Mains · American
White Chicken Chili
Green chiles, white beans and ground chicken in one pot. The torn tortillas melt in and thicken it.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Hands-off
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 h 10 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (6 to 8)
- Serves
- 6
- easy
- game-day
- one-pot
- fall
- big-batch
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Pan size, bake time and seasoning don’t always scale in a straight line. Check the doneness cues instead of the clock. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: large Dutch oven or heavy pot · wooden spoon · can opener · chopping board and knife · ladle
Contains: milk
Method
Soften the vegetables and spices
Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, the 3 garlic cloves, the diced and the halved jalapeño, the poblano, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/4 tsp allspice. Cook, stirring now and then, for about 7 minutes.
Ready when: The vegetables are soft and the spices smell toasty.
Brown the chicken
Add the 907 g (2 lb) ground chicken, 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Wash your hands if you touched the raw chicken.
Ready when: The chicken is in small crumbles and starting to brown. It will finish cooking in the simmer.
Add the liquids
Pour in both cans of beans with their liquid, the can of green chiles with its liquid, the 2 cups (480 ml) broth and 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water. Bring it to a boil.
Ready when: A full boil across the surface.
Otto tried this firstOtto drains the beans out of habit. This recipe keeps the bean liquid, which helps thicken the chili, so he opens fresh cans and pours them in undrained.Simmer with the tortillas
Stir in the 3 torn tortillas, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
Ready when: The chili is slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through: no pink, and at least 74°C / 165°F, the safe temperature for poultry.
Finish and season
Fish out the halved jalapeño and throw it away. Stir in all but a few tablespoons of the cilantro, then season with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Serve
Ladle into bowls and top with the saved cilantro, cheddar, sour cream and pickled jalapeños. Serve lime wedges and extra torn tortillas on the side.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within 1 to 2 hours. Eat them within 48 hours, or freeze them as soon as possible. Thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a pot, stirring, until it's steaming hot all the way through (74°C / 165°F). Only reheat it once.
If something goes wrong
- Too thin
Keep it at a gentle simmer a little longer, stirring now and then. The torn tortillas break down as it cooks and thicken the chili. - Too spicy
Next time, remove the jalapeño seeds before cooking, and serve with sour cream.
Good to know
- Want more heat? Leave the seeds in the poblanos for a spicier white chili.
- Serve with sour cream, cheddar or Monterey Jack, scallions and tortilla chips.
Safety
- Raw ground chicken can carry harmful bacteria. Keep it away from the toppings, use a separate board, and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after touching it.
- Wear gloves or wash your hands right after cutting jalapeños and poblanos, and don't touch your eyes. Chili oils sting.
- The milk allergen is only in the cheddar and sour cream toppings. Corn tortillas are usually wheat-free, but check the label.