This queso chicken chili is a creamy, one-pot chicken chili 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.
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Ingredients
This chicken chili recipe has-
- Butter, flour, and chicken stock. The broth thickens as it cooks with the roux made with butter and flour.
- Cooked shredded chicken. Save time by using already-cooked chicken in this recipe. I like to use Costco hand-pulled rotisserie chicken that comes vacuum-packed. It’s such a time-saver!
- White cannellini beans. I really like cannellini beans in place of chili beans in this dish.
- Petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, chopped onions, and sliced jalapenos. Spices like garlic powder, cumin, and fresh cilantro. These ingredients add loads of flavor.
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.
New shows on streaming services that I love
Since I haven’t been having too many Mitten Movie Nights 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 and 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 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.
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 queso chicken chili recipe step-by-step
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.
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.
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.
Tips & Variations
- Dry beans or different canned bean varieties like pinto, black, or great northern beans can be used as well.
- Hate cilantro? Feel free to skip it.
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 it 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 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
Storage
Add leftovers to a covered container and refrigerate. Eat within 3 days. Reheat by the bowl in the microwave or on the stovetop. It is not recommended to freeze this recipe.
Like it hot? Try these spicy recipes
Top with more onions, freshly chopped cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream if you find it too spicy.
And here you are…..
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
Queso Chicken Chili {with cream cheese}
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.
- Shred both blocks of cheese in the food processor.
- In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.2 tablespoons butter
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.2 tablespoons flour
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the seasonings: garlic powder, Spanish paprika, cumin, and black pepper.5 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika, 1/2 teaspoon 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, jalapenos, cilantro, cooked chicken, and both types of cheese.2 cups cooked chicken, 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2-15 ounce cans cannelini beans, 1/4 cup red onion, 1 bunch fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoon jarred sliced jalapenos
- 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.4 ounces cream cheese
- Top with more onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream.
Video
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- 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.
- I prefer the taste of pickled jalapenos, but you can use fresh jalapenos in this dish.
- To store: Add to a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
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Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by [email protected]
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