Healthy white chicken chili made with organic rotisserie chicken, green chilies, white beans and corn. This easy white chicken chili comes together in 30 minutes, making it a perfect cozy weeknight meal.
White chicken chili was a fall staple growing up. My mom would make white chicken chili for football Sundays, pre-trick-or-treating nourishment, or just a quick and cozy weeknight meal. We’d always enjoy it with tortilla chips and extra jalapeño, pickled jalapeños to be exact!
Making this white chicken chili as an adult is as much for nourishment as it is for nostalgia. There’s nothing better than bringing one of your family’s favorite recipes and sharing it with a family of your own. The simple act of carrying on a tradition around food brings so much joy. It’s the perfect example that food is so much more than just food for our cells. It’s also part of our memories and comfort. There is a huge social aspect of food that beings an overwhelming sense of togetherness.
Healthy White Chicken Chili
This white chicken chili is my mom’s recipe and is naturally very healthy. It’s made with chicken, white beans, white corn, onions, green chiles and jalapeños. This creates a healthy chili that’s balanced with protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. That being said, it’s slightly lower in fat than most chilis so I recommend topping it off with avocado slices, a dollop of yogurt (I like Kite Hill almond yogurt), or pumpkin seeds to make sure you are getting enough healthy fat for a balanced meal.
To make this chili slightly healthier I recommend using free-range organic chicken. If you’re curious about this topic, I into more detail in the Nourished by Nutrition Facts section. But in general, your healthiest options when choosing animal products are organic, free-range, grass-fed and finished, wild-caught and certified humane. This ensures you are getting high-quality animal products that are more nutritious and better for your health.
NOURISHED BY NUTRITION FACTS:
Protein – this vegan white bean chili is loaded with white beans as the source of plant-based protein. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it’s going to help keep you feeling full more so than carbohydrates and fat. Eating protein-rich meals helps keep your blood sugar stable, maintain muscle mass, and helps your muscles and cells repair themselves.
Fiber – fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. It plays an important role in stabilizing blood sugar, acting as a pre-biotic which feeds the good bacteria in your gut, and keeping us regular. The beans, corn, onions and chile peppers are all good sources of fiber.
Organic chicken – when choosing chicken, I highly recommend choosing organic chicken from a reputable source. You want to make sure the label at least says free-range organic, but ideally free-range organic and certified humane. This ensures more responsible farm animal practices.
In general, when choosing animal proteins it’s extremely important to buy high-quality proteins This is such an important topic, stay tuned for a whole post about how to choose the healthy animal protein. If you don’t have access to quality meat or animal products, your best option is to choose a plant-based protein alternative like beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.
IF YOU LOVE THis healthy white chicken chili, YOU’LL ALSO ENJOY THESE RECIPES:
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- Vegan White Bean Chili
- Vegan Pumpkin Chili
- Maple Cornbread Muffins
- Sicilian Chicken Noodle Soup – Bites by Mia
- Green Chicken Enchilada Soup – The Modern Proper
Healthy White Chicken Chili
Healthy white chicken chili made with organic rotisserie chicken, green chilies, white beans and corn. This easy white chicken chili comes together in 30 minutes, making it a perfect cozy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 (4 oz) can mild green chilies
- 1 fresh jalapeño or 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, diced (optional)
- 4 cups shredded organic rotisserie chicken or 1 1/2 lbs raw organic chicken breasts (see notes)*
- 4 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
- 2 (15 oz) cans great northern or white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen or fresh white corn
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper
For serving:
- Tortilla chips
- Pickled jalapeños
- Lime wedges
- Avocado
- Cilantro
Instructions
If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, take the meat off the bone and shred into small pieces. If using raw chicken, following instructions in the notes section below.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, green chilies, and jalapenos, if using, cumin salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
Add the chicken, chicken broth, white beans, corn and lime juice. Simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips, pickled jalapeños, lime wedges, avocado, or any toppings of choice.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, bring the soup to a boil on the stove-top and then let simmer for 2-5 minutes.
Notes
To cook the raw chicken beforehand, place the chicken in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cover with broth or filtered water. Bring the water to a simmer, then cover and let cook for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove the chicken from the broth or water and let cool slightly, then shred with a fork.
To cook the raw chicken in the pot, add the raw chicken breasts into the pot before adding the chicken broth. Follow the instruction as written, checking the internal temperature of the chicken for 165F after 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove with tongs and shred with two forks before adding the chicken back to the pot.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #nourishedbynutriton.
My family and I just love this recipe! I add the canned jalapeños for convenience and I usually double it and put the leftovers in mason jars to freeze. Take them out a day before you next want to eat to thaw in the fridge and it’s perfect! Served with blue tortilla chips and an extra squeeze of lime.
We’ve done this recipe and the version without chicken several times. The toppings are my favorite part! We add a bit more jalapeno for additional spice and often will add in leftover broth when we re-heat if enough has been soaked up.
Another go-to for us. Looking forward to cooler weather to pull out all our favorite soups/chilis.