Description
This White Bean Chicken Chili is a hearty, flavorful dish featuring tender shredded chicken, creamy white beans, sweet corn, and a blend of spices simmered in a mild green enchilada sauce. Perfect for cozy dinners, it offers a comforting twist on traditional chili, garnished with fresh lime juice and customizable toppings like sour cream, avocado, and tortilla strips.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 (19-ounce) can mild green enchilada sauce
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Beans and Vegetables
- 2 (14-ounce) cans white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
Finishing Touches
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
Optional Toppings
- Sliced jalapeño
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Tortilla strips
- Cotija cheese
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Chicken and Liquids: Stir in the chicken breasts, chicken stock, mild green enchilada sauce, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer Chicken: Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Shred Chicken and Blend Chili: Use two forks to shred the chicken. For a thicker chili, transfer 2 cups of the chili, including beans and vegetables, to a blender and puree until mostly smooth, then return it to the pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend about a quarter of the chili.
- Add Beans, Corn, and Bell Pepper: Stir in the drained white beans, corn, and diced red bell pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until bell pepper is tender and beans are warmed through.
- Finish Chili: Stir the shredded chicken and fresh lime juice into the pot, mixing well.
- Serve: Divide the chili evenly among 6 bowls. Top with optional garnishes such as sliced jalapeño, sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
- You can use an immersion blender to thicken the chili instead of transferring to a blender for convenience and less cleanup.
- To make this recipe in an Instant Pot, sauté onions and garlic using sauté mode, then add all ingredients and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, followed by manual release.
- Adjust the heat by adding more or fewer chilies or jalapeños according to your spice preference.
- Leftover chili stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes nicely for up to 3 months.
- For vegetarian variation, omit chicken and increase beans and vegetables, using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 75mg