Creamy White Chicken Chili for Two (2024)

We’ve made this white chicken chili a couple of times this month, and it’s on my radar for next month, too! It’s a flavorful white chicken chili, makes about one quart, and is ready in about an hour. (The hands-on cooking time is only 20 minutes, the rest of the time the chicken chili just simmers to amplify the flavor of it.)

Ingredients for Creamy White Chicken Chili for Two:

• 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Chicken Breast
• homemade Chicken Seasoning Blend:
  • 1/2 tsp. Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Cayenne optional
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt or 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 2 tbsp. Oil such as Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 clove Garlic minced
• 4 oz. canned Green Chiles preferably Hatch Green Chiles
• 2 cups Chicken Stock preferably made with Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
• 1 can (14 oz.) Great Northern White Beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp. Mexican Oregano
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream or Mexican Crema, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup shredded Jack Cheese*
  • *Monterey Jack for a milder chili, Pepper Jack for a spicier chili, or a Mexican Cheese Blend

Topping Ideas:

• Various Garnishes:
  • handful of crushed Tortilla Chips
  • chopped Green Onions
  • sliced Jalapenos pickled or fresh
  • chopped Cilantro
  • fresh Lime Wedges
  • extra Shredded Cheese
  • extra Sour Cream
  • sliced Avocado

Ingredient Notes:

• If you’re working with one large chicken breast, cut it into two thin chicken breasts. Lay the chicken on a cutting board, and hold your knife parallel with the board. Carefully cut the chicken in half, keeping the knife parallel with the cutting board the entire time, to create a thin top half and a thin bottom half of the chicken. This allows the seasoning to cover more of the chicken surface area, and the chicken will cook more quickly and more evenly!
• Yellow onion can be substituted with white onion.
• Hatch Green Chiles are so delicious! They’re unique because they grow in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, and I think their flavor is just amazing. If you can’t find any, regular green chiles will absolutely work.
• This Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base is so delicious and absolutely perfect in this chicken chili. It’s easy to keep on hand for so many recipes. You can also use it for my Small Batch Chicken and Vegetable Soup!
• I like Great Northern White Beans for this recipe because they’re a little smaller than Cannellini beans. You can use any white bean though: Cannellini beans are larger and meatier, navy beans are smaller and creamier, or lima beans (or butter beans) are small and starchy. All are delicious options!
• Mexican Oregano should be easy to find, but if you can’t, an Italian Oregano will work just fine. I also use Mexican Oregano in my Baja Shrimp Tacos, Boozy Slow-Cooked Carnitas, and Southwestern Chicken Soup.
• Use your favorite garnishes! My list is definitely just recommendations, so don’t feel obligated to use all of them.

How to Make Small Batch White Chicken Chili:

1. If your chicken breast is very thick (1” or more), cut it in half lengthwise to create two thin chicken breasts. (Lay the chicken on a cutting board, and hold your knife parallel with the board. Carefully cut the chicken in half, keeping the knife parallel with the cutting board the entire time, to create a thin top half and a thin bottom half of the chicken.)
2. Season on all sidesof the chicken breasts with 1 ½ teaspoons of the spice blend. Set the seasoned chicken aside, and reserve the remaining spice blend for later in the recipe.
3. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Place a medium-sized saucepan or pot (fitted with a lid) over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, stir in the chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook the onion for 5-7 minutes until very tender and slightly browned.
5. Stir in the garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in green chiles, chicken broth, beans, oregano, and remaining chicken seasoning, then bring the soup to a boil. Immediately turn down to a simmer, and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.
6. While the soup simmers, shred the chicken.
7. After the soup has simmered for 15 minutes, stir in the shredded chicken, sour cream, and shredded cheese until well blended. Cover the pot with the lid again, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
9. Serve the white chicken chili with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onions, pickled or fresh jalapenos, cilantro, lime wedges, more cheese, more sour cream, or sliced avocado. (These are all just suggestions: pick and choose your favorite toppings!)

This chicken chili will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As it sits, the flavors tend to blend together even more, which creates an even tastier chili.

How to Reheat White Chicken Chili:

I recommend reheating this chili by warming it in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is warmed through. You could also microwave it in 30 second intervals until hot.

Other Small Batch Soup Recipes:

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
• Shredded Chicken and Vegetable Soup
• Spicy White Cheddar Beer Soup

I hope you love this white chicken chili as much as we do! If you make it and love it, I would love it if you tagged me on Instagram or left a comment below! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

xx Sara