Description
This White Bean Chicken Chili is a hearty and flavorful dish perfect for cozy dinners. Packed with tender shredded chicken, white beans, corn, and a blend of spices simmered in a mild green enchilada sauce, it’s both comforting and nutritious. The recipe offers two cooking methods: stovetop in a Dutch oven or quick preparation using an Instant Pot. Serve it with jalapeños, sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro for a delightful Tex-Mex experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 (19-ounce) can mild green enchilada sauce
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 (14-ounce) cans white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
Optional Toppings
- Sliced jalapeño
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Tortilla strips
- Cotija cheese
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare Aromatics: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until glistening. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook Chicken and Combine Ingredients: Stir in the chicken breasts, chicken stock, mild green enchilada sauce, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Increase heat to high, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Shred Chicken and Optional Thickening: Remove the chicken breasts and place on a plate. Using two forks, shred the chicken finely. For a thicker chili, transfer 2 cups of the soup, including beans and vegetables, to a blender and blend until nearly smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree about a quarter of the chili. Return the blended chili into the Dutch oven.
- Add Vegetables and Heat: Stir in the drained white beans, corn, and diced red bell pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the bell pepper is tender and beans are heated through.
- Combine Chicken and Lime Juice: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the fresh lime juice for brightness and flavor.
- Serve: Divide the chili into 6 bowls. Add optional toppings such as sliced jalapeño, sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro as desired.
- Instant Pot Variation – Sauté Aromatics: Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté mode and heat the olive oil until glistening. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Instant Pot – Add Ingredients and Pressure Cook: Add the beans, chicken breasts, chicken stock, enchilada sauce, corn, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and diced bell pepper to the Instant Pot. Lock the lid, close the vent, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once done, manually release the pressure.
- Instant Pot – Shred Chicken and Blend: Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. For thicker chili, blend 2 cups of the chili until smooth and return to the pot, or use an immersion blender to blend one quarter of the pot.
- Instant Pot – Final Simmer: Return shredded chicken to the pot, stir in lime juice, and set to sauté mode uncovered. Simmer for about 5 minutes to meld flavors and heat through.
- Instant Pot – Serve: Dish into bowls and add desired toppings like jalapeño slices, sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and cilantro.
Notes
- Blending part of the chili helps thicken the texture but can be skipped if preferred thinner.
- Use an immersion blender for convenience and less cleanup.
- Adjust chili powder and jalapeño toppings to control spiciness.
- This chili can be made ahead and tastes better the next day once flavors meld.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
