White Chicken Chili (Creamy, One Pot, 36g Protein)

This white chicken chili is made in one pot on the stove with chicken breasts, great northern beans, green chiles and cream cheese. I make it this way, and it comes out thick and creamy, with a mild green chile warmth rather than real heat. It takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.

Below you’ll find the recipe, how to keep the cream cheese from clumping, how to thicken it without flour, and what happens to the numbers if you swap the cream cheese for cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. Each bowl has about 364 calories, 36g of protein and 7g of fiber, calculated from USDA data.

What Do You Need for White Chicken Chili?

You need chicken, white beans, green chiles, broth, cream cheese and a few pantry spices. Here’s what each one does.

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They simmer whole in the broth, then get shredded. That’s where most of the protein comes from: raw chicken breast has 22.5g of protein per 100g, according to USDA FoodData Central (FDC 171077).
• 2 cans (15 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed. They’re mild and creamy, and mashing some of them is what thickens the pot.
• 2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles, with their liquid. They give white chili its flavor, more tangy than spicy.
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth. Low-sodium broth keeps the finished chili at about 691mg of sodium per bowl instead of about 1,100mg.
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes. This is half of a standard 8 oz block.
• Onion, garlic and spices: 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Any white bean works. Cannellini beans are larger and a little firmer, and navy beans are smaller and break down faster. Have extra cans? Our dense bean salad turns them into a make-ahead lunch.

How Do You Make White Chicken Chili on the Stove?

Soften the onion, toast the spices, simmer the chicken whole in the broth, shred it, then add the beans and melt in the cream cheese at the end. Cooking the chicken in the broth means the broth picks up its flavor, and there’s no second pan to wash.

1. Cook the onion in olive oil until soft, then add the garlic.
2. Stir in the spices for 1 minute, then add the green chiles.
3. Add the broth and whole chicken breasts and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Shred the chicken with two forks and mash 1 cup of the beans.
5. Return everything to the pot and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
6. Lower the heat and stir in the cream cheese until smooth.

Chicken is safe once it reaches 165°F, the USDA’s safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. Check the thickest breast with an instant-read thermometer before you shred it. Thicker breasts can take a few minutes longer.

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Alex

White Chicken Chili

Creamy white chicken chili made in one pot on the stove with chicken breasts, great northern beans, green chiles and cream cheese. About 364 calories and 36g protein per bowl.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 bowls

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 364

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cans diced green chiles 4 oz each, with liquid
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3
• 2 cans great northern beans 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 4 oz cream cheese softened and cubed

Optional toppings

• cilantro, sliced jalapeños, avocado, lime wedges, sour cream or crushed tortilla chips

Method

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
2. Stir in the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the green chiles with their liquid.
3. Add the broth and the whole chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest breast reaches 165°F.
4. Move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. While it rests, mash 1 cup of the beans with a fork.
5. Return the chicken to the pot with all of the beans, whole and mashed. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until thickened.
6. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese cubes for 2 to 3 minutes, until melted and smooth. Taste, adjust the salt and serve with toppings.

Notes

• Smooth cream cheese: soften it and cut it into cubes, then melt it over low heat. Don’t let the chili boil hard afterward.
• Thicker chili: simmer uncovered a little longer, or mash more of the beans.
• Lighter swap: use 1 cup blended cottage cheese or full-fat Greek yogurt instead of the cream cheese, stirred in off the heat (about 335 calories and 2g saturated fat per bowl).
• Storage: refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days or freeze up to 3 to 4 months. Reheat to 165°F with a splash of broth.
• Nutrition is per bowl (1 of 6), without toppings, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (FDC 171077, 2644294, 168577, 173418, 171609, 170000, 169230, 171413, 170923, 171328, 171319, 173468, 170931). Regular broth instead of low-sodium raises sodium to about 1,100mg.

How Do You Keep Cream Cheese From Clumping?

Cold cream cheese dropped into hot chili as one block tends to leave little white lumps. Three habits prevent it.

• Soften it first. Take it out of the fridge when you start cooking, or microwave it for 15 seconds.
• Cut it into cubes. Small pieces melt evenly instead of leaving a cold center.
• Melt it over low heat. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until it disappears, and don’t let the chili boil hard afterward.

If lumps still show up, whisk a ladle of the hot broth with them in a bowl until smooth, then stir it back in.

How Do You Thicken White Chicken Chili?

Mash some of the beans. One cup of mashed great northern beans releases enough starch to turn the broth thick, and the cream cheese finishes the job. If yours is still thinner than you like, try one of these:

• Simmer longer, lid off, for another 10 minutes so the broth reduces.
• Blend a cup of the chili (beans and broth only) and stir it back in.
• Add masa harina. Whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons into a little broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Start with less broth next time, about 2½ cups.

Can You Use Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt Instead of Cream Cheese?

Yes, and either one cuts the saturated fat by more than half. I use cream cheese in mine. Here’s how the per-bowl numbers change if you swap the 4 oz of cream cheese for 1 cup of blended cottage cheese or 1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values (FDC 173418, 172179 and 171304).

Blend cottage cheese until completely smooth first, or the curds stay visible. Stir either swap in off the heat, because yogurt and cottage cheese can curdle if the chili boils after they go in. More ways to cook with it are in our cottage cheese recipes roundup.

White Chicken Chili vs Red Chili: What’s the Difference?

White chicken chili skips the tomatoes and red chili base. Instead it uses chicken, white beans, green chiles and a creamy finish. Compared with our turkey chili, a classic red chili, each bowl here has more protein and less sodium, with a little less fiber.

The protein gap comes mostly from the meat: this recipe uses 1½ pounds of chicken breast, while the turkey chili uses 1 pound of ground turkey.

Can You Make White Chicken Chili in a Slow Cooker?

Yes. Soften the onion and toast the spices in a skillet first for the best flavor. Then put everything except the cream cheese into the slow cooker, using 2½ cups of broth, since the lid traps moisture. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Shred the chicken, mash some beans, and stir in the softened cream cheese for the last 15 minutes. I make mine on the stove, so treat these times as a starting point.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central: Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw (FDC 171077); Beans, great northern, canned, sodium added, drained and rinsed (FDC 2644294); Peppers, chili, green, canned (FDC 168577); Cheese, cream (FDC 173418); Soup, chicken broth, low sodium, canned (FDC 171609) and ready-to-serve (FDC 174536); Cheese, cottage, creamed (FDC 172179); Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk (FDC 171304); onion (FDC 170000), garlic (FDC 169230), olive oil (FDC 171413), cumin (FDC 170923), oregano (FDC 171328), chili powder (FDC 171319), salt (FDC 173468), black pepper (FDC 170931); retrieved 2026-10-16. fdc.nal.usda.gov
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, retrieved 2026-10-16. fsis.usda.gov
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, retrieved 2026-10-16. fsis.usda.gov