This creamy Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe is made with cream cheese, chicken, white beans, and green chiles for the creamiest chili recipe you’ll ever taste. This recipe is so easy, so flavorful, and so comforting! Cook up a batch of this famous chicken chili for family dinners, game day, or to store up for winter. Did I mention this is ready in less than an hour?
What’s in this White Chicken Chili recipe?
This easy white chili is filled with chicken, beans, green chiles, cream cheese, and lots of other ingredients to make the most delicious and creamiest comfort recipe. It’s one of my favorite winter dinner ideas!
- Chicken: Use fully cooked chicken in this chili recipe. You can leftovers it into cubes, or use shredded chicken. Grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for the easiest option.
- White Beans: Great Northern white beans are best, but you can also use cannellini beans or white kidney beans.
- Cream Cheese: This makes the chili sooo creamy and smooth. You can use low fat or full fat.
- Heavy Cream: This also helps to create that signature creamy chili texture.
- Green Chiles: These add that delicious spicy heat you’d expect from Tex-Mex and southwest cuisines.
- Seasonings: You’ll find a mix of herbs and spices in this recipe, including chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. I also use cilantro, but you can skip it if you don’t like it.
Pro Tip: If you want to cook your own chicken for this white bean chili recipe, I recommend using this Instant Pot shredded chicken. But you can cook it with your favorite method up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep it in the fridge until you make the chili.
What are the best toppings for white chili?
The thick, creamy texture of this white chicken chili is ripe for toppings! The Tex-Mex seasonings pair perfectly with crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, sliced jalapeños, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado slices.
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Use cooked chicken in this chili recipe. A rotisserie chicken works great for an easy option, or make a simple chicken breast ahead of time.
The cream cheese really helps to thicken up this chili, and the longer it simmers, the thicker it will get. If it’s still too watery or soupy, make a slurry (1 tbsp of cold water and 1 tbsp of flour or cornstarch) to stir in.
It tastes amazing either way! If you want to let this simmer all day, use the slow cooker. If you need it ready asap, make it on the stove.
White chili is made with white beans, and usually has chicken instead of beef. Regular (red) chili also uses tomatoes, whereas white chili does not.
Yes, you could swap out turkey in place of chicken if you prefer. I also recommend trying this Turkey White Bean Chili.
This recipe calls for Great Northern Beans. You can also use cannellini beans.
I added cream cheese and heavy cream to make this chili super creamy and smooth.
Absolutely. Follow the detailed instructions in this Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe for best results.
The green chiles, as well as the cayenne pepper and chili powder, do add some heat. But overall, it’s mildly spicy.
This recipe is meant to be quick and easy, so it will be ready to go after just 30 minutes on the stove. However, simmering longer will make it thicker and more flavorful.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover white chicken chili in airtight containers, and keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days. To reheat, gently warm on the stovetop, stirring regularly. You can mix in a bit more heavy cream to help get that creamy chili texture back.
How to Freeze
Store leftovers in the freezer up to 3 months. Let the white chili cool, then pour into freezer-safe containers. I recommend separating the chili into smaller portions so you can take one container out to reheat at a time.
If you want to store it in freezer bags, pour it into a bag with a bit of space left at the top (don’t overfill it). Then lay the bag(s) flat on a baking tray, and place in the freezer until fully frozen. Then you can rearrange the bags as needed for longer storage.
To reheat, thaw portions of the creamy chicken chili in the fridge overnight, then you can reheat on the stove as directed above.
What to Serve with White Chicken Chili
A bowl of this white bean chicken chili (loaded up with lots of toppings) is plenty filling on its own. But you can also add some bread, like this easy skillet bread or classic cornbread.
If you want to add some veggies to dinner, make this crispy Air Fryer broccoli, roasted mushrooms, or corn on the cob.
5-Star Review
“Wow! Best white chicken chili I have made! Seriously this is amazing!! I made no adjustments…It is perfect!” — Tammy
This cream cheese chicken chili with white beans has been a family favorite comfort food for dinner, game day food, and even Cinco de Mayo. It’s always a crowd pleaser!
Best White Chicken Chili recipe ever!
Absolutely Delicious
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Erin!
Oh My Gosh!!!! This is absolutely amazing!! I am on Keto so I made it without the beans and I could not stop shoveling it into my mouth. So spicy and delicious!!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Juliah!
My favorite go to!
Thank you!
I love this recipe & have made it several times now! The only problem I’ve had is getting the cream cheese to completely melt. I’ve always got little lumps when it’s done.
Oh man! I would suggest trying a different brand of cream cheese than you previously used and see if that helps!
To avoid this I soften my cream cheese in the microwave until I can stirring it easily. Then I blend it with the heavy cream and add them at at the same time.
Melt the cream cheese in the microwave until it’s the consistency of sour cream. Then pour it into the chili last, stirring well.
Love this recipe! My stepdaughter made this for my husband and I and it was so good I had to get the recipe.
That looks delicious!!
Made this tonight for my mother in law. She is a very good cook and loved this meal. She even took some home. This website is a game changer in my house. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jennie!
This recipe was delicious! I made 1/2 with no cream cheese nor cream & 1/2 with. The family loved it both ways. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks for sharing, Amber!
I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it several times before, but never in the slow cooker. Trying to go quickly for tomorrow, can I throw raw chicken breasts in the crockpot in the stage before I add cream cheese and heavy cream, let the chicken cook, remove and shred and add back in when I put the HWC and cream cheese?
I haven’t tried it that way, but I imagine it should work okay!
Im so thrilled with this recipe! It was much easier than I thought it would be! Instead of green chilis And Jalapenos I decided to use a can of hot Rotel and a small bag of shredded Habanero dhredded cheese…I also cheated a bit(due to only having 1 working arm/hand after stroke) I cheated by using canned White Chicken Breast meat
As long as it still tastes great, who cares about the small cheats :).
I won’t tell, Sherri ;)
This is the best recipe I’ve used… I actually added 2 cans of white hole kernel corn (drained) and a can of origin Rotel tomatoes to mine and I have to say I will continue to cook it like that! WOW
Thanks for sharing, Spencer!