White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

Chili season is here and one of my favorites to make is this White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese. This is a great alternative to traditional beef chili and makes for the best leftovers. The creaminess of the cream cheese plus the seasoned chicken and white beans are my #1 pick for football season and for cozying up on the couch on a chilly day.

Easy White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese

I love chili. There is nothing better than cozying up with a bowl of chili on the couch, topped with chips and avocado and just digging in and tasting that first bite. We are definitely a chili family. It is an easy meal to prepare because everything cooks in the same pot, and it is really filling. Plus, everyone gets to customize their chili the way they want.

I started my daughter young with beans. My family always ate a lot of them growing up but I didn’t really appreciate them until I stopped being a picky eater. I wanted my daughter to have a different experience with beans so I tried to incorporate them in many ways once she started solids. And now, as it turns out, she really loves beans. So, chili is totally the perfect meal for us.

I LOVE traditional chili recipes, and if you haven’t tried my regular chili recipe, please do, but sometimes I want a chili that is different. This white chicken chili is made using chicken breast seasoned with Goya Adobo that I cooked in the pot prior to adding in my other ingredients. I don’t cook it 100% at first though, as it will finish cooking while the chili cooks. As it is cooking, I also add some lime to the chicken which really goes a long way.

White Chicken Chili with Cream Cheese and Corn

Chili is a hearty stew that normally has some type of ground meat and beans, or just one or the other. Newer styles of chili also incorporate other cuts of meat or bacon, as well, even some vegetables. Chili can be completely vegetarian or contain tons of meat.

Chili also has a unique blend of spices. It normally has a little kick to it, but if that is not for you, you can omit that. I recommend using at least a little spice because the balance of flavors all work together to create something delicious.

Since this is a white chili, I wanted to keep with the theme and I used some frozen white corn in addition to the white beans. I don’t normally add corn to my chili, and now I am wondering why not. It was the most pleasant little surprise in every bite. Plus, it made my toddler even more thrilled, because, for her, corn is life.

I use low fat cream cheese in this chili just to give the broth a little texture, and then I add some heavy cream to it to thicken it up. You could use regular cream cheese in here, but it will definitely make this dish heavier.

What Ingredients go into White Chicken Chili?

• Chicken -I used raw chicken breasts in this chili that I seasoned with Goya Adobo. You could use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken if you want to skip this step.
• Garlic and onion – these ingredients are the basis of most recipes
• Broth – I use chicken broth or vegetable broth
• Green chilies – These always come in a small little can at the grocery store. I have also seen canned poblanos were are also great to use.
• Goya Adobo – I use this to season my chicken and it gives the chicken some great flavor.
• Cannellini Beans – great northern beans will work great too.
• Frozen Corn – I like using white corn since this is a white chili
• Low Fat Cream Cheese – You can use full fat but the dish will be a bit heavier
• Lime – be sure to use fresh lime. The lime really adds a lot to the chicken and also the broth.
• Toppings – I like to add avocado and crushed blue tortilla chips

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion finely diced
• 3 cloves Garlic finely minced
• 3 cans Green Chilis
• 2 lbs Chicken Breast raw, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (see notes if you have pre-cooked chicken)
• 1.5 tsp Goya Adobo Seasoning only needed if you are cooking your chicken
• 2 Limes
• 4 cans White Beans 15.5 oz cannellini or great northern beans
• 1 cup of Frozen White Corn
• 3.5 cups Chicken Broth
• 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Pepper Flakes I used Hatch Chili Pepper Flakes
• 8 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese cut into cubes
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Blue Corn Tortilla Chips optional but recommended
• Avocado optional but recommended

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add your olive oil to a large soup pot or dutch oven and heat it over medium heat.
• Add your onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add your diced green chiles.
• Once your onions and garlic are starting to brown, add in your cubed chicken seasoned with Goya Adobo, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir frequently for five minutes.
• Make sure all of the chicken pieces have a light sear on all sides, and then add in your chicken broth, beans, corn, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili flakes. Bring to a boil.
• Let it boil for about 3 minutes and then turn the heat down to a simmer. This is usually closer to the low option on your burner. You want there to be a slight bubble every now and then during the cooking process.
• Simmer for 45 minutes and then turn off the heat. Add in your cream cheese and stir well. Then add in your heavy cream and stir.
• Add to a bowl, squeeze a little lime juice, add some avocado slices, and crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

NOTES

I like to cook my chicken breast right into the chili to add more flavor. I first cut it cubes, then I season it with 1.5 tsp of Adobo. Then I throw the chicken into the pan after the onions and garlic already started to brown. I cook the chicken for about 5 minutes stiring frequently. This cooks the chicken on all sides. The chicken will finish cooking during the long simmer stage of the chili. 

If you want to use rotisserie or leftover chicken , that will be delicious as well. No need to use the adobo on the chicken as it will be too much for cooked chicken, however, if you have this spice I recommend adding at least 1/4 or 1/2 tsp to your chili to kick up the flavor while it is cooking.