Hearty, Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili

This Hearty, Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili is bursting with fabulous flavor. We love that it's also loaded with fresh veggies and lean protein! A triple win!

Although we have a ton of chili recipes in our archives, I love coming up with new renditions for several reasons. First of all, chili is a perfect way to incorporate lots of veggies and protein into our everyday meals uniquely and deliciously. Chili is also wonderful because it seems to get better the next day, as all the flavors have had a chance to meld and marry. That means it's a great make-ahead option for entertaining. Another thing I love about chili is that leftovers can be warmed up quickly on busy days for easy lunches and dinners on the run. This White Bean Chicken Chili ticks all those boxes!

Never boring

Chili is never boring to me. Maybe it's because I rarely make the same recipe more than once except, of course, when I'm testing a new recipe. But there's also the toppings... You can take the same chili and give it a whole new personality with a set of different toppings. Here are some of our favorite chili garnishes:

• Sour cream and Greek yogurt are always delicious ways to add a layer of silky creamy texture.
• Grated or shredded cheese. There are so many options here, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Co-Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby. For a more authentically Mexican flavor profile, you can use crumbled cotija or queso fresco.
• A squeeze of fresh lime juice seems to brighten and balance the flavor of just about any chili. Plus a wedge or two of fresh lime tucked into the chili is beautiful eye candy!
• A sprinkle of thinly sliced scallions or chopped fresh cilantro makes a delicious garnish.

• A spoonful of this Best Ever, Super Easy Salsa is a fun way to add a little pretty (and super delicious) pizzazz.

• Another fun salsa we enjoy on chili is this fresh, vibrant Pico de Gallo (Salsa Mexicana)

• We love the cool creaminess and the beautiful presentation diced or sliced avocado adds to a bowl of chili.
• A handful of crunchy tortilla strips adds a wonderful layer of contrasting texture. (They're also super easy and economical to make!)

Pile the tortilla strips on each bowl of chili or serve them on the side and let everyone help themselves!

Chop, chop, chop!

This White Bean Chicken Chili is super easy to make but there is a LOT of chopping! There's onion, bell peppers, celery and jalapenos that all need to be diced nice and small. This can be a tedious job but it doesn't have to be! I use my trusty Vidalia Chopper to make quick work of the chopping. You might laugh but I used Alexa to time myself and it took less than 4 minutes to wash and chop all the veggies!

This is not a sponsored post. I just love this little kitchen workhorse. It works well with onions, peppers, carrots, potatoes, squash, fennel, apples, pears, I use mine practically every day and when Scott hears the whack, whack, whack, he knows that a good, healthy lunch or dinner is just around the corner!

Because this is one of my favorite timesavers, I asked my daughter-in-law, Lindsay to make a video demonstrating how this magical gadget works. We call it "The Ridiculously Easy Way to Chop Veggies". Check it out:

Make it!

I sent a container of this chili over to our neighbors a few days ago. The next day I got this text:

"the chili was delicious!! We had it for dinner last night with some grilled cheese sandwiches and it was fantastic, thank you again!"

So pick up a rotisserie chicken and whatever else you're missing on the ingredient list. Put together a pot of this White Bean Chicken Chili and wait for the smiles and rave reviews around the table!

Cafe Tips for making this White Bean Chicken Chili

• This recipe calls for 3 cans of navy beans. Navy beans are generally the smallest white beans you'll find in cans. Great Northern or cannellini beans will also work well. You could also use a combination for a pretty visual presentation.
• The ingredient list for this White Bean Chicken Chili includes one tablespoon of honey. The honey doesn't make the chili sweet but simply balances the flavor.
• This is not a spicy chili, however, if you prefer more heat, just add extra chili powder.
• I use rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Leftover chicken will also work. You can cut it up into bite-size pieces or shredd the meat, whichever you prefer.
• We love to serve this chili with a bowl of these Oven-Baked Tortilla Strips. The tortilla strips add a nice crunchy texture. You can easily make the tortilla strips while the chili is simmering.
• This recipe calls for canned corn. I really like Green Giant Niblets Corn or Green Giant Shoepeg Corn. Both of these varieties are sweet and crisp with tiny kernels of corn. You can find these at most grocery stores with the other canned corn varieties.
• If it's corn season and you have fresh corn, feel free to sub 1-2 cups of fresh cut-from-the-cob corn. Good quality frozen corn will also work.
• I use low-sodium chicken broth for this White Bean Chicken Chili. If your broth is not low-sodium, reduce the salt a bit.
• This is as thick, hearty chili. If you prefer it a little soupier, just add additional chicken broth. If you do add additional low-sodium chicken broth, take a taste and adjust the salt if needed.
• One of the spices in this recipe is ground cumin. Regular cumin will work fine but I really like this Organic Roasted Cumin. It has a wonderful toasted depth of flavor. Mine was getting low so I just ordered another bottle as they don't carry this at my local grocery.

 Thought for the day:

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

What we're listening to for inspiration:

The Love of God

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Hearty, Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili

Chris Scheuer

This Hearty, Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili is bursting with fabulous flavor. We love that it's also loaded with fresh veggies and lean protein! A triple win!

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings 16 servings

Calories 195

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

For the prep:

• 6 6-inch corn tortillas

For the chili:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 1 large sweet onion, diced small
• 2 medium orangee or yellow bell pepper, diced small (or one of each!)
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced small
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded, if desired and finely chopped
• 6 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• ½- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, more to taste
• 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 15-ounce cans cans navy or Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chilis
• 2 medium bay leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

To finish:

• 3-4 cups diced or shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken
• 1-2 11-ounce cans crisp, small corn, I like Steam-Fresh

Instructions

 

For the prep:

1. Stack the tortilla strips on top of each other. Cut the stack in half then stack the halves onto of each other. Cut the tortillas in half lengthwise the slice them width wise into thin strips. (As thin as you can cut them.) Set aside.

For the chili:

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil and butter. When the mixture starts to sizzle a bit, add the diced onion, bell pepper, celery and jalapeno. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minute or until the onion is translucent.
2. Push the veggies to the sides of the pot and reduce the heat slightly. If the center of the pot is dry, add a little extra oil. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano and one half teaspoon of the chili powder. Stir, keeping the mixture in the center of the pot for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. (This will “bloom” the spices, herbs and garlic, which helps bring out the flavor.)
3. Add the chicken broth, drained and rinsed beans, honey, green chilies, bay leaves, kosher salt and prepared tortilla strips. Stir to combine, increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 45-55 minutes or until the tortilla strips have “melted” into the broth mixture.
5. Taste and add more chili powder and/or salt, if needed.
6. Add the rotisserie chicken and corn. Stir to combine and rewarm a bit before serving.

To serve:

1. We like to serve this chili with crispy tortilla strips, diced or sliced avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced green onion, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and/or pickled red onion.
2. This chili keeps well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the chili gets too thick, add a splash of additional chicken broth
3. You can also freeze this chili. Thaw completely before reheating.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 16gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 704mgPotassium: 477mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 624IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American