The Best White Chicken Chili Recipe

This easy White Chicken Chili recipe is a creamy white version of chili with white beans, roasted chicken, sour cream, poblano peppers, and Anaheim peppers.  It is a welcome change from the traditional red chili.

Ingredients

• 4 Anaheim peppers or poblano peppers
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon marjoram or oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 15.8 ounce cans great northern beans drained and rinsed
• 1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn drained
• 2 cups cooked cubed or shredded chicken breasts or chicken thighs
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Monterey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place the Anaheim or poblano peppers on the baking sheet with space between them. Roast for 8-10 minutes. Using  tongs carefully flip them and roast for another 8-10 minutes. Place them on a cutting board and invert a large bowl over the top to steam them.  Steam for 30 minutes.  Cut the stems off, peel the peppers, and the discard the skins. Dice the peppers and set them aside for a few minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, marjoram, and cayenne pepper.  Cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.  
• Add the chicken broth, beans, corn, cooked chicken and diced peppers. Simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove 2-3 cups of the chili and using an immersion blender or stand blender puree the chili. Add the pureed chili back to the pot and heat for 2-3 more minutes.
• Turn the heat off and stir in the sour cream and chopped cilantro. Reserve some of the cilantro for a garnish for each bowl. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.  Ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and chopped cilantro.

Notes

• Rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe, but any shredded or cubed cooked chicken will also work.
• Any white beans will work with this recipe, such as Great Northern beans, white navy beans, white kidney beans, or cannellini beans.
• If you are in a hurry, skip the fresh poblano and Anaheim peppers and add two (7-ounce) cans of diced green chiles.
• Fresh sweet corn can be substituted for canned corn. If you have the time and like to cook, blacken the corn in a skillet for even more flavor.
• For a thick and creamy texture, puree several cups of the chili and add it back to the pot. This can be done with an immersion blender right in the pot, with a Pyrex measuring cup and an immersion blender, or in a stand blender. Don’t forget to remove the center cap on the stand blender to allow steam to escape.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if your rotisserie chicken is fresh. Leftovers heat up well in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
• Or pour into heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2787IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg