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This is literally the BEST White Chicken Chili recipe ever. It’s been my go-to for over 6 years now, and I can almost guarantee I make it a few times every year.
My old roomie texted me the other day asking where this recipe was on the blog (I used to make it allll the time when we lived together), and I was like gal just search for it… well, as I started looking and looking…, it was NO WHERE to be found.
Unacceptable. I knew I had to get the recipe posted STAT so you babes could still enjoy during soup season.
It’s loaded with shredded chicken, chicken broth, navy beans, green chiles, and all kinds of delicious spices, and of course, any and all toppings. Go ahead, load it UP. I personally love topping this white chili with diced tomatoes, red onion, cubed avocado, jalepeno, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a dollop of salsa. It’s such a yummy and flavorful combo.
If you’d like to make this in your crockpot, go right ahead! Put your raw chicken in the crockpot with onion, garlic, broth, and spices. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 8. Wait to add the beans and green chiles until 20-30 minutes before serving so they don’t get mushy.
Serve in bowls with toppings of choice and tortilla chips! YUMMMMM to the O!
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5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 2 reviews
1 small dash of ground cloves (a little goes a long way!)
1/4 c chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
TOPPINGS:
Shredded monterey jack cheese
Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Jalepeno slices
Diced red onion
Avocado
Diced cherry tomatoes
Chopped cilantro
Salsa
Tortilla chips
Scale
Instructions
STOVE TOP:
Heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, until onion becomes translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds to a minute more, until its nice and fragrant.
Add broth, beans, chiles, and spices and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, carefully add the raw chicken breasts into the pot and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer another 5-7 minutes, until chicken is cooked. (time depends on the size of of your chicken)
Remove cooked chicken from the pot and shred either on your cutting board or by adding to your stand mixer with your paddle attachment. Add cooked chicken back to the pot, cover and simmer for 20- 30 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper at this time.
Before serving, stir in lime juice and cilantro.
Serve in Bowls with tortilla chips and toppings of choice!
INSTANT POT:
Select the saute function on your instant pot. Wait 1 minute for it to heat up. Add oil, onion and garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Press cancel on your instant pot.
Now add raw chicken breasts, broth, green chiles, beans, and spices, and stir to combine. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to the “sealing” position.
Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
Let it naturally de-pressurize for 8-10 minutes, then carefully (don’t put your face in front or near valve!) switch the valve to “venting” to completely release the steam before opening the lid.
Shred chicken, add lime juice and cilantro, Serve with toppings of choice.
CROCK POT:
Add onion, garlic, chicken, broth, and spices to your crockpot; cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 hours (depending on the strength of your crockpot)
Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the crockpot and shred using stand mixer or two forks.
Add beans, chiles, chicken back to pot and cook another 20 minutes.
Stir in Lime juice and cilantro; serve in bowls with toppings of choice! I highly recommend topping with cilantro, red onion, tomatoes, and salsa.
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Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.
Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. For tomato sauces and stews that don't want dairy, try shredding some cheese on top. Photo by Meredith.
To store: this white chicken chili will stay good in your fridge for about 5 days. Once your chili is completely cooled, just place it in an airtight container (or multiple, if you'd like to meal prep it) without the additional toppings and place it in the fridge.
Adding flour directly into the chili will create lumps. Instead, make a slurry by mixing one tablespoon of cold water with one tablespoon of cornstarch. If you're using all-purpose flour, double the amount of water. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, evenly distributing it throughout the chili.
Chili should be thick and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there's just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot. While you can simply keep simmering the chili, that method risks overcooking softer ingredients like the beans, losing all your nice texture to mushy monotony.
Chili recipes need time for flavors to meld and come together, and collagen-rich meat (like chuck roast or ground beef) needs 90 minutes to two hours to fully break down and become tender. If you don't have time for a long simmer, try using a slow cooker or making it the day before.
Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.
Cornmeal: Add a tablespoon of cornmeal or masa harina while stirring continuously. Mashed Beans: Mash a portion of the beans and stir them into the chili to thicken it. Crushed Tortilla Chips: Crushed tortilla chips can also be added as a thickening agent.
It sounds weird to put honey in chili, but it really works here. There is a lot of spice and strong flavors in this chili from habanero peppers, chipotle peppers. The honey helps balance all the spicy flavors without being overly sweet and plays well with the fruity flavor of the habanero peppers.
White Bean Chili and Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
This combination lends itself well to the minerality of many Sauvignon Blancs. Additionally, white bean chilis with white meat poultry tend to have a creamier texture that matches well with a buttery Chardonnay.
Remember, perishable foods like homemade chili should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, as this can encourage bacteria growth and potentially lead to food poisoning symptoms such as stomach cramps.
Make a cornstarch slurry: Mix together 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water, stirring well to remove any lumps. Then, stir the slurry into your chili and let it simmer for another 10 minutes to fully thicken.
In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with the cold milk or water until smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and return the chicken, then, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking on high for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
Cornmeal: Add a tablespoon of cornmeal or masa harina while stirring continuously. Mashed Beans: Mash a portion of the beans and stir them into the chili to thicken it. Crushed Tortilla Chips: Crushed tortilla chips can also be added as a thickening agent.
Add more water or tomato sauce if it's too thick. Keeping the lid on can keep the steam in resulting in thinner chili. Also, if I cook chili in the crock pot it is usually thinner, as the lid collects the steam rather than it evaporating.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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