White Chicken Chili from Bone-in Chicken (2024)

4.58 from 7 votes

• Chicken—Use about 3 pounds of skin-on bone-in split chicken breasts or thighs.
• Chicken broth—low sodium,
• Beans—Great Northern beans, Cannellini beans, or Navy beans drained and rinsed.
• Aromatics—Onion and garlic
• Peppers—Green chilies and jalapeno pepper.
• Chili spices— include cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and white or black pepper.
• Thicken (optional)—Masa flour or corn starch. I usually skip thickening.
• Milk and cheese (optional)—can be added to make it creamier.

👨‍🍳How to Make White Bean Chicken Chili with Split Chicken Breasts

1. Trim the split chicken breasts. and cover with broth in a large stockpot and simmer covered until 165°—about 40 minutes.
2. Remove and allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes, and then hand shred discarding the skin and bones.
3. Mince garlic, chop an onion, and clean and mince a jalapeno.
4. Combine all ingredients, except any thickener, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Adjust the jalapeno or cayenne pepper to adjust the heat of the chili.
6. Optional thickening with corn starch or Masa flour. Make it creamy with optional milk and shredded Pepper Jack cheese.

This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for complete instructions.

Option—using rotisserie chicken

You can also use precooked rotisserie chicken. You will need about 4 to 5 cups of shredded precooked chicken. Pick up the instructions after the shredding of the chicken.

What to serve with white chicken chili

Garnish with cheese, sour cream, slices of avocado, or cilantro. Serve with salsa, pico de gallon tortilla chips, and guacamole.

Add Old Fashioned Cornbread or some Cornmeal Biscuits to round out your meal.

How to store and reheat leftovers

Cover airtight in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or store in the freezer sealed in an airtight container for 3 months.

Reheat on the stovetop over medium-high heat or in a microwave. If frozen, thaw first.

❓FAQs

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Trim 2-3 pounds of skin-on bone-in chicken breasts (split chicken breasts) or thighs of any trimmable fat, then cut in half to aid cooking.

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover it with 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease to low to simmer. Cover with the lid and cook until internal temp is 165°—about 40 minutes.

Mince 4 cloves of garlic and chop a large onion. Then prep the jalapeno by splitting it and removing the seeds and veins before mincing.

Remove the chicken and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then hand shred discarding the skin and bones. Combine all ingredients except thickener or optional dairy products, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Options:

Thickening (I usually don't): Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch or Masa flour in ¼ cup cold water and mix until smooth. Combine the slurry with the soup and frequently stir for another 10 minutes. Repeat if needed.

Make it creamier: Add 1 cup of milk or cream. You can also add 1-2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese.

White Chicken Chili from Bone-in Chicken

Based on a Pioneer Woman recipe using skin-on bone-in chicken to add more flavor. This will become your favorite chili with hearty white beans, tender chicken, and a rich, spicy broth.Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions.

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Servings #/Adjust if desired 12 servings

Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

Your Own Private Notes

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 175.5 kcal (9%)Carbohydrates : 5.9 g (2%)Protein : 19.9 g (40%)Fat : 8.2 g (13%)Saturated Fat : 2.3 g (12%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 1.8 gMonounsaturated Fat : 3.4 gTrans Fat : 0.1 gCholesterol : 48.4 mg (16%)Sodium : 292.3 mg (12%)Potassium : 397.4 mg (11%)Fiber : 1.2 g (5%)Sugar : 1.2 g (1%)Vitamin A : 182.4 IU (4%)Vitamin C : 4.3 mg (5%)Calcium : 35.7 mg (4%)Iron : 1.7 mg (9%)

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

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