Healthy White Chicken Chili

Healthy White Chicken Chili recipe is a 30 minute meal with the option of making it 3 different ways. Whether made on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot or a slow cooker, this healthy chicken chili is easy and extremely popular for a reason! Serve with tortilla chips or almond flour cornbread, avocado slices, and your favorite cheese!

A true crowd pleaser just like this buffalo chicken chili, chili with ground chicken and this ground turkey chili recipe.

Soup and stew, no matter where you’re from, will always be comfort food, especially when there’s a chill in the air. I did not grow up in Ukraine eating any kind of chili, especially white chicken chili.

We warmed up every single day with bowls of borscht and healthy chicken noodle soup.

So, chili, in general, is something I’ve learned to love over the years and healthy white chicken chili is a welcome change to the traditional beef chili that I was first introduced to.

Both are hearty, wholesome, and delicious healthy chili recipes, but the creamy, slightly salty, flavorful white chicken chili is a nice way to switch it up!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Lighter meal: This version of a very popular dish is healthier as it doesn’t require any cream cheese or heavy cream. Instead, I use plain Greek yogurt which is high in protein and still gives it that creamy velvety texture.
• Delicious: Made with tender beans, juicy kernels of corn, shredded chicken, green chilies, and a tasty broth infused with tons of delicious flavor and texture. The slightly mashed cooked beans also give it the body and heartiness. It doesn’t skimp on flavor and rivals any gourmet restaurant soup recipe!
• Family friendly recipe: It’s not too spicy, so the kids will have no problem polishing off their bowls.
• Quick to make: The entire recipe comes together in as little as 30 minutes, depending on your cooking method (white chicken chili in crockpot will slow cook longer).
• Easy to make 3 different ways: In the crockpot, on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. You decide!
• Perfect for meal prep: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge or frozen, so make a big batch and meal prep lunches for the week!

Ingredients for Healthy White Chicken Chili

To make this healthy white chicken chili, you will need just a few simple ingredients.

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts come with a lot of meat and are easy to shred once cooked and start falling apart.
• Beans and corn: When cooked, great Northern beans or cannellini beans, are buttery and just melt in your mouth. They add to the creaminess and the juicy corn gives it added texture with a bit of sweetness from the juice. Use frozen corn, quickly cook corn on the cob in Instant Pot or use leftover crock pot corn on the cob.
• Aromatics: Onion and garlic are needed to impart flavor into the entire dish.
• Diced green chilies: A can of this will add not only a bit of heat but flavor too!
• Chicken broth: Look for low sodium broth, if you can. If you’ve got some homemade chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken broth, by all means, use that!
• Herbs and spices: Ground cumin, dried oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. You can adjust any of these to your preferences. Fresh cilantro is perfect to add some vibrant herbaceous notes or skip all together.
• Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds the thick and rich body that the base of the white bean chicken chili needs without the heaviness of processed cream cheese and heavy cream. Be sure to use yogurt with at least 2% fat.
• Fresh lime juice: The acid from the lime juice is exactly what this chili needs to cut through the creaminess.
• Oil: I use avocado oil because of its heat tolerance and health benefits. Olive oil will work just as well.
• For serving: Tortilla chips, avocado, yogurt, fresh limes.

How to Make White Chicken Chili on the Stove

Here is a quick overview how to make healthy white chicken chili on the stove. Crockpot and Instant Pot versions are down below. Also there is detailed recipe card with all 3 cooking options at the end of this post.

• Saute veggies with spices: Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes. Then add spices for 30 seconds to allow them to release their flavors. You want to stir at this point constantly to prevent burning.
• Mash the beans: Mash about 1 cup of white beans with a fork and a bit of water, if necessary. Beans starch will thicken the chili as it cooks. I find mashing beans before rather than after cooking much easier. Especially, because there is no blender to wash.
• Cook the chili: Then add chicken, broth, green chilies, corn and simmer for 20 minutes. The tight lid on a heavy bottom pot or even better option Dutch oven cooks chili fast.
• Shred the chicken: You can do it inside the pot with two forks. I like to use meat claws (also great for chicken salad), so I remove chicken and place it on the cutting board and then shred.

• Combine with seasonings: Return chicken to the pot along with lime juice, cilantro, and yogurt. Make sure the stove is off, so the yogurt doesn’t curdle. Your white chicken chili recipe is ready!

Make It in the Crock Pot

The difference between stovetop and crockpot white bean chicken chili is that you have to saute onion, garlic, and spices in the skillet and then transfer them to the slow cooker. And add only 1 cup broth.

• Cook veggies in a skillet: Saute onion, garlic, and spices in the skillet. Transfer to a large slow cooker.
• Combine in the slow cooker: Mash 1 cup of beans and add to the slow cooker along with other whole beans, only 1 cup of broth, chicken, and corn.
• Cook: Cover and cook on Low heat for 6 hours or on High heat for 3 hours.
• Shred meat and season: Shred chicken and return it to the crockpot along with cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt.

Make It in the Instant Pot

If you know me, you know I am obsessed with Instant Pot recipes. It just makes healthy dinner a reality and so much easier.

I do have an official Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe. However, here is a quick run down:

• No need to saute: You don’t have to saute the veggies or spices. Food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful.
• Add and cook: Just throw everything in the Instant Pot in the order listed in the recipe (please note only 1 cup of broth). Pressure Cook on High pressure for 20 minutes.
• Quick release, shred, and season: Quick Release the pressure. Shredding the chicken can be done right in the pot because it’s stainless steel. Add cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt.

Tips for Best Results

• Chicken broth amount varies: For each different cooking method, pay attention to the amount of liquid used. The Instant Pot and slow cooker only require 1 cup whereas the stovetop requires 3 cups of chicken broth. This is because cooking on the stovetop will allow more of the liquid to evaporate.
• Make it more creamy: The base is already thick and creamy, and the beans are nice and buttery, but if you like your soup even more blended, pulse it with an immersion blender for a few seconds until desired consistency is reached.
• Make it thicker: If you find using the Greek yogurt doesn’t give you thick enough results you’re after, you can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up a bit.
• Don’t use non-fat yogurt: 0% or 1% yogurt lacks flavor and body. It tastes quite chalky on its own. This creamy chili recipe relies on the fat in yogurt because all other ingredients do not contain any of it.

Variations

• Cream cheese: If cream cheese is what you have on hand and you don’t mind using it, make classic white chicken chili with cream cheese instead of Greek yogurt or in addition to it.
• Using chicken thighs: Instead of chicken breasts, use the same weight of boneless skinless chicken thighs. No changes to the recipe are necessary.
• Leftover cooked chicken: Use leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken or from another recipe. I use Instant Pot shredded chicken breast, Instant Pot chicken breast or even Instant Pot frozen chicken frequently. Add it in the beginning just like when you would add raw chicken. Super flavorful and even easier!
• Using fresh corn on the cob: Scrape off the kernels if you’ve got an abundance of corn from the market or garden.
• No heat: If you want to keep peppers in your soup but none of the kick, swap for sauteed diced bell peppers. Green for savory and red for a sweeter flavor.
• Other spices: Ground coriander is a nice addition to increasing the flavor profile.

Toppings Ideas

When it comes to chili toppings, it is all about personal taste, heat preference and availability. This healthy white chicken chili is mouthwatering and delicious all on its own but that doesn’t mean you can’t load it up with your favorite toppings:

• Cilantro: Never too much but I know some people find it soapy. You can also omit it!
• Yogurt: Or sour cream which is creamier.
• Tortilla chips. Crunchy, crispy, and slightly salty are great for dipping!
• Avocado: If you have a ripe one, dice it or slice it and serve on top.
• Heat: If you can handle the heat, fresh sliced jalapeno with seeds is amazing addition.
• Cheese: Top with shredded cheese for additional cheesiness. Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and even Parmesan would work. Or crumbled Cotija cheese is a classic!

What to Serve Healthy White Chicken Chili with?

• Serve chili traditionally with some healthy cornbread or healthy cornbread muffins for extra carbs and fiber.
• Make a classic soup and salad combo with simple butter lettuce salad or lettuce salad recipe.
• If you are feeding hungry boys like I am, try a classic soup and sandwich pairing with grilled cheese.
• Have fiesta night with guacamole and pico de gallo!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: This white chicken chili recipe serves 6 people. It was enough for our family of 4 for dinner and then Alex and I finished it for lunch, so you may not have any leftovers for long. But if you do, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze: If you’re serving only 1 or 2 people, make the entire batch of chili and freeze any leftovers. Because there is not much dairy, chili will thaw just fine. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also make this recipe as a freezer meal, following my freezer meals instructions.

Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on low heat on the stove, in the slow cooker, or steam in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes. The nice thing about a pressure cooker is that you can thaw chili from frozen.

FAQs

More Healthy Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot turkey chili
• Instant Pot lasagna
• Instant Pot white chicken lasagna soup
• Instant Pot lentil soup
• Healthy mac and cheese