This Healthy White Chicken Chili is packed with tender chicken, beans, and a spicy broth. A full-flavor chili that fits low-calorie and low-fat diets.
This chicken chili recipe can be done in about an hour on the stovetop and uses either raw or precooked rotisserie chicken. Or make it easy as a dump-and-go crock pot recipe.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts
Broth—low-sodium chicken broth
Aromatics—onion and garlic
Jalapeno pepper—optional
White beans
Green chiles
Pantry ingredients—cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper (optional), salt, and pepper
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Featured Comment from Vanessa:
"Love this recipe. I found and started making this last winter (2015-2016). We had it almost every week."
Originally named "Low-Fat High-Taste Chicken Chili" by my wife, who is not a chili person, she finished her second serving. It's everything you want in great white bean chicken chili.
This healthy chili has tender chicken and beans in a spicy broth. With only about 250 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving, it will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet.
👨🍳How to Make Healthy White Chicken Chili
Trim two medium-sized skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Chop 1 medium onion, mince 1 jalapeno, and mince or crush 3 cloves of garlic.
Saute the onion until it starts to clear, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Sauting is required for the stovetop and optional for the crock pot.
Add to the crock pot or a large desktop pot like a Dutch oven: one 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1-2 teaspoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 3 garlic cloves minced, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and optionally ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add chicken and cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours in the crock pot. Or on the stovetop, bring to a boil, then decrease to simmer and cover for 20-30 minutes. Cook until chicken is 165°.
Remove the chicken shred with forks. Place back in the liquid.
Add one 48 oz jar of precooked Northern beans and one small can of green chiles. Rinse beans if desired to decrease the sodium and replace the liquid with 1-2 cups of water or low-sodium broth.
Cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours more. Or simmer covered for 20-30 minutes on the stovetop.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
✔️Options and variations to get it right every time
Chicken options and tips
The chicken breasts need to reach 165° to shred easily. For thighs, they shred better at 180. Crock pots can vary some. In most crock pots, it will be 1 ½ to 2 hours on high.
If you are not going for "low-fat," chicken thighs will be fine.
You can use precooked rotisserie chicken. 4-5 cups will do nicely, but even 2-3 cups will be enough. As long as you precook the onion and garlic, skip the first part of cooking and proceed from where you add the shredded chicken.
About the broth
You can use broth or stock. I prefer to buy name brands since I have seen quality issues with others. I also try to get low sodium, if available, to adjust the sodium myself.
This is a thinner chili, like a thick soup. You can make it thicker by cutting the broth in half.
You can also thicken it with a tablespoon of cornstarch in two tablespoons of cold water. Mix to make a smooth slurry and stir in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
About the beans
I prefer Great Norther, but Navy or cannellini beans will be fine. You should use precooked beans; this is not a recipe for uncooked beans.
If you rinse and drain the beans to lower the sodium, replace the liquid with two cups of water or chicken broth.
Other tips
Add a can of Rotel or diced tomatoes for additional taste—a great variation.
Make it vegetarian by eliminating the chicken and using vegetable broth.
Other Crock Pot Chili Recipes
You may also enjoy these other crock pot chili recipes, like Crock Pot Chili (plain great ground beef chili), Taco Chili, Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili, Three Bean Turkey Chili, and Texas Chili.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size" recipe
This is an easy recipe to cut in half or double. The full recipe makes about 10 cups (8 servings) and fits in a 3 ½ quart crock pot. Note: to cook correctly, a crock pot should not exceed 75% capacity.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half or double.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- For a crock pot: The half recipe will fit in a 2-quart mini crock pot. A double recipe fits in a 6 ½ quart crock pot.
- Cooking times remain the same.
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How to serve
In keeping with the low-fat, healthy theme, use my Low Calorie Biscuits. Or, for a bit of fat, go with Cornbread Biscuits or Homemade Cornbread.
❄️How to store leftovers
Seal leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerate for 4 days, or freeze for 3-4 months. Reheat on the stovetop, but thaw first if frozen.
❓FAQs
This recipe fits most reasonable diets, like low-fat and low-calorie diets, with only about 250 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving.
The added salt and the cooked beans are the main contributing factors to the sodium. You may decrease the salt by half if you need lower sodium, but more will significantly affect the taste. That will save about 150 mg of sodium. You can save about the same by rinsing the beans. I have already suggested low-sodium broth.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖The Recipe Card
Healthy White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 14 oz low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper - minced - optional
- 3 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 to 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
- 1 teaspoon salt - to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 48 oz Northern Beans - precooked a large jar
- 4 oz diced green chiles - a small can
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Trim two medium-sized skinless boneless chicken breasts.
- Chop 1 medium onion, mince 1 jalapeno, and mince or crush 3 cloves of garlic.
- Saute the onion until starting to clear, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Sauting is required for the stovetop and optional for the crock pot.
- Add to the crock pot or a large desktop pot like a Dutch oven; one 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1-2 teaspoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 3 garlic cloves minced, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and optionally ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add chicken and cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours in the crock pot. Or on the stovetop, bring to a boil, then decrease to simmer and cover for 20-30 minutes. Cook until chicken is 165°.
- Remove the chicken shred with forks. Place back in the liquid.
- Add one 48 oz jar of pre-cooked Northern beans and one small can of green chiles. Rinse beans if desired to decrease the sodium and replace the liquid with 1-2 cups of water or low-sodium broth.
- Cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours more. Or simmer covered for 20-30 minutes on the stovetop.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- The crock pot can be 3 ½ qt minimum, but bigger is ok. A double recipe needs 6 ½ quarts or larger. A half recipe needs 2 quarts or larger.
- If your crock pot runs hot, use the short times. Normal crock pots are fine at the suggested times.
- I have the recipe written for cooking on high. Double times if using low.
- To decrease the sodium, rinse the beans and reduce or skip the salt.
- I like 2 teaspoons of paprika, one jalapeno, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- This is a thinner chili, like a thick soup. You can make it thicker by cutting the broth in half
- You can also thicken it with a tablespoon of cornstarch in two tablespoons of cold water. Mix to make a smooth slurry and stir in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and freezes well for 3-4 months.
- A serving is a little under 1 ½ cups, a nice serving size.
- Heat note: this has some heat in it, so adjust it to your taste.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
This recipe is based on my Excellent White Chicken Chili, a modification of a Pioneer Woman recipe. I simplified, added a crock pot version, adjusted the spices, and adaptations to make it healthy.
Editors Note: Originally published September 21, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Hina says
hello DrDan...! your dish is amazing and delicious thanks for the sharing. I will make this dish in few upcoming days and keep share your new ideas...
DrDan says
Hi Hina,
Hope it works well for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
DrDan says
Here is was about 1 1/2 cups I believe. Since there is no standard, I look at it a recipe after cooking and decide how many servings I would make out if it.
Amy says
Thanks, it smells delicious! Just waiting for it to be done!!!!
Amy says
Dr Dan can you tell me what the serving size is?
Phyllis says
I'd like to try this, but use an electric pressure cooker. I'm thinking half the time. Thoughts?
DrDan says
Hi Phyllis,
I don't use pressure cookers. My mother blew one up yrs ago so I'm not in that much of a hurry.
But it is 4 hours on high in a crock pot. On a stovetop with a Dutch oven, I would think 2 hours tops. I don't know what those things translate to with a pressure cooker.
Dan
DrDan says
The jalapeno is about half the heat... color me surprised. I have lots hotter than this. I'll put a little heat warning in the recipe care.
DrDan says
Hi Vicky,
Sorry it didn't work for you. I would say this is a 4/10 on heat but maybe you hit an extra hot jalapeno or some of the seeds snuck in.
Dan
Vicky says
Dan, I actually left the jalapeño out of the recipe!
VIcky says
Way too spicy. I won't be able to eat it, or my kids. - little disappointed.
Sue says
Can this chili be frozen?
Thank you, Sue
DrDan says
Definitely freezes well.
Dan
Teri says
Love it and everyone who has tried it has made it and passed it on to there friends who are now making it. Question, what do you consider the serving size on the nutritional info chart, 1 cup?
DrDan says
Hi Teri,
I'm afraid I'm not very scientific with this (but I'm not the only one). I look at it and decide how much I would normally have for a serving. I tend to like bigger servings than most nutritional information use. With this recipe, it is more like 1 1/4 cups (not measured). Not a great answer I know...
Glad you like the recipe.
Dan
Vanessa says
Love this recipe. I found and started making this last winter (2015-2016). We had it almost every week. As Fall started to approach this year, I couldn't wait to make it and even though it is going to be in the low 80's today...I'm making it. I also shared this recipe with some family and they are in love with it as well. Depending on how spicy I'm feeling I'll omit the jalapeno, but it's delicious either way! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Janie Braga says
Hi, I have made this recipe a few times now. I bring it to work for my friends and they all love it. I do it alittle differently though. First I make it on stove top, I don't want to wait for the crock pot. AndiI sometimes add some vegetables like carrots and celery. I cut down on the size of the jar of beans too. I use a medium size jar. But everything else is the same. Thank you, your the best.
DrDan says
Hi Janie,
I do love this chili. The no precooking of the chicken just is so much the way I like to cook.
Most people move recipes from the stovetop to a crockpot. But stovetop is always faster. Sometimes so I don't need to watch it, I will start on the stove top using a Dutch oven and then pop it into the oven for the "simmer" time.
Thanks for the note
Dan
Lydia says
I can't find the jarred beans. Can I use canned? If so, would you drain them and add back more chicken broth? Thank you.
DrDan says
Cooked canned are fine. Don't drain.
DrDan
Lindse says
Once again- AMAZING crockpot meal! My picky fiancé loved it ( he put it in a tortilla??? IDK but he liked it) took ALL my leftovers to his coworkers.
Love your crockpot recipes!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating.
It seems a little thin for a tortilla. He might like Ultra Simple Crock Pot White Chicken Chili https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/ultra-simple-crock-pot-white-chicken/ which can be much thicker but does require cooking the chicken ahead.
It does sound like he could cook some for you since he took the leftovers
DrDan
Cathie H says
Doubled the recipe so I would have enough to send off to hunt camp. Excellent recipe...best white chili I have found
Love the blog. Thanks!
Cathie
Trish says
Stop the press!!!
Dr. D, I just tried this recipe, and it is off the hook good! I followed the recipe exactly as written. The flavor from the combination of spices you chose made it exceptional.
You will hear cries from Santa Monica if I lose this recipe! Bring on more slow cooker recipes!
I crown you King of The Slow Cooker!
DrDan says
Aw-shucks. This was more of an experiment but it was so good I published it.
Thanks for the note
DrDan
Patty C says
Thank you-thank you-thank you, Dr. D! I am making this for gameday this weekend. The girls are gorgeous as ever!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I think you will be happy with this one
DrDan