• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
    • 📋About
    • ❓FAQs/Help
    • 🛒Shop
    • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home » Recipes » Chili Recipes

    White Chicken Chili from Bone-in Chicken

    Feb 20, 2020 · Modified: Jan 27, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 7 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.60 from 5 votes

    Based on a Pioneer Woman recipe using skin-on bone-in chicken to add more flavor. This will become your favorite chili with hearty white beans, tender chicken, and a rich, spicy broth. Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions.

    Excellent White Chicken Chili from 101 Cooking for Two
    Jump To:
    • 😊Why you will love this chili
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this white bean chicken chili
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Chicken Chili Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    My best stovetop white bean chicken chili will leave you wanting more.

    😊Why you will love this chili

    • The taste and tenderness are exceptional.
    • The skin-on bone-in chicken makes this recipe economical and adds more chicken flavor.
    • On a heat scale, this is 3/10, but it is easy to adjust.
    • Adjust the thickness with cornstarch or Masa flo
    • Add milk or cream when thickening to make it creamier.
    • Easy to adjust to a smaller amount, and it will freeze well.

    The inspiration recipe is The Pioneer Woman Cooks—Simple Hearty White Chili. A few simplifications and modifications were all I wanted.

    👨‍🍳How to make this white bean chicken chili

    • Trim the split chicken breasts or skin-on chicken thighs, then cut them in half.
    • Cover with broth in a large stockpot and simmer covered until 165°—about 40 minutes.
    • Mince garlic, chop an onion, and clean and mince a jalapeno.
    • Remove and allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes, and then hand shred discarding the skin and bones.
    • Combine all ingredients, except any thickener, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
    • Adjust the jalapeno or cayenne pepper to adjust the heat of the chili.
    • Optional thickening with corn starch or Masa flour. Make it creamy with optional milk and shredded Pepper Jack cheese.

    🐓Ingredients

    • Chicken—Use about 3 pounds of skin-on bone-in split chicken breasts or thighs.
    • Chicken broth—low sodium,
    • Beans—Great Northern beans, Cannellini beans, or Navy beans drained and rinsed.
    • Aromatics—Onion and garlic
    • Peppers—Green chilies and jalapeno pepper.
    • Chili spices— include cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and white or black pepper.
    • Thicken (optional)—Masa flour or corn starch. I usually skip thickening.
    • Milk and Cheese (optional)—can be added to make it creamier.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use rotisserie chicken?

    You can also use precooked rotisserie chicken. You will need about 4 to 5 cups of shredded precooked chicken. Pick up the instructions after the shredding of the chicken.

    Can I use skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs?

    Yes, follow the instructions and start cooking the chicken but use low-sodium chicken broth instead of water.

    How to thicken white chicken chili?

    For every 4 cups of chili to be thickened, add 1 tablespoon of Masa flour or corn starch into a slurry with cold water to remove any lumps and stir into the chili. It will take about 5 to 10 minutes to work. Repeat if needed.

    You can also add shredded Monterey Jack cheese to thicken the chili.

    How to store chili?

    Cover airtight in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or store in the freezer sealed in an airtight container for 3 months.

    Reheat on the stovetop over medium-high heat or in a microwave. If frozen, thaw first.

    How to serve white chicken chili?

    Garnish with cheese, sour cream, slices of avocado, or cilantro. Serve with salsa, pico de gallon tortilla chips, and guacamole,

    📖Chicken Chili Recipes

    Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

    Low Fat High Taste Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

    Salsa Verde White Chicken Chili a la Crock Pot

    Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Chili Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Cutting cut chicken breasts in half on board

    Trim 2-3 pounds of skin-on bone-in chicken breasts (split chicken breasts) or thighs of any trimmable fat, then cut in half to aid cooking.

    chicken pieces in soup pot covered with water

    Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover it with 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease to low to simmer. Cover with the lid and cook until internal temp is 165°—about 40 minutes.

    minicing a jalapeno on black board

    Mince 4 cloves of garlic and chop a large onion. Then prep the jalapeno by splitting it and removing the seeds and veins before mincing.

    shredded chicken on board

    Remove the chicken and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then hand shred discarding the skin and bones. Combine all ingredients except thickener or optional dairy products, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

    adding messa flour slury to chili pot

    Options:

    Thickening (I usually don't): Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch or Masa flour in ¼ cup cold water and mix until smooth. Combine the slurry with the soup and frequently stir for another 10 minutes. Repeat if needed.

    Make it creamier: Add 1 cup of milk or cream. You can also add 1-2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese.

    graphic Subscribe to 101 Cooking for Two

    📝Recipe

    ladle of white bean chicken chili

    White Chicken Chili from Bone-in Chicken

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Based on a Pioneer Woman recipe using skin-on bone-in chicken to add more flavor. This will become your favorite chili with hearty white beans, tender chicken, and a rich, spicy broth. Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 12 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2-3 pounds split chicken breast or thighs - both with bone and skin
    • 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
    • 1 onion - large chopped
    • 1 jalapeno pepper - cleaned and minced
    • 4 cloves garlic - minced
    • 72 oz Navy beans - precooked, drained, and rinsed
    • 8 oz diced green chilies
    • 4 teaspoons ground cumin - increase if you want spicy
    • ½ teaspoon paprika - increase if you want spicy
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - increase if you want spicy
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon white or black pepper

    Optional

    • 2 tablespoon masa flour or corn starch - in ¼ cup cold water to thicken
    • 1 cup milk or cream
    • 1-2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Trim 2-3 pounds of skin-on bone-in chicken breasts (split chicken breasts) or thighs of any trimmable fat, then cut in half to aid cooking.
      split chicken breast with knife of black board
    • Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover it with 8 cups of low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease to low to simmer. Cover with the lid and cook until internal temp is 165°—about 40 minutes.
      chicken pieces in soup pot covered with water
    • Mince 4 cloves of garlic and chop a large onion. Then prep the jalapeno by splitting it and removing the seeds and veins before mincing.
      minicing a jalapeno on black board
    • Remove the chicken and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then hand shred discarding the skin and bones. Combine all ingredients except thickener or optional dairy products, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
      shredded chicken on board
    • Options:
      Thickening (I usually don't): Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch or Masa flour in ¼ cup cold water and mix until smooth. Combine the slurry with the soup and frequently stir for another 10 minutes. Repeat if needed.
      Make it creamier: Add 1 cup of milk or cream. You can also add 1-2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese.
      adding masa flour slury to chili pot
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. This is an easy recipe to cut in half.
    2. You need about 2 pounds of chicken after cooking. You may use almost any chicken. A whole chicken or chicken thighs work well.
    3. Instructions for skinless boneless chicken breasts and rotisserie chicken are in the recipe post above.
    4. You can thicken it with Masa flour or corn starch. Or skip thickening entirely.
    5. This is about 3/10 on my heat scale. You can decrease that by eliminating the jalapeno. Or increase by doubling the jalapeno or adding additional cayenne pepper.
    6. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    White Chicken Chili from Bone-in Chicken
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 175.5 Calories from Fat 74
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8.2g13%
    Saturated Fat 2.3g12%
    Trans Fat 0.1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3.4g
    Cholesterol 48.4mg16%
    Sodium 292.3mg12%
    Potassium 397.4mg11%
    Carbohydrates 5.9g2%
    Fiber 1.2g5%
    Sugar 1.2g1%
    Protein 19.9g40%
    Vitamin A 182.4IU4%
    Vitamin C 4.3mg5%
    Calcium 35.7mg4%
    Iron 1.7mg9%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published December 4, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Molly and Lilly looking for Mr Squirral in the snow

    More Chili Recipes

    • Small Crock Pot Chili
    • Crock Pot Texas Chili
    • Stew Meat Chili—Crock Pot or Stovetop
    • Salsa Verde Chicken Chili

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment (Policy Link in Footer) Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Sherri Kiefner

      June 21, 2020 at 10:32 pm

      Hi Dr. Dan,
      This chili sounds fabulous. I just have a question about the beans. Do you use canned beans or cook dry beans for this recipe? If canned, is the 72 oz based on the weight listed on the label (before they are drained)? If dry, what would the dry uncooked weight be?

      Thanks,
      Sherri

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        June 22, 2020 at 8:02 am

        Hi Sherri,

        Welcome to the blog.

        The 72 oz is the weight listed on the jar including liquid. About 1/4 to 1/3 of the weight is the liquid. So 72 oz becomes about 48 - 54 oz of cooked beans. Consider jar and can as the same.

        1 pound of dry beans will make about 2 pounds when cooked (32 oz). When packed in cans or jars with liquid, It would be about 48 oz.including the liquid.

        So 72 oz of packed beans will be about 48 oz when drained. So if using dried beans. You could use 1 1/2 pounds to get that. Always soak your beans (Google that), it will decrease the gas. It takes about 2 hours to cook beans at a simmer - but it always seems to a bit longer for me. So you could presoak your beans then just cook in the chili as it simmers for 2 hours. It should work. It may take a bit longer, just cook to the point that the beans ore done.

        A lost note, it's chili, a few more or less beans will be fine.

        Hope that helps.

        Dan

    2. Shirlene Kenny

      February 21, 2020 at 10:21 am

      This is suppose to be cooking for two, this soup makes enough for 12! I will try it adjusting the ingredients to enough for 4. I don't have kids at home any more there is just my husband and I. When I have tried to adjust your receipes before they didn't come out very good.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 21, 2020 at 10:31 am

        Hi Shirlene,
        Welcome to the blog.
        Yep, this is one of the big ones but it cuts in half fairly well. I cover that above in the post. Use the adjustment in the number of servings, it will do the math for the ingredients. It will not adjust the text in the instructions, however.

        Chili recipes tend to be big due to the ingredients. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ for a more complete explanation.

        You might want to check the Small crock pot are where there are smaller chili recipes https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ The low fat one is a variation of this recipe.

        Dan

    3. Nicole

      December 21, 2010 at 1:01 pm

      White Chicken Chili is on the regular rotation at our house. I love the fact that you used masa to thicken it up. My recipe calls for cream, but I would love an alternative. I will try this next time.

      Reply
    4. Dr Dan

      December 05, 2010 at 10:11 pm

      Exactly why I did it. A hot meal with just enough heat and great taste.

      Reply
    5. Chris

      December 05, 2010 at 8:12 pm

      With the cold snowy weather we've had today, this looks so inviting!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan, and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Popular Recipes

    • Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Small Ribeye Roast
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
    • Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
    kitchen reference sheet graphic wide blue
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan and the Blog
    • Business Questions
    • Comment Policy

    Content

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Recipes Featured in the Videos
    • Guide To Cooking for Two
    • Saved Recipes Collections

    dogs by the pond

    Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2023 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME