed?
Thanks
Lisa
February 26, 2019 at 10:18 amYes, Marie, you can freeze it. I like your idea of adding the cheese and sour cream after you defrost it. There’s always a risk of separation when reheating frozen soups that contain dairy. This way you’ll be able to add the diary when the soup is warming up and it should be perfect. Once the soup is mixed it can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. I hope you enjoy!
Annie
February 25, 2019 at 9:11 pmMade this for dinner tonight & it was a huge hit! I was hesitant to add the cheese & sourcream at the end (knowing that we always use them to top our chilli)….i was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it made the chilli! I halved the recipe (because it’s just 4 of us with 2 being 6 & 3 yrs old 😉) I’m regretting not making the full recipe to throw some in the freezer! Will definitely make again in the near future. Thanks for a delicious recipe!!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 26, 2019 at 10:19 amYou are so welcome Annie! I’m glad you enjoyed. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment.
Pamela Brady
February 25, 2019 at 10:28 amHi Lisa,
I have been an avid cook all of my life and just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic recipe! We are not spicy eaters in my family, so I left out the cayenne and went easy on the canned green chilies. Your recipe still had delicious warmth and depth of flavor. I will be making this again and again!
Thank You!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 26, 2019 at 10:25 amI’m so glad you enjoyed Pamela!
Melanie
February 11, 2019 at 8:59 pmMade it. LOVED IT! Even the picky eaters in my family enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 12, 2019 at 3:03 amYay! Thanks so much for coming back to let us know!!
Melanie
February 9, 2019 at 8:41 pmHave been searching for (and tryng!) MANY white chicken chili recipes. This one is the best! My whole family loves it. I take the shortcut of just using an entire rotisserie chicken from the store (and boiling the carcass for the broth), and it’s still fantastic. Thank you! I feel like my long search for an amazing white chili is finally over!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 10, 2019 at 2:41 amCongrats for finding your favorite white chicken chili Melanie! I’m thrilled you found it here on Panning The Globe. 🙂
Sophia
February 8, 2019 at 12:54 pmI have never comment on sites before. But I found this recipe from Pinterest, and I decided to make it for my company’s chicken cookoff. I followed the recipe to the tee. Happy to share that I took home 1st place among 12 competitors. Folks raved about this chilli and demanded the recipe. So thank you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Lisa
February 9, 2019 at 2:45 amCongratulations on your win! That is so exciting! I’m really glad you decided to leave a comment – I love hearing that a recipe turned out great – makes my day.
Jill
February 1, 2019 at 7:17 amJust made this last night—it was fantastic! Thank you!
★★★★★
Lisa
February 1, 2019 at 7:54 amThanks such great news! Thanks for circling back!!
Jeanette
January 27, 2019 at 9:21 amI made this for a Chili Cook off last night and won 1st place in “Fan Favoritte”!! The only addition was 2 poblano peppers and a jalapeño. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you heaps for sharing this recipe and helping me bring home the trophy!!
★★★★★
Jessica Cooper
January 15, 2019 at 7:03 amI made this recipe last night. I cooked it ahead of time (minus the cheese and sour cream) and left it to warm in the crock pot while we were at practice, and then I added the remainder of the ingredients when we got home. It was amazing!
★★★★★
Maggie
January 14, 2019 at 6:49 pmI just made this for my family and they LOVE it. I changed it a little. I used half the chicken and added a can of sweet corn. It is so yummy!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Shawnee Harrigan
December 20, 2018 at 2:38 pmVery excited to try this recipe out for Christmas this year! Do you have a recommendation for making this in the crockpot? The chicken will be cooked beforehand either way, but how long should I leave it to cook in the crockpot for it to be best?
Lisa
December 21, 2018 at 6:35 amI haven’t tried making this in a crockpot but I my guess is that it will work well, as long as you keep it on the low setting so it never comes to a boil. Here’s a great article on how to convert a recipe to the slow cooker: https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343 I hope you have a great holiday and a delicious Christmas dinner!
Lauren
December 19, 2018 at 6:15 pmI just made this and literally just took the last bite of my bowl and had to comment on how amazing this chili is!!!! I’ve always enjoyed a traditional white chili but this completely knocked our socks off. The whole fam enjoyed it and it soothed some sore throats today. The only change I made was I used only 2 cups of cheese and 1 cup of sour cream and I added 4 lbs of chicken. It’s definitely not as creamy as your pictures but I still think it had so much flavor. So so SO good!
★★★★★
Lisa
December 21, 2018 at 6:25 amThanks for making my day with your comment Lauren. I hope all the sore throats are feeling better!
Deb
January 5, 2019 at 8:59 pmWow this recipe is amazing! Thank though for sharing. I made with 2% and red onion due to ingredients on hand. The chicken flavor was amazing. A little pink when I removed from oven but knew the simmer would cook it through. Used extra oil from chicken to fry onions and garlic.
★★★★★
Lisa
January 6, 2019 at 9:56 amThanks so much for coming back to let us know how it turned out. I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed!!
Nikki
December 10, 2018 at 5:45 pmRecipe looks awesome. Would love to make for my family Christmas this year. If I make it a day or two ahead of time, does it heat back up well in a crockpot? With all the dairy it it, I’m concerned it may separate by refrigerant and reheating. Would you recommend following the recipe until the addition of dairy and then on the day it will be eaten, do that last step? Any suggestions? Thank you. I know my family will love it!
Lisa
December 11, 2018 at 5:02 amHey Nikki, good question. I like your idea of adding the dairy on the day you’re serving the chili. You’ll have much more control that way and minimize the risk of the dairy separating. Heat it slowly and gently when adding the dairy, stirring often, and don’t let it bubble or boil, and it should be perfect! I hope you and your family have a fun and delicious holiday!
Jack Bechtel
November 29, 2018 at 10:09 amYour receipe says it mahes 10 servings. Ehat are your serving sizes. (1) cup or (1 1/2) cups?
Lisa
November 30, 2018 at 3:50 amThe servings are generous – 1 1/2 cup servings or even a bit more.
Ann Roberts
November 11, 2018 at 8:41 pmI won a chili cookoff with this recipe yesterday. The only change I made was to add 2 roasted Poblano peppers and two chopped jalapeños. Thank you for the recipe! It definitely is a winner!
Kiki
November 22, 2018 at 1:46 pmI followed this recipe to the T a month or so ago and my whole family loved it. We mixed all of the dairy ingredients into the chili just to see how it turned out and it was bomb.com. Today we decided to swap out the sour cream and use coconut milk and pumpkin to thicken. We still used some of the cheese but wanted to cut down on the dairy. It turned out nice. This recipe will forever be in our family lineup. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Chili Cookaroo
November 4, 2018 at 8:20 pmBig hit with a family of four and even the most picky eater admitted that he liked it.
★★★★★
Lisa
November 8, 2018 at 4:21 amYay! That’s so great to hear.
Kathryn
October 29, 2018 at 3:26 pmMy 10 yr old daughter wanted to enter-and win the chili cook off at our church’s Harvest Festival. Your directions were so thorough, she was able to follow them easily (after reading through a few times). We only used 1/2 an onion. The flavors are wonderful! We should have made it a day ahead since the flavors really settled and were more robust day 2. And, she won the coveted chili cook off trophy! Thanks for such an awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Lisa
October 30, 2018 at 3:37 amWow, congratulations to your daughter on her big win! And I’m glad to know that you and your daughter found the directions thorough and easy to follow – thank you so much for your feedback!
Barbara
October 29, 2018 at 3:20 pmI made this last night and it’s amazing. I know roasting the chicken is part of the process, but I was in a hurry and used a rotisserie chicken. It was still delicious.
★★★★★
Lisa
October 30, 2018 at 3:35 amGreat to hear!
Casey
October 21, 2018 at 1:16 amI just made this tonight for a chili cook off at church tomorrow! So excited! I am putting it in the fridge overnight and reheating tomorrow on low heat. I hope that doesn’t take away from this chili. Is that what you would do? Make it the night before and put it in the fridge?
★★★★★
Benjamin
October 20, 2018 at 11:48 amThis truly is an award winning chili! I just took second place in my company’s chili cook-off with a variation of this recipe. I missed out on first place by 1 vote. Thank you very much!
Billy Roy
October 13, 2018 at 9:11 pmFound out Saturday afternoon that we had a chili cookout in a park right next to me on Sunday afternoon..so I rushed to Publix and dutifully purchased all the ingrediate— my wife said we already had half the ingrediates, oh well got up early did the chicken and veggies went to church came home, made the chili exactly like your recipies…26 contestestants and my/your chili won hands down…I did add more cheese than you which I regretted because I ran out of toppings after about 20 servings… so, a blue ribbon that cost around $75 with a six pack of beer…thank you very much…everyone asked for the recipie and I told them it was a secret recipie from my grandmother Jane who is a terrific cook…..I’m a life long golfer and have had 12 hole in ones and have won many tournaments but I think I got a bigger kick out of winning this Blue Ribbon for my chili
★★★★★
Lisa
October 15, 2018 at 1:22 pmCongratulations on your blue ribbon!! So fun!! I’m thrilled that everyone loved it, even if Grandma Jane got the credit 🙂
Tracey
October 5, 2018 at 7:44 pmWell it a cool, gloomy enough day Oct 5 2018 in chicago.
So I thought I needed a pot on the stove.
So I made this FABULOUS recipe.
Thanks so much
★★★★★
Ernest
October 1, 2018 at 6:32 pmHello Lisa I found you just today I was looking for a good chicken chili and yours is great, I am a blogger and a retired chef,I have made so many chili recipes, but really never a chicken chili, so when my brother asked me for some ideas, I googled for chicken chili and got yours, in fact I will make some for myself later, I did give my brother your recipe I just gave him a few ideas, I would like to post your recipe on my blog ,and link it back to you, so my viewers can get the recipes I would never take credit. with your permission of course. you have a great looking site and i see many dishes, from middle east? very interesting. Thank you for the recipe and your great blog.
chef Ernie
Lisa
October 3, 2018 at 7:39 amHi Ernest, Great that you found this recipe and Panning The Globe! Thanks for your kind words about my site. I’ll check out your blog too. With regards to reposting my recipe, all photos and content are copyright protected so please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to Award Winning White Chicken Chili on Panning The Globe. Thank you!
sue
September 30, 2018 at 9:46 amHi! Ever use thighs instead of breasts for this?
Lisa
October 1, 2018 at 2:45 amI’ve never tried this with thighs. It’s so good with chicken breasts that I haven’t felt the need to experiment further. But thighs are so flavorful – I’m guessing they’d be great!
Nurin
August 20, 2018 at 8:54 amBrilliant. Just what I needed and it was a hit!
Lifesaver!
Deborah
July 30, 2018 at 10:54 amGreat receipe…just made it for a small gathering…it definitely has a bite to it…but not out of hand…I added another can of beans to mine …and went ahead with the cheese and sour cream…it really gave it that extra bar. I like mine with a dash of lime along with a savory red pepper cornbread.
★★★★★