What makes white chicken chili "white"?

No tomatoes or red chili powder — the base is chicken broth, white beans, and green chiles, finished creamy instead of red.

Can I make white chicken chili in the crockpot?

Yes — add everything except cream cheese, lime, and cilantro and cook on LOW 6 hours. Shred the chicken, then stir in the last three ingredients before serving.

Is white chicken chili healthy?

This version is — about 320 calories, 34g protein, and 7g fiber per bowl, with only 3 oz of cream cheese across six servings.

Can I freeze white chicken chili?

Yes, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of broth.

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White chicken chili

By Ami · July 27, 2026 · ★★★★★ 4.9 from 27 reviews · Jump to Recipe · Print

This white chicken chili is the healthy dinner recipe I make when I want something that feels like comfort food but doesn't eat like it — tender shredded chicken, creamy white beans, and green chiles in one pot, 35 minutes, 34 grams of protein per bowl. It scratches the same cozy itch as my crockpot pot roast in a fraction of the time.

Creamy white chicken chili in a rustic bowl topped with shredded chicken, white beans, jalapeño, cilantro, avocado and lime

This creamy one-pot chili is secretly good for you.

Big comfort, light bowl. A little cream cheese plus a cup of blended beans makes it taste rich at around 320 calories a serving — the same protein-first thinking behind my high protein cheeseburger bowls.
One pot, 35 minutes, zero fancy skills. The chicken poaches right in the broth, so it stays juicy and shreds like a dream — even easier than my honey garlic chicken bowls.
GLP-1 and macro friendly. High protein, high fiber, and genuinely filling in small portions, which is exactly what I aim for on lighter weeks alongside my sheet pan chicken fajitas.

Here's what you'll need.

Everything is pantry-and-fridge basics — the green chiles and cumin do the heavy lifting, so don't skip either.

Ingredients for white chicken chili portioned into small bowls: chicken breasts, cannellini beans, onion, garlic, jalapeño, green chiles, cumin, oregano, broth, cream cheese, corn, lime and cilantro

Here's how it all comes together.

Step 1 — Sauté the aromatics

Soften the onion and jalapeño in olive oil over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and the kitchen starts smelling like dinner.

Diced onion and sliced jalapeño sautéing in olive oil in a dutch oven

Step 2 — Bloom the spices

Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander and cook for 60 seconds. Toasting the spices in the oil is what gives white chicken chili its depth.

Cumin, oregano and garlic blooming with sautéed onions in a dutch oven

Step 3 — Poach the chicken

Add the broth, green chiles, and chicken breasts. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 12–15 minutes, until the chicken hits 165°F. No searing, no drying out.

Chicken breasts poaching in golden broth with green chiles in a dutch oven

Step 4 — Shred it

Lift the chicken onto a board and shred it with two forks. It should fall apart with almost no effort — that's how you know you kept the simmer gentle.

Poached chicken breast being shredded with two forks on a wooden cutting board

Step 5 — Make it creamy

Mash or blend one cup of the beans and stir it back in with the whole beans, corn, and cream cheese. Simmer 5 minutes until the broth turns silky.

White beans and corn being stirred into creamy white chicken chili with cream cheese melting in

Step 6 — Finish bright

Return the shredded chicken, then kill the heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste, season, and ladle it up with your favorite toppings.

Ladle lifting creamy white chicken chili while lime is squeezed over and cilantro sprinkled on top

Bowl of white chicken chili topped with avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, tortilla strips and Greek yogurt

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

Keep the simmer lazy. A hard boil makes poached chicken rubbery. Tiny bubbles around the edge of the pot is exactly right.
Blend a cup of beans — don't skip it. It thickens the chili naturally so you need far less cream cheese than most recipes call for.
Add the lime off the heat. Lime juice that boils turns bitter; stirred in at the end it makes the whole pot taste brighter.
Greek yogurt on top beats sour cream. Same tang, extra protein — a dollop adds about 3g more per bowl.

Meal-prep gold: it's even better on day two.

The flavor deepens overnight. Make it Sunday and lunches through Wednesday taste better than the first bowl.
It freezes beautifully. Portion into containers and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight and reheat gently.
Macro-friendly by design. 34g protein and 7g fiber per bowl — plug your numbers into our protein calculator to see how it fits your day.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

Sheet pan chicken fajitas — double up on the Tex-Mex table for a crowd.
Air fryer chicken tenders — for the kids who insist chili "isn't dinner."
High protein cheeseburger bowls — the other high-protein bowl on repeat in my kitchen.
Garlic butter steak bites — a surf-free surf-and-turf spread for game day.
Chocolate cottage cheese mousse — a protein dessert to close it out.

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days — the flavor actually improves. Reheating: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low with a splash of broth; avoid a rolling boil so the creamy base doesn't split. It also freezes for up to 3 months. And if you want tomorrow's breakfast handled too, today's other new recipe is my high protein banana baked oatmeal.

More easy healthy recipes for busy weeknights...

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls

High Protein Cheeseburger Bowls

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

White Chicken Chili

★★★★★ 4.9 from 27 reviews

Creamy one-pot white chicken chili with tender shredded chicken, white beans, and green chiles — an easy, healthy, high protein dinner in 35 minutes.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 35 min · Servings: 6 · Category: Healthy Recipes · Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground coriander
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles
1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained (1 cup mashed)
1 cup frozen or canned corn
3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
Juice of 1 lime
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Toppings: avocado, Greek yogurt, tortilla strips, extra jalapeño

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium. Cook onion and jalapeño 4–5 minutes until soft.
Bloom the spices: Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Poach the chicken: Add broth, green chiles, and chicken. Simmer gently 12–15 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F.
Shred it: Transfer chicken to a board and shred with two forks.
Make it creamy: Mash 1 cup of the beans and stir in with whole beans, corn, and cream cheese. Simmer 5 minutes.
Finish bright: Return chicken; off the heat stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season and serve with toppings.

Notes: For a spicier pot, leave the jalapeño seeds in or add ¼ tsp cayenne. Rotisserie chicken works too — stir 4 cups shredded in at step 5 and skip the poach. Dairy-free? Swap the cream cheese for ½ cup canned coconut milk plus an extra cup of mashed beans.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated): 320 calories · 34g protein · 28g carbs · 8g fat · 7g fiber

Eating protein-first?

This chili came straight out of the way I cook for lighter, protein-forward weeks — the GLP-1 Cookbook is full of high-protein, high-satiety recipes like this one and our cottage cheese egg bites.

Get the Cookbook →

FAQ

What makes white chicken chili "white"?: No tomatoes or red chili powder — the base is chicken broth, white beans, and green chiles, finished creamy instead of red.
Can I make white chicken chili in the crockpot?: Yes — add everything except cream cheese, lime, and cilantro and cook on LOW 6 hours. Shred the chicken, then stir in the last three ingredients before serving.
Is white chicken chili healthy?: This version is — about 320 calories, 34g protein, and 7g fiber per bowl, with only 3 oz of cream cheese across six servings.
Can I freeze white chicken chili?: Yes, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently; a splash of broth brings the creamy texture right back.