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Butternut White Chicken Chili Recipe

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This Butternut White Chicken Chili Recipe is an oh-so-delicious creamy white chicken chili packed with flavor from smoky paprika, oregano, cumin, protein, and veggies. It’s warm comfort food the family will love!

A wicker tray holds two bowls of creamy white chicken chili, garnished with lime, cilantro, and jalapeños. Fresh cilantro, lime slices, two small pumpkins, and a bowl of crushed red pepper flakes accompany the bowls on the tray, which is set over a rustic white wooden surface.

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What I LOVE About This Chicken Chili

I love chili, period! And I have several favorites in my arsenal for fall chili season. You guys always love the healthy vegetarian chili recipe and the 20 minute healthy chili, and I do too, but there is something special about this one!

And it has to be the flavor—the butternut squash, the chicken, and the oh-so-flavorful broth. It’s just utterly and absolutely delicious to this girl. I could enjoy this dish on every chilly day, for every football game, and every Friday night.

I’m completely aware I may say that about all our chili recipes, including the pumpkin chili recipe near and dear to my heart.

If you’re a fan of white chicken chili, you’ll love this. Adding butternut squash brings a sweet and nutty flavor to an already delicious dish. Happy sigh! Let me know how you like it!

Top-down view of ingredients for a chicken chili on a white wooden surface. Items include a bowl of chopped butternut squash, a carton of chicken broth, canned white beans, garlic cloves, an onion, a jalapeño, a can of green chilies, a bowl of spices, and a measuring cup of sour cream.

Chicken Chili Recipe Ingredients

  • Olive oil for a rich, healthy flavor
  • Sweet onion (or yellow onion)
  • Jalapeño pepper: If you love heat in your chili, leave the seeds in; if you prefer a mild chili, remove the seeds.
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Spices and seasonings: Ground cumin, dried oregano, sweet paprika (or chili powder), and red chili flakes
  • Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
  • Canned cannellini beans or your favorite white bean like Great Northern Beans or whatever beans you have in your pantry, even chickpeas!
  • Canned diced green chiles: Choose mild or spicy (or maybe even Hatch or jalapeno).
  • Sour cream: Both light and full-fat work.
  • Cooked Chicken: This is a great recipe when you have leftover chicken you need to use, or a rotisserie chicken makes it super quick and easy, too.

How to Make This White Chicken Chili Recipe

Step-by-step instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, garlic, oregano, cumin, and paprika, and cook for 5 minutes more.

A white cast iron pot on a wooden board, containing chopped onions and jalapeños being sautéed. An orange cloth is placed next to the pot on a light wooden surface.
A top-down view of a pot with diced butternut squash, chopped onions, and seasonings, placed on a round wooden cutting board with a brown cloth napkin beside it. The pot is white with "STAUB" written on the handles.

Stir in the broth, cannellini beans, and diced green chiles with their liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.

A white Staub pot on a wooden board contains diced butternut squash with onions and spices. A wooden spoon rests across the top of the pot. An orange napkin is partially visible to the left side of the pot. The background is a light-colored surface.
A pot of chili filled with chunks of orange squash, white beans, and spices, sits on a white wooden surface. The pot is cast iron with white handles, and a rust-orange cloth with fringed edges lies beside it.

Remove from the heat, and using a spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the chili. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Return the pot to the stove, stir in the chicken and sour cream, and cook over medium heat until the chicken is heated through and the sour cream has melted.

A close-up of a creamy chicken chili served in a white bowl, garnished with lime slices, cilantro, and jalapeño slices. The bowl sits on a white plate with an orange cloth underneath. In the background are small orange pumpkins, cilantro sprigs, and another bowl of the same chili.

Serving Chicken Chili

One of the things I love best about this recipe is the toppings—I might also say that about most of our soups and chilis! For this chicken chili recipe, I love to top it with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, a sprinkling of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and another pinch of red pepper flakes.

But you could also top it with diced avocado, swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt, or add shredded cheese. Then, serve it with pita or tortilla chips; for me, there is often warm cornbread fresh from the oven!

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A wicker tray holds two bowls of white chicken chili garnished with lime, cilantro, and jalapeño slices. Alongside, there are lime wedges in a small dish, a bunch of cilantro, mini orange pumpkins, a jar of red pepper flakes, and an orange cloth.

Butternut White Chicken Chili Recipe

Warm up with a bowl of Butternut White Chicken Chili. Creamy, flavorful, and packed with protein and veggies, it's comfort food everyone will enjoy.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeño pepper minced (optional for heat)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash in 1 inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 3 cups chicken broth plus more if needed for texture
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 ½ cups cooked chicken cubed

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, garlic, oregano, cumin, and paprika, and cook for 5 minutes more.
  • Stir in the broth, cannellini beans, and diced green chiles with their liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender.
  • Remove from the heat and using a spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the chili. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Return the pot to the stove and stir in the chicken and sour cream and cook over medium heat until the chicken is heated through and the sour cream has melted.
  • Serve topped with cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, additional sour cream, or any other toppings (like tortilla chips) you love!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 893mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5193IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken chili, chicken chili recipe, white bean chili, white chicken chili

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