White Bean Chicken Chili
This white bean turkey (or chicken) chili is a perfect way to use up those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. This chili is a snap to throw together and is packed full of flavor.
First posted nearly six years ago, this white bean chicken chili so delicious (as in, it’s one of my favorite soups), I decided not only did it need updated pictures and a few added notes but it deserved a moment in the spotlight again.
Poor little thing. Tragically buried and forgotten in the dusty, dark archives that is eight years of blogging.
The recipe, originally from my Aunt Marilyn, is a snap to throw together (we are talking less than 30 minutes, start to finish).
I absolutely love this soup. And it has been known to win a chili cook-off or two, just in case you are wondering.
While it is unadorned in the pictures, we usually load our servings (yes, plural, because seconds are not optional) with all sorts of goodness: crushed tortilla chips, avocados, tomatoes, olives, cheese, sour cream.
It’s delicious plain Jane or loaded to the max.
I’m so happy to reintroduce this soup to the world. If you’ve made it before, check out the notes in the recipe as I’ve made a few little changes over the years to make it creamier, easier and if possible, even more tasty.
And if you haven’t made it, well, you should. Don’t forget to check out all the comments below from others who have made it and reported back (so helpful!).
One Year Ago: Classic Slow Cooker Chili
Two Years Ago: White Texas Sheet Cake
Three Years Ago: Cheesecake Rice Pudding {Plus a Chocolate Version!}
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 cans (14.5-ounces each) Great Northern Beans, or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked diced chicken (see note)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup salsa (see note)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 – 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese (see note)
- Optional toppings, cilantro, olives, tomatoes, sour cream, avocados
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat so the soup is simmering but not vigorously boiling and add the cheese one small handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next.
- Give the soup a good stir making sure all the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with additional toppings (optional): crushed tortilla chips, olives, sour cream, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Aunt Marilyn
I finally made this soup and it has been printed in my recipe binders since 2015. So good. Very quick and easy. I can’t believe it took me this long to make this soup. Delicious. My husband said several times, why did it take you so long to make this recipe? Lol
So delicious and quick! Thank you!
I made this last night, threw everything (except broth, cheese and beans) in the instant pot, and then cooked on high for 14 mins (12 maybe if chicken tenderloins aren’t frozen) then shredded chicken and added the rest of the ingredients. So yummy!! Oh and I used green salsa since that’s what sounded good!! Thanks for sharing your talents, Mel!
I have been making this chili ever since you first posted it. It always amazes me how something so fast and simple to put together could be so good. Even though it is only my husband and me, I make a double batch. It is that good!
Loved this, super simple, not that many ingredients and it is wonderful. There are just two of us and it is nice to have a recipe that doesn’t make so much. Plus I had left over thanksgiving turkey but not that much, so I halved the turkey and beans but kept the rest the same as called for. I happened to have a couple small jalapeno peppers so thought why not, and put them in, plus I am a herb and spice fanatic, so added 1/ 2 teaspoon cumin, ancho, some cilantro and a clove of garlic too for good measure. It was plenty spicy but terrific. My husband liked it better then other chili and said keep this recipe! Thank you.
Whenever I see a recipe from Mel is from Aunt Marilyn, I always make it. This is the first recipe I’ve made from Aunt Marilyn (or Mel!) that I did not enjoy. I picked this recipe because it comes together fast and I think I’ve decided that chili is best when it’s cooked slow. This chili doesn’t have a ton of flavor… it seems like it’s missing something. Also, the Monterrey jack cheese melted in the chili gave it a texture I didn’t enjoy, I think Mel’s recipe for White Bean Jalapeño Popper Chili is better. That being said, my whole family (including my picky kid) ate a ton of it and didn’t complain… so it should be clear that even my least favorite of Mel’s recipes was still a good dinner for my family. This one just didn’t hit the mark for me.
Made this yesterday and it is excellent. I used canned navy beans and added a little crushed red pepper. It was even better heated up for lunch today.
Very tasty and easy to make up. Scrumptious.
I had never used celery salt before but bought a bit at the bulk store.
Do you normally use ground oregano or oregano leaves? I’m going to put the leftover smoked turkey to good use. Thank you for this recipe. It sounds yummy!
I usually use dried oregano leaves.
Wow! This soup is amazing! I’ve made it a lot, and never get tired of it! So yummy!!!!
Yummy! I followed the recipe exactly, only omitting celery salt, because it’s not something I keep in my pantry. Everyone in my family of four enjoyed it and we had enough for dinner for two adults and two kids, with one bowl leftover for momma for lunch. Definitely a winner for a small batch/weeknight chili.
This soup is so tasty! We don’t eat dairy so I skipped the cheese. I added some coconut cream (canned), nutrional yeast, additional salt ( pink Himalayan), and pepper. I also used a rotisserie chicken and grabbed pre-chopped onion and celery (in lieu of celery salt) at the store to make this even quicker after work. So tasty!
I was so excited to make this! But we had a little problem with our Monterey Jack cheese getting clumpy instead of mixing in, despite following directions! Help! I’m hoping I can do something to salvage the soup (I made it with homemade pinto beans which tasted great). Would I have better luck with home-grated cheese instead of store bought pre-grated cheese?
Yes…unfortunately pregrated cheese is coated with a powdery substance that prevents it from clumping in the bag, but it also makes it so it doesn’t melt well. I’d just reheat on low and see if that will salvage your soup (even if it’s clumpy, it will still probably taste great!). I didn’t know they sold pregrated Monterey Jack cheese so I’m sorry I didn’t clarify in the ingredients.
I love this recipe. Very subtle flavors. It’s delicious. I poach the chicken so it’s very tender.
Family favorite (including two preschoolers), and saved as a top Fall/Winter Fave. Love the simplicity of the ingredients (I just use diced celery and cook with onions, and add salt later with the rest of the ingredients), and how quickly this can be thrown together. Even with the all that simplicity, this soup has some AMAZING flavor! You will want to double! Bonus points for also allowing my kids to chow down on something healthy.
*Note – to quickly make my chicken, I roughly chop into larger chunks, boil in some water until cooked through, then throw in my standing mixer with beater attachment to quickly shred. Quick, easy, and love the texture.
This has been sitting in my binder for a while and I finally made it. Why did I wait so long?!?!? I used taco sauce instead of salsa (family doesn’t like too many chunky things in soup) and added a bit of cumin. My husband, who is honestly picky and challenging to cook for, really likes it. So thank you again for helping me cook for my family!
Loved this recipe! Made it for dinner tonight, it came together quickly and was devoured by my family! Thank You!
Delicious. It was simple to make and very flavorful. It was exactly what I was looking for.,
This was so good. I finally made it last night after wanting to for so long. I doubled it and used a fresh refrigerated salsa (mild) from Whole Foods, which we love so much with chips, but is a bit watery and chunky with onions/peppers. The flavor was great, but I think next time I may pulse the salsa a just a bit in the food processor to cut down on the big chunks for the kids. Even though they eat plenty of chunks with the chips, I think a somewhat smoother texture in the chili would be preferred. Because it was not an overly thick salsa, I added a couple of squirts of tomato paste. We all ate it up with homemade rolls–perfection!
Your blog is my go to for any recipe. This soup was fantastic! I made your slow cooker pork with tomatillos a few days ago and used leftovers as the meat for this. I used salsa verde as the salsa and colby jack for the cheese. Incredible! Thank you for all of your hard work and recipes!
Just made a double batch of this… it’s so yummy!
Even tho I’ve already commented, in the past, on how delicious this is, I just have to say it again! This is one of those recipes that I frequently repeat. Recently, I have tried to remember to make it 24 hours BEFORE I want to serve it, as it is even more incredibly tasty on days 2 & 3 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday. My husband and I loved, loved, LOVED it. I made it exactly as specified in your recipe. It was good before I added the cheese, outstanding once I stirred that ingredient in. Adding salsa rather than canned tomatoes brought so much flavor to this chili.
I do like a thicker chili, so I may add a few additional veggies next time, like bell peppers and maybe a small can of Mexicorn, just to suit my taste.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with your fans!
This was sooooo delicious!! Made using the divine one minute salsa and the flavors were amazing!! 2 y/o asked for seconds and 13 y/o asked to take leftovers for lunch!
Thanks for another great recipe!!
I just made this for dinner-very yummy! I used up a jar of salsa I had on hand and used salsa verde for the rest of the salsa called for. This is similar to my slow cooker version but this is quicker and tastier due to the jack cheese. Thanks for a new favorite!
Oh Mel!!! I am so disappointed! I have come here for this recipe through out the years and when I looked tonight to make this soup again and this recipe came up I didn’t know what to do with myself!
This looks delicious, but the cumin is gone, the basil, the half and half….this is a completely knew recipe! I wish you could of kept the original and named this one a different name so both recipes could be here! Is there anyway we can get the original recipe? and this time I will print it off so I won’t be scared to lose it again!
I will try this one at a later time, but I was craving the original White Chill Soup. =(
Hey Catherine – I think you may be thinking of another recipe. This recipe never had those ingredients in it. Do you think you may be thinking of another recipe?
I found it!! Its called “Creamy White Chili”
But it has chicken in it, so when I searched, I wrote, “White chicken chili” and this recipe came up. But I printed it to put in my pantry to never have this scare again. I love this soup so much, NOW I can breath. HEHE.
I just made this. What a great recipe…so easy, quick and delicious! It has a wonderful flavor! Thanks!!
The recipe is really easy and it’s a familiar dish which was made a lot by my mother, but it was not chilly
Nowadays I used to make it for my small family with chilly.
Thank you for wonderful recipes
Made this and the whole family enjoyed. The flavors are so much deeper and tastier than I even expected!
Excellent soup! I made it over the weekend and both kids and adults loved it. It’s a “make again” for sure! I didn’t have celery salt, so I added a bit of garlic salt ( not the same, I know!). I think a little squeeze of lime juice at the end is key. We served with avocado, lime, sour cream, cilantro, olives and tortilla chips.
this is super delicious! I used divine one minute salsa & shredded the mozz myself. I added chopped romaine along w other toppings, too. really yummy dish. so true…awesome w toppings but equally awesome w out!
I made this chili last night. It was great!!
I used Paul Newman’s brand medium salsa and left out the celery salt which I didn’t have. It was salty enough from the salsa and cheese. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
I loved this and 3 of our 4 kids actually ate it. A miracle at our house when we are trying a new food. This will definitely be added to our rotation. Thanks so much.
Threw this together after a very busy day; it was quick to make and delicious! Thanks!
This soup is SO good, and seriously so easy to make!! Thank you, Mel!
Mel, I am so glad that you reposted this recipe……that I had forgotten about. I prepared the chili today for the first time for my husband and me, and it truly delivered. It was crazy good and so easy to put together. Our tummies are so happy! Thank you for generously sharing your wonderful recipes with world.
I just found this Recipe site and all sound delicious. I plan to make some of this White Bean Chicken Chili soon! My son will love it, he has been telling me to make some for a while and I wasn’t sure about it and had not found the right recipe. So here goes, this week I have to try this! Thanks for the great sounding recipe and for all the comments. Also I would love to find a good Apple Turnover Recipe or Apple Fritters with plenty of Apples in them. I buy them at the Apple Orchard Sweet Shop and can’t find hardly any pieces of Apples in them, (since Apples are their Business and plentiful, I don’t understand it, so I will try making my own.) Hopefully my easy Best Ever Cinnamon Roll Recipe will work and add plenty of Apples. Gingerbread Old Fashioned is also a Recipe I would like, tried some but not like my Mothers from an old, old cookbook that someone else took from her kitchen. It called for a pinch of this and that…so fun to read the recipes. Some were delicious, and it was probably from the 30’s or 40’s…My Mom and Dad were married in 1934 and she always used her cookbook to be accurate with picture perfect Pies, Cakes and Desserts and that wonderful Gingerbread. My family were farmers and we all were taught to help grow the foods, prepare them to eat and help preserve them for the Winter months. We always had 3 meals a day, balanced and with Pies or Cake for Dessert. My Daddy was a lucky man to have a woman like our Mother and he was always working on the farm to prepare for the next phase of the farm work. They are Gone but Never Forgotten.
I have made these several times and they are always a hit!
http://ourbestbites.com/2015/09/apple-fritters/
Super yummo! I added 4 cups of chicken broth because I like it a bit more soupy. Thanks for the awesome recipe! 🙂
I made this for a crowd for conference weekend. Everybody loved it! I put it together early Sunday morning and let it simmer gently all day–super easy. I used pace medium picante sauce and a combination of monterey jack and mozzerella cheese. Next time I’ll try some other brand of sauce just for fun. Thanks!
One of our very favorites! This is so good and a lot lighter than the one I had that called for sour and heavy cream.
Hi Mel, I wanted to serve this soup to some company and was wondering if you’d recommend some sort of bread to go along with it. Does this even need bread?
Bread is great with this! Although you may not need it if you serve it with the toppings. Cornbread or a dinner roll would be yummy, though.
You know another recipe that deserves another moment in the spotlight? The cheesey broccoli rice casserole. That is SUCH a flavorful dish, and I have totally stopped using Cream of Yuk soups. In my early bride days, I did use the velveeta and cr. of chix soup version, and we survived, but I made this again last nite and it is gone. I put cubes of ham in it, and substituted evaporated milk for the half and half, to cut calories.
Oh, this looks delicious. I plan to take it to a potluck this weekend. Love your recipes, and recommend your site all the time. Thanks!
Will this freeze well?
The texture is a little different after freezing so I think it’s best fresh but it freezes decently.
This is a family favorite! Yes, it was posted long ago but it has not been forgotten at our house. I just made it earlier this week. Even my pickest eater loves it and we always eat it without toppings…had not even thought of toppings since it is so yummy. Thank you!! 😉
Hi Mel
Thank you for sharing your recipes. How would you do a slow cooker version of this soup?
Not sure as I haven’t tried it, maybe simmer everything except the cheese and add it at the end until it melts?
I can attest to how delicious this is. I have made it several times and most recently this summer when the family was away for a boys’ trip, while I was having my own staycation. It was great with all the ingredients that I already had on hand.
I love all the tips and adaptations you gave for this! Trader Joe’s salsa is one of our favorites too so we’ll definitely have to make this after our next trip to TJ’s
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I am such a fan of your creamy white chili that I really don’t know if I will ever love another white chili. I fix it almost every week in the cooler months. I will give this recipe a try because I trust your opinion, plus your recipes have never let me down!
Oh, this is one of our favs from your blog! (Love all of your Aunt Marilyn’s recipes!) We make it at *least* once a month, and there have been times it’s always in the fridge. SO easy and delish.
Question: How do you keep your cheese from globbing up? I usually add a lot less cheese because it all melts together and I end up with globs of it. Any tips? I’m not sure what exactly the temperature should be when adding the cheese (boiling? simmering?). Thanks!
Hi Kate, glad you love this one. I added some new notes to the recipe but over the years I’ve started using Monterey Jack cheese instead of mozzarella for a creamier texture.
In general always keep the temperature below boiling when adding cheese. Just under a simmer is best in my experience. I frequently turn off the heat and let the cheese melt with the residual heat. It also helps if the cheese is grated or in very small chunks. The finer it is grated the easier it will melt. It can also help to add the cheese in stages, so that the first melts and blends before you add more.
Thanks Mel & Alice! I will try turning down/off the heat and see how that works. I usually used bagged shredded cheese – maybe I will try grating some off the block next time, too. Thanks!
Ah, yes, I should have asked you that Kate…preshredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance that makes it not melt as well as freshly grated so that can definitely cause clumping or texture issues.