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Queso Chicken Chili (with cream cheese)

September 15, 2021 by [email protected] Leave a Comment

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This queso chicken chili has a creamy broth made with cream cheese. Add a mix of canned beans and tomatoes with fresh ingredients like cilantro and red onions. Finish with two kinds of cheese for an easy and unique chili recipe.

This chili is fairly close to white chicken chili, but it has a queso twist to it. The original thought behind it was to marry the best of both worlds in this dish. Take creamy white bean chili with a hint of green chilies. Throw in cheesy queso ingredients like cilantro, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Then blend them together to make a hearty meal that is perfect any time of year.

queso chicken chili in a bowl.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • What beer pairs well with chili recipes?
  • New shows on streaming services that I love
  • How to make this recipe
  • FAQ’s
  • Like it hot? Try these spicy recipes
  • Queso Chicken Chili (with cream cheese)
chicken chili with cream cheese  in a bowl and craft beer off tot the side.

Ingredients

This chili recipe has-

  • Butter, flour, and chicken broth
  • Cooked shredded chicken
  • White cannellini beans
  • Petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, chopped onions, and sliced jalapenos
  • Spices like garlic, cumin, and fresh cilantro

What beer pairs well with chili recipes?

The beer: Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager by Stone Brewing

Similar to a Cerveza, this beer is very crisp with only a hint of lime. Which is great. I find too many beers overdo the lime, but this one is the perfect amount. It pairs perfectly with this chili to cut down a bit of the heat from the jalapenos.

creamy chicken chili in a ladle.

New shows on streaming services that I love

Since I haven’t been having too many Mitten Movie Night this year, I thought I would give a rundown of some of my favorite series that I’ve been watching lately.

Netflix – Everyone is talking about Clickbait but I LOVED Brand New Cherry Flavor so much more! Horror, kittens, and Catherine Keener in a dark role. Watch it now.

Hulu – Nine Perfect Strangers is the hot one here, while it’s good, I feel like the new season of American Horror Story deserves a good binge too.

HBO Max – I kind of feel like The White Lotus cannot be outdone. Still searching for a new show to love from this service.

When using cheese that will be melted INTO a recipe, I like to buy the brick cheese and use a food processor to shred it, or a boxed grater. Pre-shredded cheese has added ingredients to prevent clumping that I feel leads it to not melt correctly in dishes like this one.

shredded cheese in a food processor bowl.
bowl of shredded chicken and bowl of shredded cheese with descriptive text.

I like to make a big batch of pre-cooked chicken to have on hand for chicken recipes, and I can do that easily in the pressure cooker. These directions for cooking frozen chicken in the Instant Pot are a great resource.

How to make this recipe

Chop the cooked chicken and add to a bowl.

In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the seasonings.

steps for making chicken chili with descriptive text overlay.

Let the broth thicken by simmering over medium heat. This is a great time to chop the onion and cilantro.

Add the remaining broth along with the beans, tomatoes with green chilies, chopped onions, cilantro, cooked chicken, and cheese.

Return to the stove over medium heat and let simmer so that the cheese melts, take less than 10 minutes.

overhead shot of chicken chili with cream cheese in it.

Finally, add the cream cheese to the chili. This is what makes the broth incredibly creamy. Let simmer and cook down the cream cheese for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

FAQ’s

Can you use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of shredded chicken?

Yes, just make sure that it is completely cooked before adding to this recipe.

I see this recipe uses jarred jalapenos, but can I use fresh?

Of course! There is a difference between fresh and jarred jalapenos in the way it adds flavor to dishes, so start with 1/4 tsp diced fresh jalapeno then add a small amount more as needed to your desired taste.

Can queso chicken chili be frozen?

No, I do not recommend freezing this soup. It has cheese and cream cheese as the main ingredient that breaks down when it is frozen

Like it hot? Try these spicy recipes

  • Cajun Meatball Subs
  • Four B’s Tostadas
  • Cajun Chicken Pasta

Top with more onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream if you find it too spicy.

And here you are…..

overhead shot of white chili with descriptive text overlay.

From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!

queso chicken chili in a bowl.

Queso Chicken Chili (with cream cheese)

Queso chicken chili begins with a delicious white chicken chili base then is given a spicy and cheesy queso twist.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy meals
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • large stockpot

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded/chopped
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese shredded
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies drained
  • 2-15 ounce cans cannelini beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoon jarred sliced jalapenos chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped and destemmed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 ounces cream cheese

Instructions

  • Chop the cooked chicken and add to a bowl.
  • In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.
  • Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the seasonings: garlic powder, Spanish paprika, cumin, and black pepper.
  • Let the broth thicken by simmering over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the remaining 3 cups of broth along with the drained beans, tomatoes with green chilies, chopped red onions, cilantro, cooked chicken, and both types of cheese.
  • Stir everything together and let simmer so that the cheese melts, for about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add 4 ounces of cream cheese. Let simmer and cook down the cream cheese for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Top with more onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream.

Notes

Tips for making Queso Chicken Chili:
  • You can swap out the cannellini beans for black beans or pinto.
  • If you don’t have fresh cilantro, you can use dried parsley or dried cilantro.
Tried this recipe?Mention @mittenmommy or tag #mittenmovienight!

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Last Updated on February 22, 2022 by [email protected]

Filed Under: Mitten Meals, Pilsner and Lager Recipe Pairings Tagged With: american lager

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