This 5-ingredient white chicken chili recipe is super quick and easy to make, full of great flavor, and always a crowd fave!
After sharing a new recipe for easy (red) chicken chili, I thought I would circle back today to share one of my all-time favorite recipes for easy white chicken chili.
Even better — my favorite easy white chicken chili recipe that is made with just FIVE easy ingredients. ♡
This recipe is as easy as it gets. Simply stir all of the ingredients together, bring the soup to a simmer, ladle it up while it’s nice and hot, then pile on your favorite toppings and enjoy! I’ve probably made this recipe at least a hundred times over the years, and it always has a way of hitting the spot. It also freezes and reheats well if you would like to save the leftovers or make and save a big batch for easy meal prep.
I’m telling you — this recipe is always a winner. Let’s make a batch!
5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili Ingredients:
To make this white chicken chili recipe, you will need the following five ingredients (plus I highly recommend going big on toppings):
- Chicken: Any kind of diced or shredded chicken will do. I typically shred a rotisserie or use leftover frozen chicken from my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Baked Chicken Breasts recipe.
- Salsa verde: Either homemade or store-bought, whichever you prefer. I will note that store-bought brands of roasted salsa verde can vary pretty dramatically in terms of heat. So if you prefer a milder soup, I would definitely recommend finding a salsa that is on the milder side.
- Beans: You are welcome to use whatever type of beans you love best for this chicken chili. I typically use white beans (such as Great Northerns), but pinto, garbanzo or black beans would be delicious too.
- Chicken stock: Because this ingredient list is so short, I recommend using a good-quality brand of chicken stock or veggie stock, whichever you prefer.
- Cumin: We will also add in a hint of cumin to the broth to helps round out the seasonings in the salsa verde.
- Toppings: Finally, I recommend using a generous amount of whatever toppings you love best! I almost always add cilantro and fresh avocado to my soup. But a crumble of tortilla chips, diced red or green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Monterrey Jack or a Mexican-blend), crumbled cotija cheese, and/or sliced jalapeños would also be delicious additions!
How To Make This Soup:
To make this 5-ingredient white chicken chili recipe, simply…
- Combine ingredients. Stir together chicken stock, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin in large stockpot.
- Bring to a simmer. Cook on high heat until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer briefly for 5 minutes.
- Serve. Then ladle the soup up into serving bowls, garnished with your favorite toppings.
Possible Variations:
There are so many ways that you could get creative with this soup recipe! For example, feel free to…
- Add extra veggies. If you would like to add some extra veggies to this soup, diced poblano peppers, onions and/or potatoes (feel free to use frozen hash brown potatoes as a shortcut) are some of my other favorite additions.
- Make it in the Crock-Pot or Instant Pot. This soup really just needs to be stirred together and warmed. So feel free to let it simmer on low in the Crock-Pot or use the sauté button on your Instant Pot, if you would prefer to use one of those appliances.
More Favorite Chili Recipes:
Here are a few more of my go-to chili recipes, if you would like to give them a try!
5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 to 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 (15-ounce) cans beans of your choice, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern beans)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- optional toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped red or green onions, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips, fresh jalapeño slices
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Stir together chicken stock, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin in large stockpot.
- Bring to a simmer. Cook on high heat until the soup reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
One of my favorite go-to recipes. So simple, so delicious. I usually simmer raw chicken breast in the stock/salsa, then shred at the end. The meat picks up a really nice flavor and I cut out some of the salt from the processed rotisserie chicken.
This is one of my go-to recipes. So simple, so delicious.
Love this recipe and have made it many times. My family likes a little more kick so I add a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles to the mix.
This is a great recipe!
I recently retired & became a part time cook for my now work from home spouse. Since I didn’t have most of your ingredients, I sauteed 1/2 small chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic on olive oil then added 12.5 oz drained chunk chicken breast and tossed with pinch of salt and 2 pinches of black pepper for 5 min. I added a 15oz can of Bush’s low Na mild chili pinto beans and 24oz water with a tsp of chicken boullion base, 1 green onion, cilantro, 1 small celery stick, 2 tsp taco seasoning, cup of sharp cheddar, 2 doleful tbsp of sour cream, 2 tbsp whipped cream, 2 pieces of chopped wheat tortilla and half of jalapeño pepper. I brought it to a quick boil and simmered for 10 min. My wife who’s a very good cook loved it. Thank you very much!
I love your recipes (enchiladas with homemade sauce is a family fav). For this recipe I start with a sautéed onion (sixth ingredient) which I add the cumin and some garlic salt to, then dump in everything else. I do substitute canned hatch chilis for the salsa verde. It’s so easy and delish both ways!
Can you freeze this chili
This was VERY GOOD, which surprised me considering it has only five ingredients. But I usually adjust recipes based on my own preferences and others’ comments so this is what I did: sauteed a bit of red onion and garlic and added spices to my own taste, then decreased broth and added carrots. Definitely a keeper!! thank you
Really easy and very delicious. I put all ingredients in a crockpot in high for 2 1/2 hours and came back to a great dinner.
I loved it, adjustments made. I used the carton of stock (about 4 cups) also. I used 2 cans of white cannellini beans and 1 of small white beans. I didn’t have the ingredients nor the salsa verde so went without. Was still fine. I added onion & onion powder since I was without the salsa verde. One thing I could use, a nutritional sidebar for calories, macro / micro nutruients, etc. I am going to try and just come up with my own count with an app, but it will take some time. Thanks again for sharing the recipe, super easy. I am on a weight loss / muscle up course (since March 2021) so I didn’t add the garnishments but next time I will likely add cheese and have the salsa verde on hand. Happy New Year.