Family Favorite White Chicken Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chili and white chili? ›

White chili is a chili insofar as it contains meat and has a chili pepper base, but it is the one chili that typically includes shredded poultry, either chicken or turkey.

Adding too much stock, broth, or water.

If your chili looks watery, you may have poured in more than required. Next time, add just a little at a time and increase the liquid as necessary.

Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. For tomato sauces and stews that don't want dairy, try shredding some cheese on top. Photo by Meredith.

Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Stirred into the pot right before serving, a spoonful of vinegar brightens up the finished product, and gives it that full, rounded taste that was missing. Even if the chili recipe you're using doesn't call for vinegar, go ahead and add it anyway. You won't actually taste the tang or sharp flavor of the vinegar.

What primarily distinguishes Texas chili from other chili recipes you might find is a lack of beans, but it also doesn't feature any tomatoes. It is, largely, a ground beef dish that's seasoned with a spicy chili paste made of dried peppers.

The good news is there are lots of easy ways to thicken up your chili with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry— flour, cornmeal, pureed beans, cornstarch, or even crushed tortilla chips will help do the job, along with some good old extra simmering time.

Chili should be thick and hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but sometimes there's just a bit more liquid than you want in the pot. While you can simply keep simmering the chili, that method risks overcooking softer ingredients like the beans, losing all your nice texture to mushy monotony.

The chili tastes completely different without the brown sugar so if you like a subtle sweetness in your chili then you've just got to go for it! Trust me, it will not make your chili taste like candy. It's all about balance between spicy, smoky, and sweet.

How do you thicken white chicken chili with cornstarch? ›

Make a cornstarch slurry: Mix together 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water, stirring well to remove any lumps. Then, stir the slurry into your chili and let it simmer for another 10 minutes to fully thicken.

If you're familiar with mole or Mexican hot chocolate, you know the power of chocolate and spice; adding cocoa to your chili boosts the flavors, allowing you to get the most out of minimal spices, without adding a noticeable chocolatey-ness.

According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after 7 days, maximum. No leftovers should survive in your fridge for longer than that.

Remember, perishable foods like homemade chili should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, as this can encourage bacteria growth and potentially lead to food poisoning symptoms such as stomach cramps.

How long will chili stay fresh in the refrigerator? The USDA guidelines say cooked leftovers like meats and stews are safe for 3 to 4 days in a fridge.

White chili is a delicious variation of classic chili, featuring chicken or turkey and white beans in a savory broth base instead of the typical kidney beans and tomato base.

The White Ghost Pepper, also known as Bhut Jolokia, is one of the hottest chilli peppers in the world. Its heat level ranges from 800,000 to 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it about 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce!

Beans: A classic red chili usually has red beans going on (pinto or chili beans), whereas a white chili will showcase paler varieties, such as great norther, cannellini, or butter beans, for example.