BEST White Chicken Chili

Sharing our favorite white chicken chili recipe today! There is something magical about a giant pot of simmering chili. Can’t wait for you to try my BEST White Chicken Chili.

White Chicken Chili

Chili night is always a favorite in our home! The kids love personalizing their own bowls with toppings of their choice. This easy white chicken chili recipe is one of our favorites to enjoy all year round, but is even more delicious during the chili months of the year. You’ll love this perfectly spiced hearty chili recipe.

Try my Perfect Weeknight Chili Recipe too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

Ingredients For Chili Recipe

While making chili can be easy, there are a number of ingredients you’ll need for the perfect chili! If you are making a chicken chili, I would recommend using a fresh Rotisserie Chicken for the shredded chicken in this recipe. They’re generally packed with flavor and saves you time in the kitchen. You can also look in your grocery store’s produce department for already chopped vegetables. I found these perfectly diced onions at my grocery store and am all for time saving ingredients!

Can I Substitute White Beans For Other Varieties?

You can use your favorite beans for this recipe, but for white chili, I prefer the white Great Northern Beans. Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans all work just fine too.

 

How To Make White Chicken Chili

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. When hot, add onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until softened. Add chicken, chicken broth, beans, salsa verde, Ranch Dressing Mix, cumin, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cilantro. Stir and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes before serving. Simmer for a couple hours for even better flavor! Serve each bowl or cup of chili with toppings of choice.

Add the rotisserie chicken to the big pot of chili.

Mistakes To Avoid When Making Chili

1. Don’t Add raw meat to your chili, make sure it’s browned first. The first order of business before adding anything else to the pot is to brown any meat in your recipe. This important step adds an extra savory flavor that simply cannot be replicated by simmering on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Plus, the texture is vastly improved when the meat is seared.
2. Don’t buy the store bought “chili seasonings.” Use fresh ground cumin and chili powder and other seasonings to taste.
3. Don’t wait to season the chili until the end, season as you go! Season early and season often. When you add seasoning early on, the flavors develop an even rich taste while the chili simmers. Taste test along the way.
4. Don’t forget a squeeze or two of lime juice before serving! This brings a bright tang to each bite.
5. Have LOTS of toppings available for your guests, not just cheese and sour cream 🙂 See my favorite chili toppings at the bottom of this post.

Pour in the chicken broth. I like to use a reduced sodium chicken broth so I can add salt when needed to my recipe.

What’s The Best Kind of Pot To Use To Make Chili?

For years, I’ve used the Le Creuset line of cast iron skillet pots. They are a bit of an investment, but if you get one in each size that you use most often, they will last you for years and years. I’m not kidding, I’ve had mine for over 10 years and they’re still in excellent condition. Check TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshalls for Le Creuset at a discounted price. Usually a number to choose from.

Add about 1 cup of your favorite mild salsa verde. This gives the chili great flavor. We’ve used the Herdez brand for years. It’s great!

I’m a huge fan of adding Ranch Dressing seasoning to my soups and chili recipes. Brings another layer of flavor. You can leave it out if you’d rather, but you’ll need to adjust seasonings if leaving it out.

A big handful of cumin for that perfect chili flavor!

I like to add the chopped fresh cilantro 30 minutes before serving. Keeps the color and love the freshness it brings!

Tips For Making The Best Chili

1. When you’ve got the time, it’s all about the simmer. The longer you simmer, the more amazing flavor you’ll get.
2. I like to place a whole Anaheim Chili inside the chili to simmer as well. You get even more flavor this way!
3. Serve this recipe with a nice chef salad with lots of vegetables.
4. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  Mason Jars work great too.

The Best Toppings For Chili

1. Avocado
2. Sour Cream
3. Cilantro
4. Diced tomatoes
5. Salsa
6. Cheese
7. Onion
8. Jalapenos
9. Crackers

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