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Hearty, healthy, and quick to cook, this White Bean and Chicken Chili is a perfect late winter meal. Tender white beans and ground chicken with tomatoes, and green chilis in a savory broth, with choose-your-own-adventure spice level.
Why You’ll Love This White Bean and Chicken Chili
In my part of the world, late February to early March is always a season of transition. It’s too warm for parkas and long johns, but too cold for shorts and t-shirts.
I feel like that same “in between” feeling applies in the kitchen as well.
The red-meat-heavy meals I craved in the depths of winter feel a little too heavy now. At the same time, salads and other light springtime fare aren’t quite enough to satisfy.
But this White Bean and Chicken Chili is a Goldilocks recipe for late winter – not too much and not too little. This “just right” dish is hearty enough to fill you up, but not so heavy that it’ll slow you down.
Also, it tastes terrific, is pantry-friendly, and super simple to make.
White Bean Chicken Chili Ingredients
One of the great things about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are things you probably already have in the pantry. So, it’s a great dish to make for last-minute guests, or when you don’t feel like making a trip to the store.
Here’s what you’ll need…
- Canned white beans – I like navy beans because they’re small. But cannellini or Great Northern beans are fine too
- Ground chicken
- Onion – white or yellow
- Oil
- Chicken broth
- Canned diced green chiles – Here’s where you can choose your own spice adventure. Choose mild, medium, or hot. The fire-roasted type adds a subtle smoky flavor.
- Canned diced tomatoes – This is optional, but I like to drain the juice from the tomatoes and rinse them. That way, I get the taste of the tomato, but the broth for the chili stays lighter in color.
- Ground cumin
- Ground Chili Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ground Cayenne is optional if you want to kick up the heat a few notches
How to Make White Bean Chicken Chili (Step-by-Step)
This is a great weeknight or last-minute recipe, because you can make it in forty-five minutes, and probably even less.
Start by cooking the onions in oil on the stovetop in a deep pot. Then you’ll add the ground chicken to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking it thoroughly.
Once that’s done, you just add beans, chilis, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and broth to the pot and simmer for about fifteen minutes.
That’s all there is to it!
Best Toppings and Sides for White Bean Chicken Chili
White Bean Chicken Chili is really good as it is. It’s hearty and satisfying. However, the creamy flavor of white beans and the mild taste of the ground chicken are more subtle than a standard beef and pinto bean chili. That makes it a perfect base for all kinds of different condiments and toppings.
Some of my favorite toppings are all kinds of shredded cheese, avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, minced jalapeno, sour cream, Tabasco, or Cholula sauce.
It’s great served with tortilla chips or corn bread on the side, or over a scoop of steamed rice. Add a simple green salad, and you’ve got a complete meal.
Give White Bean and Chicken Chili a try soon!
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Easy White Bean Chicken Chili – Ready in 45 Minutes
Ingredients
- Medium onion, diced
- 1.5 T oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 T chili powder (if you want lighter colored broth, replace chili powder w/ extra 1.5 tsp cumin)
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ ground pepper
- Optional – 1/8 tsp cayenne (if you want extra spicy chili!)
- 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 3 – 15oz. cans of navy beans (can sub cannellini or Great Northern beans), drained
- 7oz can diced green chilis, drained – mild, medium, or hot, according to your preference
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed in a colander
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add diced onions and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add ground chicken to pot. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until there is no pink left, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add broth, drained canned beans, canned chilis, cumin, chili powder, and drained and rinsed tomatoes to the pot. Bring chili to a boil, then lower heat and simmer chili for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve chili as is, or add toppings such as shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, green onions, etc. (See post for more serving suggestions.)
