The Greatest White Bean Chicken Chili

White beàn chicken chili simmered in à crockpot with whole roàsted jàlàpenos, tender beàns, corn, ànd leàn chicken breàst. This recipe is fàntàstic if I don’t sày so myself!

White beàn chicken chili is one of my fàvorite comfort foods. À big protein-pàcked bowl is one eàsy wày to sàtisfy my hunger. I let my Crockpot do àll the work by simmering the ingredients, so I don’t hàve to hàng out in the kitchen àll dày.

This recipe is perfect for those làzy dàys so you càn just scoop ànd devour, or pàck it up for à gàthering with friends ànd fàmily. Once you’ve tàsted this chili, I promise you’ll be coming bàck for seconds! If you need à quicker cook time, I provided à stove top option thàt you càn hàve this delicious meàl reàdy in just minutes.

Màking chili in the slow cooker is àn ideàl method becàuse it gives àll of the recipe ingredients time to meld together. Here àre some tips to màximize the flàvor potentiàl of this white beàn chicken chili.

How to make white bean chicken chili in a slow cooker:

• Roasted Chilies: The key to the spiciness and intense flavor is roasting the jalapeños until nice and blistered, and then peeling and de-seeding them before adding them to the Crockpot. The high temperature brings a subtle smokiness to the chili and new flavor compounds from Maillard Browning. If you are a spicy daredevil, leave in the seeds for added heat. Additional canned roasted chilies are added for extra chili flavor.
• Microwave: Pre-cooking the onion, garlic, and cumin together with oil in the microwave quickly softens the vegetable in minutes. It helps bloom and releases the dry earthy notes from the cumin for a stronger flavor.
• White Beans: Great Northern beans or Cannellini beans work nicely. I buy canned beans because they are super affordable, are already pre-cooked, and you don’t have to spend two days making them from scratch.
• Add Creaminess: To create some texture in the soup, add beans, roasted chilis and chicken stock or broth to a blender to create a puree. Only a small amount of each ingredient is mixed, so you still have chunks of bean, corn, cooked chicken and chilis in each spoonful.

After a few hours of slowly simmering in the slow cooker, the white bean chicken chili is ready to serve. This is also an excellent meal prep recipe to make ahead for the next day or through the week.

As you may know, soups tend to taste even better the next day because the flavors get to play and mingle a little more instead of speed date, you know?

Now for the fun stuff, the toppings! Avocado, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, thinly sliced jalapenos or radishes add lots of fresh flavors and texture to the chili.

If you have some tortillas laying around in the kitchen, cut them into about a 1/4-inch strips and then fry them for 2-3 minutes in vegetable oil at 325°F, or until golden and crispy. Do it. You’ll thank me later.

Ingredients:

• 3 jalapeño peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup roasted green chilies, canned, divided
• 2 1/2 cups white beans, (2-15 oz canned) drained
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock, divided
• 1 1/2 cups corn, (15 ounces canned)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Line a small baking sheet with foil.
2. Turn on broil setting on the oven.
3. Evenly space out the three jalapeños on the sheet tray.
4. Place sheet tray on the highest rack in the oven. Roast the jalapeños until the skins brown and blister, turning over as needed to get all the sides roasted, about 15 minutes.
5. Place the roasted chili’s in a small bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the chilies to come to room temperature; the trapped heat will make the skins easier to peel.
6. Once cooled, remove the skin and stems. If you like a very spicy chili, leave the seeds, for a more mild chili remove the seeds and discard. Set the jalapeños aside.
7. In a large microwave-safe bowl add olive oil, diced onions, minced garlic, and cumin. Stir to combine.
8. Microwave for 3 minutes, stir and cook another 2 minutes until onions are tender. Add to slow cooker.
9. Add chicken breasts, ½ cup of the roasted chilies, corn, 1 cup of the white beans, ½ cup chicken stock to the slow cooker.
10. In a blender, puree ½ cup roasted green chilies, roasted jalapeños, 1 cup beans, and ½ cup chicken stock until smooth, 45 seconds. Add to slower cooker.
11. Add salt and pepper to slow cooker.
12. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 6 hours.
13. Remove chicken and shred or cut into cubes.
14. Add back to slow cooker and stir to combine. Taste chili and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve chili with toppings as desired.

NOTES:

• Suggested Toppings: Avocado, Jalapenos, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, and radish.