White Chicken Chili with Great Northern Beans Using Chicken Thighs
This will be the best white chicken chili you've ever had. It is flavor-packed. My friend said it was "like a deconstructed enchilada". Recipe updated March 6, 2025.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 1 Instant read thermometer to check internal temperature of the chicken.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs poached and shredded
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion medium diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 7 oz can of green chilies
- 1½ tbsp cumin
- 1½ tbsp oregano
- 1½ tbsp cayenne papper
- 2 32 oz boxes of chicken broth
- 3 14.5 oz cans of Great Northern beans divided, 2 cans strained and rinsed, 1 can pureed in a blender
- 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 3-4 pinches MSG (The food industry's secret ingredient.)
- sour cream optional garnish
- cilantro optional garnish
- avocado, large diced optional garnish
Instructions
Poaching Chicken
- Remove any excess fat from the thighs.
- Fill a large pot with with salted water and bring to a medium boil.
- Add the whole chicken thighs and turn the heat down to maintain a low simmer.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Check with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is done when the internal temp is 165 ºF.
- Remove chicken from pot to a cutting board, and shred using two forks, or your hands after it cools.
Chili
- Heat the oil in a soup pot on medium high.
- Add the onion and cook until tender.
- Add the garlic and green chiles. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth and 2 cans of strained and rinsed beans, and 1 can of pureed beans.
- Add the shredded chicken.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and two pinches of MSG.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of Monterey Jack shredded cheese.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and large diced avocado, plus the remaining cup of the shredded cheese.