Description
This Creamy White Chicken Chili recipe is the best one you’ll ever have, I said what I said. It’s a chili that’s loaded with roasted poblano peppers, well-seasoned chicken, hearty beans, salsa verde, cheese, and much more. You’ll love the heartwarming and comforting flavors within this fan-favorite chili. It’s such a staple as it hits the spot, I’m talking lick-the-bowl-clean! So creamy and so decadent!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large poblano peppers
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (or 6 cloves of garlic, finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapeños
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed & drained
- ⅓ cup salsa verde
- 1 cup fire-roasted corn, canned (drained) or frozen (no need to thaw)
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For serving & garnishing chili– optional:
- fried corn tortilla strips, chopped avocado & chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the poblano peppers onto a medium rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and toss to coat peppers in oil. Then roast peppers for 30 minutes until blistered and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken. In a large bowl, combine the chicken breast chunks, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, white pepper, and salt- to taste. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves, if desired) to massage the spices into the chicken until well combined. Cover the bowl and set aside to marinate while the peppers roast.
- Back to the peppers, let them cool down for a few minutes before handling. Then remove the stems and outer papery layer of the peppers (as much of it as you can). Gently slice open the peppers and scrape out the seeds. Transfer the peppers to a cutting board and chop into rough pieces. Then set the chopped poblano peppers aside.
- In a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once sizzling, working in batches, add the chicken chunks into the pot in a single layer. Sauté the chicken until golden brown and caramelized, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Then use a slotted utensil to transfer the sautéed chicken to a clean plate and set aside. Repeat the process until all chicken has been sautéed and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pot. When hot, add the chopped onion and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the chopped poblano peppers and garlic, and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir well to coat and cook out the flour, about 1 minute. Add the diced jalapeños and sautéed chicken along with residual juices into the pot, stirring well to combine.Then slowly pour in the chicken stock or broth with one hand while stirring with the other hand to break up any pockets of flour until it has dissipated. Let the mixture come up to a simmer, about 15-20 minutes.
- Then add the half and half and sour cream, stirring well to fully combine. Add the beans, salsa verde, corn, and shredded cheese- stirring well to fully combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the chili simmer for 20-25 minutes for all the flavors to meld.
- Divide the white chicken chili into serving bowls. Serve chili immediately with a topping of fried corn tortilla strips, chopped avocado, and chopped cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free needs? Swap the all-purpose flour for any gluten-free flour as a 1:1 ratio (we love Bob’s Red Mill gf flour!).
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.