White Chicken Chili without Beans

5 from 18 votes

White Chicken Chili without Beans

This No Bean White Chicken Chili is cozy and creamy with smoky bacon, tender shredded chicken, and a rich green chile broth. It’s hearty enough for a weeknight dinner but still light and zesty thanks to salsa verde and poblano pepper. Serve with warm tortillas, cornbread, or crunchy chips for dipping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

4-5 pieces bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 poblano or green bell pepper, diced*
6-7 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon EACH chili powder, oregano, & smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
fresh cracked black pepper
3-4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 15-ounce can sweet corn, drained
1 cup mild salsa verde*
1 4-ounce can mild green chiles
1 Tablespoon hot sauce, optional*
3/4 cup milk or cream
4 ounces full fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature*

Instructions

Crisp the Bacon: In a large pot or dutch oven, sauté the bacon over medium low heat until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is brown.
4-5 pieces bacon, diced
Sear the Chicken: Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high. Sear the chicken breasts for about 4 minutes per side in the bacon grease. The chicken does not need to be cooked through completely.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sauté the Veggies: Remove the chicken and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Leave about 1-1.5 Tablespoons of the bacon grease and discard the rest. Add the onion and poblano. Sauté for 6-7 minutes.
1 yellow onion, diced, 1 poblano or green bell pepper, diced*
Bloom the Spices: Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6-7 cloves garlic, pressed, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon EACH chili powder, oregano, & smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, fresh cracked black pepper
Deglaze: Deglaze the pan with 3 cups of the chicken broth, scraping all of the brown bits off the pot of the bottom. Add the chicken breasts and bacon into the broth.
3-4 cups chicken broth or stock
Cook: Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 30 minutes.
Finish the Chili: Remove the chicken. Stir in the corn, salsa, green chiles, hot sauce, and milk.
1 15-ounce can sweet corn, drained, 1 cup mild salsa verde*, 1 4-ounce can mild green chiles, 1 Tablespoon hot sauce, optional*, 3/4 cup milk or cream
Shred Chicken: Shred the chicken and add it back into the soup.
Add Cream Cheese: Add the cream cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Add more salt if needed and broth if needed.
4 ounces full fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature*

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Bell Pepper: If you prefer a spicier, no-bean white chicken chili, use a poblano pepper. Use a bell pepper for a milder taste (and less heat).
Salsa: This ingredient adds lots of flavor. If you’re sensitive to heat, use a mild salsa. If you prefer a spicier recipe, use a medium or hot salsa.
Hot Sauce (Optional): A dash brightens the chili. Use any mild or spicy variety to suit your taste.
Full-Fat Brick-Style Cream Cheese: This melts smoothly for creamy texture. Neufchâtel (⅓ less fat) can be used, though the chili will be slightly less rich.
Sear the chicken. Searing the chicken first helps create a delicious golden-brown color and seals the moisture into each chicken chunk. This step also adds tons of flavor to che no bean white chicken chili.
Sauté the bacon. By sauteing the bacon first, you’re adding flavor to the recipe as you’ll be using the grease to cook the chicken and some of the veg.

Nutrition