Flavor-Filled White Bean Chicken Chili

This white bean chicken chili is perfect for a winter night.

It’s hard to beat a cozy night in with a piping hot bowl of soup. The recipe to reach for? This white bean chicken chili. It packs in flavor, is plenty hearty, and comes together quickly.

Lindsey Hargett shares her tried and true recipe with us.

Find more recipes from Lindsey at wwww.lkcooking.com, or on Instagram, @lkcooking.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 4-6 chicken thighs, depending on size (can sub 2 chicken breasts)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 teaspoons salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive or avocado oil, divided
• 1 onion (about 1 to 1 ½ cups), diced
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 jalapenos, minced small (use more or less, depending on heat preference)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro stems, minced small (**see note below for details)
• 2 4-oz cans diced green chiles
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cans white beans (cannellini, great northern, or white chili beans work best)
• 5-6 cups chicken broth (more or less as needed to get the consistency you want)
• 1 16-oz bag frozen corn (or two fresh cobs with the kernels cut off)
• Serve with: chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese, and/or tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Season both sides of your chicken with garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper.
2. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.
3. Sear both sides of your chicken, about 3-4 minutes per side, to get some good browning on each side. They don’t need to be cooked through all the way at this point! Remove from the pan and set aside for later.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and lower to medium heat.
5. Add in your onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro stems. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions start to become translucent.
6. Stir in your green chiles, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Let cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
7. Add in your beans and broth, then stir to combine. Add your chicken thighs back to the pot. 8. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the chicken thighs, and shred or chop them into bite sized pieces. Return to the pot. 10. Stir in your corn, and let cook for another 3-5 minutes.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toppings of your choice. **Note for chopping cilantro stems- chop off the very end of the stems, where they are brown and a bit dried, so that you can use the fresh bits of stem further up. Chop off a 2-3” section of fresh stems, then slice them into small bits, about the size of minced gar