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
- 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.
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]
Yvonne
I just made this and it was delicious! The only change I made was to add a diced jalapeno along with the onion and garlic because we like things spicy. I took your advice and used 3 different kinds of chili powder (regular, Ancho and Chipotle), it tasted as if it was cooking all day. This will definitely be my new chicken chili recipe.
Lisa
Hi Yvonne, Thanks for your note - I'm so happy to know that you enjoyed!!
Cindy
Just made this chilli exactly per your recipe. It is amazing. I did cool for 10-15 minutes before adding sour cream and cheese and chilli came out perfectly. I'm sensitive to tomatoes and love chilli and Mexican style food so been trying out lots of tomatoe free recipes. This one is a keeper. Thanks!
Lori
Made this without the dairy and it was fantastic.
Karen
Thank you for replying fast. I have never tasted such a delicious soup, and Im a soup snob!
We dealt with the clumps of cheese because flavor trumps clumps! I did not add any of the Chile's or heat because we can tolerate, and the soup still was a hit. Leftovers were heated next day and because I wished to deviur another bowl, I could not wait for it to get hot. Lets just say...Eating it cold and having intense flavor tells you the soup is great.
Lisa
Oh Karen this makes me happy. Haha, flavor trumps clumps, love it. I'm so glad you enjoyed despite the pitfalls 🙂
Katen
Need some help. Made everything as written when I added the cheese it just melted in stringy for and never incorporated into the soup base. It just is floating in strands and clumps here and there.
I tried cooking longer and the cheese just clings to my spoon. What did I do wrong. I used a good quality cheese that I normally would use and never have trouble with it melting in other dishes. Goid thing this was not for company or it would have been conversation for the night.
Lisa
Oh no. I'm sorry your cheese separated. Generally when that happens it's because the chili is too hot when the cheese is stirred in. But if you kept the chili at a very gentle simmer and then let it cool for a while before slowly adding the cheese, one cup at a time, that shouldn't have happened.
Is it possible that you used low-fat or part-skim cheese? Low-fat dairy is less stable when heated.
Again, I'm very sorry your chili was a disappointment. If you want to give it another try, I suggest you make sure you're using full-fat cheese and also try letting the chili cool for longer before adding the cheese. Then, once the cheese is added, be sure to simmer the chili on low heat, never letting it come to a boil. I hope that helps. L
Lynn
Just tasted the final product. Anticipating rave reviews!
Laurie
This was a huge hit at the office. So many compliments!! Thank you for posting and sharing!
Doris Smith
This is my second time making this chili. It's the best. I added Monterey, extra sharp and white cheddar cheese. DELICIOUS. Thanks
Tiffany
I adapted to the slow cooker by adding all of the ingredients, except the cheese and sour cream to the slow cooker and cooking on low for 8.5 hours. I then shredded the chicken and added the cheese and sour cream before serving - cut down on prep time and still came out great!
Bovaloe
So the chicken was not in the slow cooker during those 8.5 hours? It was cooked, shedded and kept out separately until after the 8.5 hours?
Erin
Amazing! I never leave reviews but this was awesome! To make it easy I used a bbq rotisserie chichen and it was awesome! Thanks!
Beth
I 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
Beth, either way will be great! Do whichever is easier for you.
Casey S
This 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
Wow..just wow. This lived up to the ratings and the hype. Delicious!!!
Tracey Waddell
I'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
I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed! Keep me posted on your chili cook-off results. I hope you win!
Marie Barzin
Can 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
Yes, 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
Made 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
You are so welcome Annie! I'm glad you enjoyed. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment.
Pamela Brady
Hi 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
I'm so glad you enjoyed Pamela!
Melanie
Made it. LOVED IT! Even the picky eaters in my family enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
Lisa
Yay! Thanks so much for coming back to let us know!!
Melanie
Have 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
Congrats for finding your favorite white chicken chili Melanie! I'm thrilled you found it here on Panning The Globe. 🙂
Sophia
I 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
Congratulations 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.