Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili
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Published Feb 15, 2023, Updated Jan 16, 2025
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This healthy white bean chicken chili is loaded with cannellini beans, corn and green chiles. It’s packed with protein, has a ton of flavor and cooks up in just 30 minutes.
You asked, I listened! A few weeks ago I asked what recipes you wanted to see from me and I had a ton of requests for soup! Ask and ye shall receive. 😉
Prior to this recipe, I had never made a white bean or a chicken chili before, so I decided that this would be a fun one to test! I gravitate towards soups that somehow feel relatively light and refreshing while also comforting. This soup is just that. It’s packed with vegetables and flavor while also being dairy and gluten-free.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a one-pot meal – Nothing beats the ease of a simple, hearty dish that requires minimal cleanup. Just one pot to worry about and you’re good to go!
- Packed with protein and fiber – The chicken, white beans, and corn make this chili extra filling and hearty, while keeping it high in protein and fiber to keep you satisfied.
- Perfect for meal prep – Make a big batch and store it in the fridge for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week. It actually gets even better after a day or two when the flavors really meld together.
Ingredients Needed
- yellow onion and garlic – provides a flavorful savory base for the chili.
- jalapeño – for a touch of spice! I used 1/2 of a deseeded jalapeño and the chili had a nice kick. That said, feel free to skip the jalapeño altogether or use less if you’re not a fan of spice or are serving this chili to kids. You can also add the whole jalapeño if you want more spice!
- green chiles – I used mild canned diced green chiles. They’re not too spicy but add a nice, complex flavor.
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – I prefer to use boneless chicken breasts, but boneless thighs work as well. We’re cooking the chicken directly in the soup and then shredding it.
- low-sodium chicken broth – I prefer using low-sodium so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe!
- cannellini beans – adds more protein!
- corn – I like using frozen corn and there’s no need to thaw before adding to the chili.
- spices and seasonings – dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, sea salt and pepper.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: If you’d rather not use chicken breasts, you can easily substitute with shredded rotisserie chicken, or ground turkey for a different protein. For a vegetarian version, try tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas.
- Cannellini beans: If you can’t find cannellini beans, great northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans are great alternatives.
- Green chiles: Can’t find canned green chiles? Mild diced poblano peppers or fresh hatch chiles (when in season) are perfect substitutes for a smoky flavor.
- Broth: If you prefer a lighter version, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. For extra richness, you can use bone broth.
How to Make
This white bean chicken chili is packed with flavor and so easy to make! Just follow these steps and you’ll have a delicious bowl of chili ready to go in no time.
Step 1: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeño and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in oregano, cumin, and chili powder, and cook for 1 more minute.
Step 2: Add green chiles, chicken, and broth, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Step 3: Remove the chicken from the soup, shred with two forks, and return it to the pot.
Step 4: Add beans and corn, bring the soup to a simmer again, and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with your favorite toppings!
Brittany’s Tip
- Adjust the consistency: If you prefer a thicker, heartier broth, here’s a little trick: before adding the cannellini beans to the pot, use a fork or potato masher to mash one can of beans. It’s an easy way to thicken up your chili without sacrificing flavor. This works for any broth-based soup, and gives it that creamy texture without adding any extra cream!
What to Serve With Chicken Chili
This chicken chili is a full meal on its own – especially if you add all the toppings! That said, I love serving this chili with a little something extra like tortilla chips. If you want something more filling, it’s also delicious with cornbread. My vegan cornbread or pumpkin cornbread would both be perfect!
How to Store Leftovers
This chili is perfect for weekly meal prep or meal prepping before a baby because it’s freezer-friendly! To store, allow the soup to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
To freeze: Allow the chili to cool completely. Place in a freezer-safe storage container and freeze. Soup will be good for up to three months.
To thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy, place the frozen chili in the refrigerator the night before to partially thaw. The next day, add to a saucepan and heat until warm, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick for your liking at this point, feel free to add a little broth or water to thin.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tested it myself, but I think it’ll work just fine! Here’s how I would do it: Toss everything except the toppings into your slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Once the chicken is tender and falls apart easily, take it out, shred it with two forks, and pop it back into the slow cooker. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, then top with your favorites before serving. Easy peasy!
This chili has a nice mild heat, thanks to the jalapeño and chili powder, but it’s not overly spicy. If you like a little more kick, feel free to add extra jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper to amp it up!
More Soup Recipes to Try
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Mexican Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
- Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili
- No-Bean Chili (Beef Chili)
- Vegetarian Green Chili
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Turkey Chili
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Be sure to check out the full collection of soup recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- ½-1 jalapeño, seeded and diced*
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 4 oz cans mild diced green chiles
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 ½ cup frozen corn, no need to thaw
- chopped cilantro, green onion, sour cream, fresh lime wedges, jalapeño and/or avocado, for garnish
- cornbread or tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder and cook about 1 minute more.
- Add green chiles, chicken, and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Use a fork or tongs to remove chicken from the soup, place on a plate and shred with two forks.
- Place shredded chicken back in the pot and add beans and corn. Bring soup to a simmer and let cook another 10 minutes. Taste soup at this point and season with additional sea salt and pepper if needed.
- Portion chili into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion, extra jalapeño and/or avocado.
Notes
- Feel free to use a full jalapeño. I used 1/2 of a deseeded jalapeño and the chili had a nice kick.
- To make the chili thicker, you can mash 1 can of the drained and rinsed beans before adding them to the pot.
- To freeze: cool chili, place in a freezer-safe storage container and freeze. To use, partially thaw chili in the refrigerator overnight. Add to a saucepan and heat until warm, stirring occasionally. If soup is too thick you can add a little broth or water to thin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chili is sooo good. I would have never though to make a white bean chili. I add like 3 jalapenos and make with cornbread when i’m feeling up to it. It’s so easy to make and tastes even better the next day. I’ve shared this recipe with a few friends and they all love it. Thank you!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Justine. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me.
Delicious & easy! I don’t handle spicy very well so I didn’t add the jalapeño or the canned green chiles (I probably would’ve the canned chiles but I didn’t have any on hand & didn’t feel like going to the grocery store). I subbed ancho chili powder for the chili powder & used leftover rotisserie chicken. I served with a little sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, & tortilla chips. Really good & even better the following 3 days!
YUM! I am SO glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Jan. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
Made this in the crockpot was amazing! Doubled the jalapeño and left in the seeds.
Sounds delicious, David! Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
In Australia we don’t have canned green chillies. what would be a good alternative?
Hi Beth – You could simply omit them, but you can also add a poblano pepper or some additional jalapeño peppers (maybe an addition 1/2 to this recipe). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
So good!!
Excellent! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Cara. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it.
Delicious
Oh my gosh, made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing!!! One of the best soup recipe I’ve come across in a while 👏👏👏 I had to skip the green chili peppers for the little one and was a little worried a little flavor was going to be missing, but it was DELICIOUS!
Woo! So happy to hear this, Jaimee! Thank you for making this recipe and coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it.
I’m have to track my calories, protein, etc- after WLS surgery. I’m trying ti determine this info for a 1 cup serving. I’m having trouble figuring out exactly how much is in 1/6 of the recipe. I eat very small portions and feel sure I’m not eating 1/6 of the recipe. Can you help?
The recipe is DELICIOUS and I want to keep making it AND sharing it.
Hi, Allison! Unfortunately, I don’t know how much this recipe makes in volume. I think your best bet would be to make the soup, measure how much you get total, and then see what 6 servings would be (for instance, if it makes 6 cups total, 1 cup would be one serving). I apologize I don’t have a better answer for you.