White Chicken Chili

Give me deliciousness with minimal work, please

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I love chili of all kinds, but this one is especially delightful. And it’s a lazy/tired person’s chili, by which I mean that we’ll be using a can of green chilis instead of chopping tons of bell peppers— and hell, canned beans too, if you want—though I would argue that it’s even easier to make beans from scratch than it is to open/rinse all those cans. (Have you ever done it? Soak them in water overnight. Then simmer in fresh water on the stove for a few hours until tender. 1 bag of dried beans yields the perfect amount for a pot of chili! And don’t worry- there are more robust bean-cooking directions at the bottom of this post!)

This recipe calls for Mexican oregano— a delightful herb that can be found at some of the larger grocery stores (Kroger carries this brand at some locations). Or look for it at your local Mexican/international grocery store! It’s okay to skip it, but it will definitely put your chili over the top.

White Chicken Chili
Serves: 8
Prep time: 40 minutes, plus time to prepare the dried beans (see note) - or use canned!

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: this dish is gluten-free

• Dairy free: omit sour cream

Kids Can Help

Open canned green chilis, measure spices, season the chicken, stir and test the beans as they cook

Ingredients

• 5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 6 cups cooked Great Northern Beans (from a 1 lb bag of dried beans, or use 4 cans, undrained). To cook dried beans, see the note at the bottom of this recipe

• 1 white or yellow onion

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 7-oz can diced green chilis

• 1-2 cups of chicken broth (optional — for a brothier chili. You’ll likely have plenty of broth already if you make your own beans; add chicken broth if you’re using canned beans.)

• 8 oz sour cream

Tools

• Cutting board

• Chef knife

• Can opener

• Large soup pot with a lid

• Long wooden spoon or spatula

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Directions

Step 1

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. 

Step 2

Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes undisturbed so the undersides will brown. Sprinkle with all the seasonings, then flip and cook until chicken is done. While chicken is cooking, move on to step 3. 

Step 3

Peel and dice the onion; set aside.

Step 4

Once the chicken is done, set aside on a plate to catch the juices, and transfer the onion to the pot to start cooking; cook on medium-low for about 5-10 minutes until soft.

Step 5

Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces. 

Step 6

Add the chopped chicken and any juices from the plate to the pot along with the beans, chicken broth (if using), and canned chilis. Simmer for 10 minutes until everything is heated through. 

Step 7

Top with sour cream and enjoy!

Note: there are several ways to prepare dried beans. You can soak them in water overnight— just place in a mixing bowl and cover with water by 2-3 inches, and leave on the counter. Soaked beans will then need to simmer (for 1 lb of beans, use about 8-10 cups of fresh water) for a 1-2 hours until tender— you can do this on the stove, or just transfer to a crock pot in the morning after soaking and cook on low all day (6-8 hours). Just make sure the beans actually come to a simmer on the low setting— you don’t want them to just sit in hot water all day!

Do you have to soak your beans before cooking? Nope. It does make them a little less gassy and reduces cooking time, but you can absolutely cook beans without soaking— I’ve done it many times. You’ll need to use more water, though— aim for about 12-14 cups.

You can also cook beans in a pressure cooker in about an hour, with no need to soak beforehand. Here’s a handy tutorial!

Either way, add a teaspoon of kosher salt to the cooking water to enhance the flavor of the beans!

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