This is an easy fall chili recipe with chicken, white navy beans, corn, and a few other pantry staples. 30 minute chili and Crock Pot friendly.
A bowl of creamy white navy bean chili is never complete with out a little (a lot) of Honeybutter Corn Bread with some Honey Butter Spread. We love to make double batches and freeze them for later!
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This is a simple chili recipe with white beans, simply seasoned and not too spicy, like my Ground Turkey Crockpot Chili. It's easy to kick up the heat a few notches if that's what your heart desires! This, along with my Italian White Bean Soup are my favorite soup recipes with white beans to make in the fall. I love to use white beans in soup, they're full of fiber and protein!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Made with simple ingredients and pantry staples!
- Very easy to customize and adjust.
- Freezer and slow cooker friendly, always a huge bonus.
- Packed full of veggies and protein!
- Lightened up, no cream, half and half, or cream cheese in this recipe, although it would be easy to add if you wish.
🛒 Ingredients
- Beans - I use navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern beans which are all white and mild flavored, but pinto beans are also pretty light in color and would work well.
- Milk - whole milk is used in this recipe for maximum creaminess and added protein, see substitutions for dairy free options.
- Corn - fresh, frozen, or canned can be used for this chili.
- Bell Pepper- any color! I prefer to use a bright contrasting color like red or green, but yellow and orange work very well.
- Flour - used as the thickener to make a "slurry" with the milk.
- Sour Cream - to make the chili extra creamy, also used for garnish.
- Chicken broth - or stock, can be low sodium or regular.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and instructions.
✏️ Substitutions
- Milk - can be replaced with unsweetened unflavored nut milk.
- Chicken broth - swap out with vegetable broth.
- Flour - can be substituted with half the amount of cornstarch for a gluten-free option.
- Sour Cream- use plain unflavored greek yogurt for a protein boost, or cream cheese for an extra rich chili.
🆒 Variations
- Add ½ cup diced green chiles canned, fresh, or frozen for added spice! We love to add green chile to EVERYTHING in New Mexico.
- Add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes for even more of a spice kick.
- Use black beans instead of navy beans for a black bean chicken chili. Just make sure to drain and rinse them so they don't turn your chili dark.
🧑🍳 Instructions
Step 1. In a large pot over high heat, add oil. Add diced chicken, onion,bell pepper,chicken bouillon, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until peppers and onions are tender and chicken is cooked through with no pink left.
Step 2. Add white beans, corn, sour cream, and chicken broth. Heat until simmering.
Step 3. Separately in a small bowl, whisk together milk and flour well until smooth. Slowly pour into simmering chili, stirring constantly. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the chili is cooked it should be thicker from the milk and flour "slurry". It also thickens a bit as it cools.
📌 Top Tips
- Get alllll the toppings! Sour cream, tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, avocados, cilantro, they're all fantastic!
- Make sure to simmer for at least 10-15 minutes so the spices can absorb into the veggies and meat.
- Stirring is important after the milk is added, it helps prevent it burning on the bottom of the pot.
- Don't heavily boil the chili after adding the sour cream, it may cause it to separate. A simmer is all you need.
- LIMES. Squeeze a little lime on top for a citrus burst! It's delicious.
This recipe feeds a crowd, and it's a super easy white chicken chili to make in a big slow cooker with these awesome crock pot liners for easy cleanup. We also love to make double batches and freeze it for later!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Add all ingredients to a crock pot EXCEPT the sour cream.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is cooked and tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream right before serving.
Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container (I like to use reusable freezer bags) Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
You can safely refrigerate it for 4-5 days.
About 1.5 cups.
🥣 More Cozy Fall Dinner Recipes
📝 Printable Recipe
White Chicken Chili with Corn
Ingredients
Chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 raw chicken breasts cut into small cubes
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced, any color
- 2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper or more for taste
- 3 15 oz. cans white beans do not drain
- 2 cups corn, fresh, frozen, or canned do not drain if canned
- 8 oz. sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock or mix 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon and 1 cup of water
To thicken:
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Heat medium to large cooking pot on the stove with 1 tablespoon oil in the bottom.Cook chicken, diced onion, green bell pepper, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper on medium high heat until chicken and vegetables are cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
- Add white beans, corn, sour cream, and chicken broth. Heat until simmering.
- Separately in a small bowl, whisk together milk and flour well.
- Slowly pour into simmering chili, stirring constantly. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, or avocados for maximum deliciousness.
Stephanie says
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so warm, homey feeling, and delicious! This chili is so filling that I could only eat one serving to my dismay.
My husband likes things a little spicy so we added some chili powder and cayenne into the mix and it paired well with the recipe. I will definitely be adding this to my soup season rotation!