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This White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers is a bold, flavor-forward twist on the classic. Instead of relying on canned green chiles, we roast fresh poblano peppers for a deeper smoky flavor, then simmer them with tender chicken thighs, white beans, green salsa, and warming spices. It’s wholesome, comforting, and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or Sunday supper.
White chicken chili is a lighter style of chili made with chicken, white beans, green chiles or salsa verde, and warming spices like cumin. Unlike traditional red chili, it skips tomatoes and leans into bright, herbaceous flavors.
This particular white chicken chili recipe takes it up a notch by using freshly charred poblano peppers instead of canned green chiles for more depth and complexity. It is a simple addition, but it really makes a big difference in this recipe! We’re going for ease, but bold flavors here, you feel me?
Let’s do this.
Table of Contents
- Why This White Chicken Chili is Different
- Ingredients and Variations for White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers
- Preparation – How to Roast Poblano Peppers (Grill or Oven)
- Recipe Steps/How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Expert Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What To Serve With White Chicken Chili
- Tools Used
- More Chili Recipes
- White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers
Why This White Chicken Chili is Different
- Fresh poblanos = real flavor. Charring whole poblano peppers adds smokiness and depth that canned chiles simply don’t deliver.
- Balanced and comforting. White beans and cream add body, but the lime and green salsa keep it bright.
- Flexible and Easy to Adapt. There are so many ways to easily adapt this recipe! Use rotisserie chicken or cook it fresh. Homemade stock or store-bought both work.
- Layered seasoning. Blooming the spices in oil builds a deeper base flavor before adding liquid.
Ingredients and Variations for White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers
Full list of ingredients and exact portions can be found in the recipe card. Print it for your grocery store checklist.
- Fresh Poblano Peppers: This is where the biggest bang for your buck is coming in. We’re using fresh peppers and are going to roast them ourselves. You’re totally allowed to use canned green chilies, but please believe me, the fresh is going to add great flavor.
- Base: were starting with onions, garlic, and jalapeno and softening them before adding the flavorings.
- Seasoning: We’re using some warm spices like chili powder, ground cumin, paprika (smoked or regular), and some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper make up our flavoring seasonings.
- Chicken: I prefer boneless skinless thighs, but you can use breasts if you wish. You can also sub out a whole roaster chicken, too. Just pre-shred the meat.
- Chicken Stock: If you have homemade stock, that’s a huge flavor bonus. If not, store-bought works just fine.
- White Beans: Cannellini beans or Great Northern beans work great. Make sure to drain them first.
- Salsa Verde: A little bit of salsa verde gives this a great depth of flavor. Just use your favorite jarred green salsa. (I like the Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde).
- Corn: Adds a great touch of sweetness. Fire-roasted frozen corn works great.
- Cream: Sour cream, crème fraîche, or Mexican crema, just to add some richness at the end. You can even use cream cheese for even more creaminess!
- Finishing Touches: I like to top the chili with fresh lime juice, shredded cheese, chopped scallions or chives, tortilla chips or strips, and cilantro. Go as big or small as you’d like!
Preparation – How to Roast Poblano Peppers (Grill or Oven)
Using fresh poblano peppers instead of canned green chiles is what gives this chili its deep, slightly smoky flavor. For a full step-by-step tutorial, see our guide on How to Roast Green Chiles in the Grill or Oven.
On the Grill (Preferred Method)
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Place whole poblano peppers directly over the flame.
- Rotate occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides (about 6–8 minutes).
- Remove and place in a bowl, covering loosely to steam for 5 minutes.
- Slice open, remove stems and seeds, then chop into a small dice.
In the Oven
- Set oven to broil.
- Place whole peppers on a sheet pan.
- Broil 5–8 minutes, turning once, until charred.
- Steam, peel (if desired), seed, and dice.
You can roast these ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
*99% of poblano peppers are going to be mild. Every once in a while, you might get a wild card. Just taste them after you chop them, and before adding them to the chili and adjust to your level of heat preference.
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Recipe Steps/How to Make White Chicken Chili
- Sauté aromatics – In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and onion. Cook 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and jalapeño – Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Bloom the spices – Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sear the chicken – Add chicken thighs and cook 3–4 minutes to lightly brown.
- Simmer – Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the chicken – Remove chicken and let cool slightly. Shred using two forks.
- Build the chili – To the pot, add the chopped roasted poblano peppers, white beans, green salsa, and corn.
- Finish simmering – Return shredded chicken to the mixture and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Brighten and enrich – Stir in lime juice and cream. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve – Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Expert Tip
- For thicker chili, puree or mash ½ cup of beans before adding.
- For more heat, leave jalapeño seeds in or add another.
- For extra smokiness, add extra poblanos or a pinch more smoked paprika.
- If using rotisserie chicken, skip the searing and simmering the thighs. Just add shredded chicken when adding beans.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, totally. Thighs stay more tender, but the breast works fine. You can also use a store-bought roasted chicken to save some time on busy weeknights.
Absolutely. Skip the cream or use a dairy-free alternative.
Yes. The flavor improves the next day.
No, this is not very spicy. Rather, it is mild to medium depending on your jalapeño and which salsa you use. Poblano peppers are typically mild in heat level. If you want it spicier, try the following: Add serrano pepper; Add a spicy dry spice, like cayenne pepper or chipotle; Finish with hot sauce.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to a week. The flavors get better and better the next day!
What To Serve With White Chicken Chili
- Grilled Skillet Cornbread
- Warm flour tortillas
- Avocado slices
- Fresh cilantro and cotija or shredded cheese
Tools Used
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Grill or sheet pan (for the poblano peppers)
More Chili Recipes
Want more chili recipe ideas? We’ve got a bunch! You can find the full list of chili recipes here, but here are some of my favs:
- Brisket Chili
- The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili
- Easy Smoked Chicken Chili (red chili)
- Smoked Turkey Chili
- Classic Texas Chili
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About Vindulge
Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbooks — Fire + Wine and Fire + Wine Backyard Pizza — and have been creating content for the IACP-nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.
White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion , (red onion works too)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika , (regular paprika works fine too)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (or chicken breasts)
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- ¼ cup diced pre-roasted poblano peppers
- 2 (15 oz) cans white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn, (fire-roasted frozen corn works great)
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- ½ cup sour cream, crème fraîche, or Mexican crema
- Optional Toppings: shredded cheese or cotija, chopped cilantro, scallions, tortilla strips
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics – In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and onion. Cook 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and jalapeño – Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Bloom the spices – Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sear the chicken – Add chicken thighs and cook 3–4 minutes to lightly brown.
- Simmer – Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the chicken – Remove chicken and let cool slightly. Shred using two forks.
- Build the chili – To the pot, add the chopped roasted poblano peppers, white beans, green salsa, and corn.
- Finish simmering – Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Brighten and enrich – Stir in lime juice and cream. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve – Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Place whole poblano peppers directly over the flame.
- Rotate occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides (about 6–8 minutes).
- Remove and place in a bowl, covering loosely to steam for 5 minutes.
- Slice open, remove stems and seeds, then chop into a small dice.
- Set oven to broil.
- Place whole peppers on a sheet pan.
- Broil 5–8 minutes, turning once, until charred.
- Steam, peel (if desired), seed, and dice.
- You can roast these ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
