White Bean Chicken Breast Chili

This ranks up there with my all time favorite soups. First of all, double the recipe, it's too much trouble and too good to only get 4 servings out of this soup. To help you decide how much pepper to use, use the full amount of ancho chili pepper. Ancho chili pepper only adds depth of flavor not heat. I did cut in half the chipotle chili pepper (that is where the heat is. I used the full amount of cayenne. I added a diced red pepper as I sautéed the onion. When you add the beans also add 2 cups of white frozen corn. For the garnish also use broken lime tortilla chips. I promise, doing it this way will not be too spicy hot but just wonderful.

This was fantastic! Absolutely delicious, I loved it! Need I say more? I was worried because I don't like chipolte, but this definitely worked well together. So light and yummy!

This was a win!!! I sautéed cubed chicken, and seasoned it with regular chili powder (all I had on hand) garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin (eyeballed amounts) I subbed a can of diced tomato for 1 cup of the chicken broth...kept everything else the same...quick, easy weeknight meal!

Extremely Spicy- too overwhelming with the different chili powders. I only used one TEASPOON of the ancho chile powder, not one tablespoon as the recipe calls for. I am glad I listened to my common sense. I usually like spicy food, but wish I had reduced the peppers even more. If you want to try this recipe start with 1/4 the amount of ground peppers it calls for, and then add more if you like. I wonder if all the rave reviews came from people who do not have these particular spices in their cabinet, so they substituted a milder chili powder.

I made this tonight, when the boyfriend came home sick. Spicy food always makes him feel better, and man, was this spicy. I made a few changes--I didn't have chipotle or ancho chile powder on hand, so I used a generic chili powder blend, and threw a couple adobo chipotle peppers in with the spices, deseeded and chopped. I added a little cinnamon and just a dash of cloves, because I think they play with the other flavors well, and add a hint of complexity. This is a keeper. It's quick, it's cheap, it's delicious, and if you have a 3 quart skillet, it only uses one pan. A perfect dinner to spice up the middle of the week. No pun intended, honestly.

I used this recipe as a basis for a white bean chicken chili cook off. I won! Of course , I changed a few basic steps to suit my personal taste & spice it up a bit. I used a Costco rotisserie chicken as it has SO much flavor. Then used several packets of the new Campbell's Chicken & quinoa soup as well as chicken broth. I followed the rest of the recipe as written. Oops, A little more cayenne pepper! Lots of cilantro for garnish . It was fabulous! Everyone loved it. It took a long time to make but was worth it. Try it ! You'll be glad you did! I won 1st place out of 12 entries. Yayyyy.

Love chef John's videos and his recipes. This is no exception, except I'm one of those people who do not like cilantro - I replace it with parsley. Also appreciate the white meat gesture. Next time try adding corn as some reviewers suggested (edited Nov 22/15)

I’ll admit that I’m a baby when it comes to spicy food, but my husband enjoys a good fiery dish from time to time. When I cook, I try to reach a happy medium that will satisfy both of us. I was nervous about the amount of chili powder in this recipe so I started with just half the amount. Turns out even that was way too much and hubby agreed. I trust his judgement when he says it’s overkill. The saving grace for this recipe is the toppings. The sour cream cools it down and the fresh cilantro and green onions gives it much needed flavor. Suffice to say, we did not skimp with the toppings!

So good! I wouldn't change a thing.

This recipe is awesome, we only made a few adjustments. We added 1 can of corn drained and one can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Topped with cilantro, green onions, avocado and crushed tortilla chips....... It was so good!

This dish was delicious. Both my husband and I loved it! He knows I'm not crazy about the traditional red chili so he sent me this recipe. So glad he did. I will be making this again and again. I don't understand why reviewers who said they love spicy food found this overly spicy. The recipe only called for a pinch of cayenne pepper. If you still find it spicy, do away with the cayenne pepper and no need to lessen the ancho. Ancho chili powder is really not spicy. It just gives more flavor and body to the dish. Anyway, I did not want to spend another $6 on ancho chili powder when I have a big bag of dried anchos in my pantry. I ground them up in my blender til powdery and must have used twice the amount called for by the recipe. Aside from this, I followed the recipe almost to a "T".

I was making this for a friend and her kid so downplayed the chili - I only put one TBSP of chili powder - plus everyone is gluten and dairy free these days, so didn't use the flour or anything like that. I added tomatoes with jalapenos per other chefs' suggestions, and it was fantastic. I served it with Trader Joe's tomato-less salsa (sweet corn), cilantro, and green onions. (The next day, I put some in ramekins, and cracked an egg on top and served it for brunch. Yum!)

The perfect white chili!

As everyone mentions, this chili has a spicy kick to it. Be prepared to use the sugar to cool it down a little. I modified the recipe slightly by oven roasting the breasts, adding a jalapaño and 10oz frozen corn to a double portion. This chili is crazy good even with the kick! The best alternative I have made to beef so far!!

white bean and chicken chilli

made this as is from recipe, I have never made chili from scratch before...it turned out perfect! And I made it for my chili connesuire boyfriend. Love the heartiness! Perfect cold weather dish! Served up with shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh snipped Cilantro and green onions. YUM!!

onion heavy & not enough spice for my family

Unlike any other "white chili" I've ever had, and so good! Just the right amount of heat. I served mine with fried corn tortillas on the side for dipping. Thanks for another great dinner, Chef John!

The only thing I did differently was quadruple the amounts. It was a little bland. I would definitely try again with a smaller quantity.

This is great! I followed it exactly. If making for more than 2 people I would double. Served with green onions, cilantro, sour cream and cheese on top. I did add abt 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. Yum

Made this as written as I always do the first time I try a new recipe. I feel like it's the only way to give it a fair evaluation. I will say the night I made it I wasn't as jazzed as I expected to be. However, after leaving it in the fridge over night, reheating it and adding the green onions, cilantro, sour cream and some sliced avocado to each serving we were hooked! I will try chicken thighs next time because the breasts are a tad dry. Will also have to try Costco rotisserie chicken as noted by another reviewer.

I made this tonight and the only thing I did differently was add a little bit of coriander and some jalapenos. This was outstanding! The depth of flavors incredible!

bomb diggity.

I cooked the chicken w/onions & spices and then put everything (except the green onions & sour cream) in a crock-pot for a couple of hours. Worked great, but I needed to cut the amount of broth way down, for a doubled recipe 4 cups of broth was plenty. You just won't boil as much off in a crock-pot vs. the stove top.

Chef John is amazing. I made the recipe and it was so fantastic. My husband and I loved it so much that two weeks later I made it again. This time I used rotisserie chicken and it came out just as good. I listened to the video as I was making it And Chef John is so funny, that making this recipe while he guides you through it makes it a pleasant fun time. I guarantee You will love this recipe. Robin G.

This was good but didn't rock my world.

I just looked this up to make it a third time. Never changed a thing in the recipe. Initially, I thought my husband wouldn't like the spiciness. He ate 2 bowls. Thanks Chef John for another great recipe.

This was okay, but not as good as I expected from the reviews. I did add a little less of the spicier spices, but there just wasn't so much flavor, just spice. Added the diced tomatoes with chilies, which was good, a little sugar which helped. Added some Worcestershire pepper as well, but something just not right. Had an excellent white chicken chili that wasn't my recipe, and was using that as my barometer, I guess. This didn't quite measure up. I used Goya small white beans, but I think I would use white kidney beans the next time.

awesome! Didn't change a thing!

Put everything in the slow cooker, and used a rotisserie chicken.

Great flavor and quick to make on a weeknight!

I made this recipe a couple days ago and added and tweaked a few things to fit my particular tastes, which I will be sharing with everyone via a new recipe post. I did not find this recipe to be too spicy--as a latina the flavor profile was familiar and comforting. However, those with a more subdued palate simply need to tweak the different peppers according to their preference. This recipe is a great foundation for a White Bean Chili, using whichever type of chicken you prefer (white or dark meat) adding cup of roasted tomatillos--for those missing the tomato version; adds a bit of tart/acid without altering the color too drastically. However, the sour cream garnish more than makes up for that and balances the dish beautifully. I served mine with a nice Mexican style cornbread.

This is a really good base for a chicken chili. I added fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro and corn.

Followed the recipe to a T but added a little more chili powered and cayenne pepper for our taste buds. Really good flavor. Will keep in my favorites.

This is very good! I don't always follow the recipe exactly, but I did the first time, and we love it!

Awesome! Added 1/2 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa, 1/2 cup vermouth and 1/2 tsp chicken demiglace. Used ground chicken breast. Very savory. Made the broth delicious.

Fantastic. Yummy. Yummy. YUMMY ! EXCELLENT combo of spices ! I made it exactly as listed.

Don't change a thing!!! It is perfect!! My only advice is to make more of it.

Super! It is very spicy though--or perhaps I'm just particularly sensitive--so I ate mine with some lime juice in it. Also, I added corn, which counteracted the spices to a degree.

I added a diced green bell pepper and a can of Goya Spanish Style Tomato Sauce for extra flavor. It came out good! I didn't find it to come out particularly spicy. For me, it had the right hint of heat. I served it will cilantro lime rice and it went very well with the chili. I'd make it again!

This was perfect! I loved it, my family loved it. I made it exactly as Chef John says except when I cut up my chicken it seemed a little too raw still so I browned it some more in a separate pan. I think the breasts I used were even bigger than Chef John's breasts :) One other thing I did is I added a dash of Cayenne which give it a great spiciness. Will be making this again at the request of my son for Super Bowl Sunday. Great with beer by the way!

This recipe was DELICIOUS! The only thing I changed was I added another teaspoon of flour instead of the cornmeal because that’s what I had on hand, and I added a cup of frozen corn. My whole family loved it! I will definitely be making this again! Served with sour cream and tortilla chips. (No green onion or cilantro on hand) Super delicious flavor without having too much heat (spicy). LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

Made double batch for New Year's Eve; threw in a couple thighs, skipped the cilantro (for my hubby)....simmered all afternoon! Very yummy, chipolte adds an interesting kick! Thanks Chef John!

Delicous! I just added a bit of corn I had left over from last night. The better half finished off three servings. :)

The spice combo in this recipe is fantastic. My family and friends loved it! I did make some changes: 1. Used dark meat rather than breast meat. 2. Put in some diced red bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash, just because that's how I always make white chili. 3. I also added some regular chili powder, because I felt it needed a little more zip. Other than that, no changes.

Great chili! I've tried a couple of different recipes, but this by far the best one and will be my go to from now on. Yes, I tweaked it to what I had on hand. Omitted corn meal (allergic). Used chipotle in adobo that I had opened, added tomatoes, green chilies and frozen corn - the corn was the best addition. Super yummy!

If you don't like spice leave out the pepper save the ancho. Also, suggest adding more variety of beans.

Yum! Watch the video, do as he does, double it as others have said, and add a touch of heavy cream if you like, then enjoy! You're very likely to like it very much! My sons are home from college and all my guys gave it a hearty thumbs up!

Great chili. Kids liked it, it wasn't too spicy. I used only one can of beans because the kids don't care for them. If making it again, I would add a small can of corn to sweeten the taste a bit.

Slightly increased the recipe by about 1/3. Topped with a quick Guac instead of sour cream and a squeeze of lime wedge for a little brightness. At the rate this is disappearing, I’m not going to have to worry about leftovers. Keeping this one handy!

Chef John, I have tried and enjoyed many of your recipes but, this chili is fantastic. I view recipes as a guide, not an absolute. For those who are not sure what they like they should stick to your recipe and, if they know they don't like spicy food try half the amount of spice. I dont care for cilantro so I don't add it, no big deal. They can always add more or less of whatever spice they like, very simple. The only suggestion I really found helpful was doubling it. Thank you for your continued contributions to Allrecipes. Dale

Very good! Spicier than I expected I might use a little less Ancho chile powder next time, but it was delicious. I toned down the spice a little by diluting a tablespoon of sour cream in some warm water and adding that in. I topped it with some broken tortilla chips, Mexican blend cheese, and cilantro. I will be making this again!

Nice change to regular beef chili. My kids liked it a lot. I didn't follow the spice directions. I substituted in regular chili powder and added a pinch of dried chilies and about a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. I found it a bit salty but that could have been me and the Cajun seasoning combo - no fault to the recipe. Only used 2 cans of white beans (all I had) but made up by adding more chicken. Very good and will make again.

This chili was very good. I cooked it the night before so my husband could take it in the morning to his work for the potluck. Chicken started to lose cubed shape so if I make it ahead of time again, I will wait to put the cubed chickens till next day. It tased pretty good. Thank you for the recipe, Chef John!

This recipe is am ALL TIMES favorite! I've cooked this countless amount of times for my family and for my church. Everyone raves about and requests it very often.

I LOVED this chilli!!! Saw a few comments about how spicy it was, with a 2 yr old in the house, i skipped the Chipotle chili and used regular chilli powder instead, also added half a can of chili-ready tomatoes. It was the best chili ever and also happened to be my first time making chili. Will definitely be making this again!

This hit the spot! I added a can of drained whole kernel organic corn, crushed tomatoes, and finished it off by adding shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a squeeze of lime! Can’t wait to make it again! The cilantro, lime and sour cream balance out the heat, making it somewhat creamy with a hint of sweetness from the cilantro and lime! So so good!!

Cut back on the cayenne and ancho chili powders also the cumin as other said

I made this for an extremely cold tailgate ..... people went nuts over it. I couldn't find dried ancho chili powder so I used regular chili powder, but what made this so awesome was the ground chipotle pepper. Totally worth adding that to my spice cabinet. Served with a dollop of sour cream, this is fantastic.

I'm disappointed. I followed the directions to a T, even though it was a gorgeous presentation, and the heat level was right on, it was bland. My husband said he enjoyed it, but I knew it could have been better if I had seasoned each layer. I would make it again but I would have to change it up.

This was very good and easy to make. I didn't have white beans only red beans, but the chili still was flavorful. We are a family of 5 and next time will need to double the amount to 4 chicken breasts. Used chunks of feta cheese to top off the chili along with a dallop of sour cream! Delicious.

This is always so good. It alway leaves the family asking for more

A really excellent recipe. I used a package of ground turkey I had on hand instead of the chicken breasts and it worked out very well. I followed the recipe as written although I can't remember if I added the bit of sugar. So this will be my new go to when I need a spice blend for a turkey or chicken chili.

Wow, thanks for the great recipe. I had to stop myself from eating the whole pot of chili. I did use only half the chili powder (trying to make it kid-friendly) and I left out the cayenne pepper but it still had plenty of flavor. Can't wait to make it again!

This was great! I have never used Ancho chili powder or chipotle before, but I know they made a huge difference in the taste. I will be making this again soon!

Made this for our church worship team (30) They loved it!

This is a different twist to traditional chili, not complicated to make and very tasty.

I've made this 4 or 5 times. On the first few occasions, I accidentally put 3x's as much of one of the ancho powders as it called for. It was HOT! But, we ate every bit. It really is one of my favorites as I like spicy and this certainly fits the bill. Only issue is it doesn't make much so if you have a very large family, you'll need to double the recipe. I also serve it with homemade cornbread.

I loved it. Even my husband enjoyed the dish. Thanks a lot

Many reviewers mentioned that this recipe was too spicy, but I find it to be bland. We ground ancho to make our own ancho powder, but that shouldn't have affected the spiciness. The texture was good, but the soup didn't taste much of anything.

This was absolutely delicious! It turned out perfect. I had chicken thighs at home and used this instead of breast. I think it turned out even better since brown meat has more flavor. This will be my GO TO chili recipe now. Thank you for sharing.

Instead of Chipotle powder I used red pepper flakes. I will definitely make again. Made it for "our" super bowl party and everyone raved about how good it was.

Doubled all ingredients to serve 4 people

I had already made some white beans and had leftover marinated chicken so I was looking for some flavorful spices to add to them since I was putting it all in the slow cooker. Onion, garlic, red bell pepper and jalapeno was cut and added in the morning and the spices, since ground were added when I got home from work, since adding ground spices and cooking all day would make them bitter instead of flavorful. A half hour is all they needed to meld together. Instead of sugar added 1/2 t cinnamon according to another one of Chef's recipes. Wonderful!! Highly recommend this and will someday in the near future try it according to Chef's exact recipe. That's whats fun about cooking, making it your own!!

Really good, and really easy to make. The combination of spices is nice. family loved it!

Watch the video if you have a couple minutes! This soup thickens when you MASH the Soup after cooking for a bit. Suggestions.....use Chicken Breast not the thigh (Yuck) healthy and way less fat to drain off. I must say this was one of the best soups I have made so far, and I love to make soup! :)

Great! Had everything on hand plus added an orphaned 4 oz can of diced green chili's and 10 oz can of stewed tomato.

This recipe is a keeper! It's my first time making a chicken-based chili and I can't wait to make it again next week. The only downside is there wasn't any leftovers! I used Ancho and chipotle powder which made the flavor so rich. I used chickpea flour to thicken for a gluten-free meal. Will recommend to my friends.

My husband does not like hot spice. I eliminated the tomatillos, green chilies and used half of the cumin.

My husband and I loved this! I will be making this again! I Served this with some corn bread.

Really excellent. I had to substitute different chili powders, but it turned out perfect. I thought is was the perfect amount of heat and flavor, and I didn't even have green onions or cilantro! I also used Turkish yogurt in place if sour cream. Yum!!

Love this dish!

This is more of a tutorial than just a recipe. Once you have made this, you can change it up easily to customize it for your family's tastes. Yummy just doesn't cover it.

Excellent recipe. I opted to poach and shred my chicken and added one can of diced tomatoes (drained).

This was really good. I used regular old chili powder. I also added a can of corn because it looked like there was corn in the picture and a can of diced tomatoes with chilies for a little color. I only used one can of beans since my husband and daughter don't like beans that much.

No changes. Have made it several times.

I used rotisserie chicken breasts, added only a dash of chipotle pepper, and limited the chicken broth to 2 cups to keep it thicker. I also added a can of Rotel at the end. Tasted it both ways, and it was great! My kids said they liked it, but they didn't eat much...

Great taste and very easy to make.

This dish was delicious. Both my husband and I loved it! He knows I'm not crazy about the traditional red chili so he sent me this recipe. So glad he did. I will be making this again and again. I don't understand why reviewers who said they love spicy food found this overly spicy. The recipe only called for a pinch of cayenne pepper. If you still find it spicy, do away with the cayenne pepper and no need to lessen the ancho. Ancho chili powder is really not spicy. It just gives more flavor and body to the dish. Anyway, I did not want to spend another $6 on ancho chili powder when I have a big bag of dried anchos in my pantry. I ground them up in my blender til powdery and must have used twice the amount called for by the recipe. Aside from this, I followed the recipe almost to a "T".

I loved this recipe. I did kick up the heat in it. Great for a cold rainy/snowy day meal.

Excellent, and easy-peasy! Some canned, diced, green chilies are a nice addition as well. I added 2 small cans in towards the very end the last time I made it, and it put a real nice South-Western finish on it...Enjoy!

This was a hit, will be making this a regular! I even used store bought rotisserie chicken as a shortcut on time. I also added bella mushroom as we put those in just about everything. I am not a huge fan of chipolte, but the amount was perfect!

Excellent chili! The bf actually went back for seconds and even more when I wasn't looking. Very hard to do as he's picky about his chili.

There was something missing in this. I made a batch for a crowd and it was pretty spicy and lacking depth of flavor. Since it was for a crowd, I made second batch with less cayenne and chipotle pepper to mix in and tone down the spices. I also ended up adding diced tomatoes and a green pepper to add flavor and color. I am debating between 3/4 stars, but my husband liked it, so I'll give it 4. But, I won't make it again...

I made a double recipe using mayocoba beans and pasilla pepper powder in place of the ancho. I left out the sugar and the cayenne and it was on the low side of moderately hot. I'll make sure I have ancho next time, but this was delicious even with the substitutions.

The best! Super fast dinner to put together and another hit with the picky kiddos...Love your cooking Chef John!!!!!

Thanks so much for sharing this! I really enjoyed this recipe a ton and didn't change much other than adding a bit of smoked paprika which gave another layer of flavor. I also substituted boneless skinless chicken thighs per the comment in the video and am glad that I did. Please keep the great recipes coming Chef John!

Excellent, and easy-peasy! Some canned, diced, green chilies are a nice addition as well. I added 2 small cans in towards the very end the last time I made it, and it put a real nice South-Western finish on it...Enjoy!

It was amazing ! thanks for sharing ,loved it !