White Bean Chicken Chili is made with rotisserie chicken, hearty beans, corn and peppers. It’s a lighter alternative to beef chili but still a satisfying dinner for two.
Chilis are great meals to serve during cold weather and if you like it hot, add sliced hot Jalapeno peppers. I added Jalapeno pepper halves during the cooking part and took them out before serving. This way there is only a touch of heat.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
There are quite a number of ingredients in this recipe, but once you have chopped everything it does come together quickly.
- Rotisserie chicken
- Cannellini beans
- Corn – fresh or canned
- Onion – sweet or yellow onion
- Chicken stock
- Poblano pepper
- Jalapeno pepper
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Avocado – optional
- Sour cream – optional
- Cotija – Mexican-style cheese
- Spices – cumin, coriander, chili powder
How to make White Bean Chicken Chili
Step 1 – Add a tablespoon of oil to a large pot (Dutch oven) or saute pan and heat. Add chopped onion, chopped poblano peppers and halved jalapeno pepper (seeds removed). Cook and stir frequently for a few minutes. Add the garlic, spices and salt & pepper and stir again.
Step 2 – Add half of the white beans + some chicken stock to a blender and puree (this will help make the chili more creamy as it binds a little).
Step 3 – Add the beans (pureed and whole), the corn and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes.
Take out the jalapeno pepper halves and discard. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and warm. No need to cook as the chicken is already cooked.
Add a squeeze of lime juice and taste whether more salt & pepper is needed.
Step 4 – Divide the white bean chicken chili over 2 bowls and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado and cheese if you like.
Alternative and substitutes
- Rotisserie Chicken – use left-over chicken or chicken breast from scratch instead.
- Cannellini beans – any type of white beans will do.
- Corn – fresh or canned.
- Onion – sweet or yellow onion. You could add pickled red onions as garnish at the end.
- Chicken stock – or water or vegetable stock.
- Poblano pepper – green bell pepper.
- Jalapeno pepper – you can leave this out entirely or replace with a hotter pepper if you prefer.
- Garlic – clove or garlic paste.
- Cilantro – parsley will do.
- Lime – lemon is an easy alternative.
- Sour cream – or creme fresh or cottage cheese.
- Cotija – shredded cheddar cheese (white of yellow) or Mexican-cheese mixes you can buy.
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper halved and seeded
- 1 poblano pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can cannellini beans 14.5 oz. can
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1 corn on the cob kernels only
- 1 lime
- salt & pepper
Garnish (optional)
- sour cream
- avocado
- Cotija cheese
- lime wedges
- cilantro
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of oil to a large pot or saute pan and heat. Add chopped onion, chopped poblano peppers and halved jalapeno pepper (seeds removed). Cook and stir frequently for a few minutes. (NOTE 1)
- Add the garlic and spices and stir again. (NOTE 2)
- Add half of the white beans + some chicken stock to a blender and puree (this will help make the chili more creamy as it binds a little).
- Add the beans (pureed and whole), the corn and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. (NOTE 3)
- Shred the rotisserie chicken.
- Take out the jalapeno pepper halves and discard. Add the shredded chicken and warm. No need to cook as the chicken is already cooked.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice and taste whether more salt & pepper is needed.
- Divide the white bean chicken chili over 2 bowls and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado and cheese if you like.
Notes
- In my family hot peppers do not rank high on the appreciation ladder, but a touch of heat does. Do I cut the jalapeno pepper in half, discard the seeds and the core and add them as such. Before you serve the chili you can take the jalapeno pepper halves out and you’re left with just a little heat that is not obvious but there in the background. If you do like the heat chop the hot pepper and mix it with the onions.
- I use garlic paste most of the time as it is convenient, especially as I cook for 2 and often threw too many cloves away.
- If you prefer to prepare a chicken breast instead of rotisserie chicken, this is the time to add the chicken and cook it. If you use rotisserie chicken or left-over chicken you need to add it after the cooking time.
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