This is the most unique chili recipe I cook on a regular basis. White chili generally means that the chili doesn't have any chili powder or tomatoes in it. Now "white" may translate into "bland" for you, but this chili is anything but bland.*
*I made the mistake of using more peppers than I have in the recipe below for my parents' super bowl party. Bland...no. Hellfire...yes. Everyone would say how good it tasted, then stop talking, then start gasping for oxygen. So, I cut back on the heat.
📖 Recipe Card
White Chicken Chili Done Right
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
White chili made from scratch with slow-simmered great northern beans, sear-roasted chicken, green chiles, cumin and lime.
Ingredients
Beans
- 1 pound great northern beans, sorted and rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon lard or 2 slices bacon (optional)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Chicken
- 3 to 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and/or breasts)
- Salt and pepper
Chili
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos (or other hot peppers), diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 3 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock
- 2 cups reserved bean broth (or water)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the beans: Put the beans, water, onion, and lard or bacon in a large Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 2 ½ hours, until the beans are tender. Add the salt after 1 hour of cooking. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid (about 2 to 3 cups), and return the beans to the Dutch oven.
- Cook the chicken: While the beans cook, liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper, and preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken skin side down, and cook until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and lightly brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour off and reserve the fat, then roast the chicken in the oven until it reaches 160°F in the breasts or 170°F in the thighs, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool, leaving the browned bits in the pan. Remove the skin, pull the meat off the bones, and shred it.
- Sauté the aromatics: Put the skillet back over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat. When the browned bits start to sizzle, add the onion, jalapenos, and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin and oregano, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the green chiles, and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Simmer the chili: Put the Dutch oven of beans over medium heat, and add the aromatics, chicken stock, and reserved bean broth. The liquid should just come up to the top of the beans - add more stock, bean broth, or water if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the chicken and season: Add the shredded chicken and brown sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes more. Stir in the lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
The beans and chicken can both be made ahead. The beans actually improve if you cook them, cool them, and refrigerate them overnight.
This is a good way to use up leftover chicken.
You can sauté or grill boneless, skinless chicken instead of roasting bone-in pieces. Grilled chicken adds a nice smoky flavor, but bone-in pieces have the best flavor.
For a quicker version with canned beans, see White Chicken Chili the Easy Way.
Watch the heat - I made this with extra peppers for a Super Bowl party once, and it was hellfire. This amount gives it a kick without scorching anyone.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
Related posts:
Need a weeknight dinner version of this recipe? Check out: White Chicken Chili the Easy Way
Ranch Hand Chili
Texas Red Chili
Inspired by:
White chicken chili recipe from Viking
David Tanis, white beans recipe in A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes
Michelle Akers says
Just making sure: You say "sorted and rinsed" on the beans -- so, NOT soaked?
Mike Vrobel says
Correct, not soaked
Will Murray says
Love your blogs; respect your thoughts on chili. I'm considering a Thanksgiving chili. Naturally I'd like to go with tradition, so, my questions: would your chicken chili recipe survive the transition to turkey chili? If so, what modifications would you suggest? If not, do you know a good turkey chili alternative?
And just off the wall: Dungeness crab season opens soon in The City. Is there--can there even be--such a dish as Dungeness Crab Chili?
Mike V says
Turkey is a fine substitute- it will work with this recipe. (And, sorry, but I don't have any crab suggestions. )
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
No, I discard the bacon and onion, then store them in the liquid overnight.
Adan says
If you refrigerate the beans overnight, do you drain them before refrigeration?
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
The bacon in the picture is cooked - but cooking it isn't necessary. We want the porky, smoky flavor of the bacon in the beans, and we'll get that even if the bacon is raw, because of the long cooking time.
Aaron says
Is that bacon cooked?