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White Chicken Chili

White chicken chili with a creamy, golden broth made by melting cream cheese into simmering chicken and beans. Features tender shredded chicken, white beans, corn, and green chiles, finished with a sour cream swirl and pepper jack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded
white beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) white beans, drained
corn
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
diced green chiles
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
chicken broth
  • 4 cup chicken broth
cream cheese
  • 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
cumin
  • 2 tsp cumin
chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
oregano
  • 1 tsp oregano
smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup Sour cream for serving
pepper jack
  • 0.33 cup pepper jack for serving
jalapeño
  • 1 jalapeño for serving
cilantro
  • 0.25 cup cilantro for serving
lime
  • 1 lime for serving
salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the flavor base
  1. Sauté the diced onion in a large pot over medium heat for 4 minutes. Stir until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
  2. Add the minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika and cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring so the spices bloom and smell fragrant.
Simmer the chili
  1. Add the chicken broth, white beans, corn, and diced green chiles and bring to a boil. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes to start the flavor cooking.
  2. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cubed cream cheese until melted. Scrape the bottom and sides until the broth looks smooth and creamy.
  3. Stir in the shredded chicken and heavy cream, then simmer for 10 minutes. Heat through until the chili is thick and warmed evenly.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning before serving.
  2. Serve the white chicken chili hot with sour cream, pepper jack, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime. Add toppings to each bowl as desired.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, make sure the heat is low when adding the cubed cream cheese so it melts smoothly without curdling. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3-4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, loosening with a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not ideal due to the dairy, but you can freeze for up to 1 month if reheated gently. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and half-and-half instead of heavy cream.