White Bean Chicken Chili: The Game Day Chili Series

Smoked White Bean Chicken Chili: The Game Day Chili Series

The Game Day Chili Series continues with my girlfriend's specialty: white bean chicken chili, built around smoked chicken, cannellini beans, green chiles, and corn. Garlic, cumin, oregano, and jalapeño give the pot plenty of flavor, with fresh lime juice added at the end.

For the Bus Stop BBQ twist, I’m using my smoked chicken and smoked chicken broth. The chicken brings smoke and seasoning directly into the chili, while the broth carries that flavor through the beans and vegetables. You get tender pieces of chicken, soft white beans, and a little sweetness from the corn in a savory broth.

Since the chicken is already cooked, this version comes together on the stovetop without a long slow cooker session. Give the vegetables, beans, and broth some time together, add the chicken toward the end, and finish with lime. Another Sunday, another pot of chili.

Ingredients

For the White Bean Chicken Chili

• 1½ pounds cooked smoked chicken, skin and bones removed, shredded

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped

• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 jalapeño, minced

• 3 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, mild, hot, or a combination, undrained

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 4 cups smoked chicken broth

• 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1½ cups corn

• 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, optional

• Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons

• Kosher salt, to taste

  
  

For Serving

Top each bowl however you like. Good options include:

• Pickled jalapeño slices

• Sliced scallions

• Diced avocado

• Sour cream

• Tortilla chips

• Cornbread

• Lime wedges

  
  

Before You Start

• This recipe starts with the smoked chicken and smoked chicken broth already prepared. Remove the chicken skin and bones, then measure out 1½ pounds of cooked meat. Breast meat, thigh meat, or a combination will work. Leave some larger pieces when shredding so the chicken keeps its texture as you stir it into the chili.

• Taste your broth before adding salt. The smoked chicken may already have plenty of seasoning from its rub or brine, and the broth brings additional seasoning into the pot. If the broth tastes especially salty or concentrated, replace part of it with water or unsalted chicken broth.

• The biggest change from a recipe made with raw chicken is when the meat goes into the pot. Your smoked chicken has already finished cooking. Build the chili base first, then add the chicken near the end and heat it through. A long simmer at that point can dry out the meat and break it into fine strands.

  
  

Directions

1. Prepare the Smoked Chicken

Get the chicken ready before starting the chili base.

• Remove the skin and bones from the cooked smoked chicken.

• Shred or chop the meat into bite-size pieces.

• Measure out 1½ pounds of usable meat.

• Keep the chicken refrigerated while you cook the vegetables and start the broth.

Leave some pieces relatively large. You want the smoked chicken to hold together in the finished chili.

2. Cook the Onion

Start building the base in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.

• Melt the butter over medium heat.

• Add the finely chopped onion.

• Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.

• Reduce the heat if the onion begins browning too quickly. Take enough time here to soften the onion before adding the remaining ingredients.

3. Add the Garlic, Chiles, and Seasonings

Add the aromatics and spices directly to the softened onion.

• Stir in the garlic and minced jalapeño.

• Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.

• Add the canned green chiles and their liquid.

• Sprinkle in the cumin, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne.

• Stir everything together and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Keep the mixture moving so the garlic and spices do not scorch on the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the White Beans and Broth

Bring the chili base together before adding the chicken.

• Add the drained and rinsed great Northern beans.

• Pour in the smoked chicken broth.

• Stir well and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

• Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

• Reduce the heat to low and partially cover.

  
  

5. Simmer the Chili Base

Give the beans, vegetables, and seasonings time to cook together.

• Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes.

• Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking.

• Check the consistency as it cooks.

• For a thicker chili, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back into the broth. Mashing a portion of the beans gives the broth more body while leaving plenty of whole beans throughout the chili.

• Add a splash of water or broth if it becomes thicker than you want.

6. Add the Smoked Chicken and Corn

The chicken goes in once the chili base has had time to simmer.

• Add the shredded smoked chicken and frozen corn.

• Stir gently to distribute everything.

• Return the pot to a gentle simmer.

• Cook for approximately 10–15 minutes, until the corn is tender and the chicken is hot throughout.

• Check several larger pieces of chicken with an instant-read thermometer. They should reach 165°F. The time will vary with the size and starting temperature of the chicken pieces. Once the chicken is thoroughly heated, move on to finishing the chili rather than keeping it simmering.

  
  

7. Finish with Lime

Add the fresh ingredients after the chili has finished cooking.

• Remove the pot from the heat.

• Stir in the juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons.

• Add the chopped cilantro, if using.

• Taste the chili and adjust the salt as needed.

• Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.

The lime adds acidity that balances the smoky broth and beans. Sour cream, avocado, scallions, and pickled jalapeños can go on individual bowls at the table.

The Bus Stop BBQ Take

Smoked chicken is useful for a lot more than the meal you originally cooked it for. Save the meat, make broth from the bones, and you have the two main ingredients for another pot of food.

That combination is what makes this white bean chicken chili work. The meat brings tender pieces of smoked chicken throughout the pot, and the broth carries the flavor into the beans. Green chiles, garlic, and cumin build out the base, while corn adds sweetness and lime brightens the finished chili.

There’s no need to put the whole pot back on the smoker. The chicken and broth already bring the smoke, and a shorter stovetop cook keeps the meat from drying out. Set out the toppings, serve it with cornbread or chips, and there’s another Sunday covered in the Game Day Chili Series.

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