This low carb keto white chicken chili recipe is just the thing when you need comfort food on a cold day. It’s creamy and satisfying, with just the right amount of heat. Keto chicken chili is made with simple ingredients and is ready in less than an hour, not to mention most of that time is hands-off. And best of all? Each serving has just 4.2 grams net carbs. Serve up your low carb chicken chili with some keto cornbread for a classic meal that everyone will love. When you’re in the mood for a more traditional red chili, don’t miss my keto chili (the most popular soup recipe on Wholesome Yum!) and whole30 chili.
What Is Keto White Chicken Chili?
Keto white chicken chili is a white and creamy chili that is made with chicken, green chiles, and plenty of cheese. GET IT NOW Traditional versions are made with white beans and sometimes thickened with flours or starches, but we’ve skipped those and it tastes just as good!
Keto Chicken Chili Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto chicken chili recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Olive Oil – Avocado oil will also work. Yellow Onion – Yellow onion is recommended, but white onion will also work. Garlic – Use fresh minced garlic cloves for the best flavor, but the kind in a jar is fine, too.Chicken Broth – I used a regular chicken broth here. You can also use bone broth for a richer flavor, though you may want to water it down with water if you don’t like the intensity.Green Chiles – The green chiles add a mild heat, but aren’t really spicy. Add more or less depending on your preferred spice level.Spices – Cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepperSea Salt – Or kosher salt.Heavy Cream – This adds rich, creamy flavor. You can substitute coconut cream if you like, but the recipe still has other dairy ingredients.Cream Cheese – This helps thicken and makes a creamy keto white chicken chili, without using flour, starches, or keto thickeners like xanthan gum.Mexican Blend Cheese – Buy a shredded cheese to save a few minutes. You can also use pepper jack cheese for some extra heat.Shredded Chicken – Make my easy Instant Pot shredded chicken with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can use any method you like, such as the slow cooker. You can even use rotisserie chicken and shred it with forks.
How To Make Keto White Chicken Chili
This section shows how to make low carb chicken chili with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Saute aromatics. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion until soft, then add garlic and saute until fragrant.Simmer. Add chicken broth, heavy cream, green chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer until the soup reduces in volume and thickens a bit. (You can set a timer for 40 minutes and walk away!)
TIP: Don’t cover with a lid. Simmering uncovered helps the soup reduce and thicken.
Add cheese. Reduce heat. Stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheese, until smooth.Add chicken. Stir in shredded chicken and simmer until thick.
Is white chicken chili keto?
Most white chicken chili recipes are not keto friendly, as they are made with white beans and are often times thickened with flour or starches.
Is chili bad for a keto diet?
Most chilis are made with beans, which are not keto. You can read more about beans on keto here.
What can you use to thicken white chicken chili?
While many white chili recipes call for flour or cornstarch to thicken them, this recipe is thickened with cream cheese and simmering the chili. No flour thickener necessary! (If you need an alternative thickener, try this list of cornstarch substitutes.)
Can you make it with raw chicken?
Yes, you can! Here is how to do it:
Add raw boneless skinless chicken breasts at the step when you add the broth and spices, but leave out the heavy cream.Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.Remove the chicken to a bowl and shred.Add heavy cream to the dutch oven and continue simmering until the total time is 40 minutes.Continue with the recipe as written, adding the shredded chicken back in at the end.
Storage Instructions
Store: Store this keto white chicken chili recipe in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.Meal prep: Soup gets better with age, so make it up to a few days in advance and store in glass containers.Reheat: Reheat keto white chili in a saucepan or in the microwave, until hot.Freeze: Let the chili cool to room temperature, then store in zip lock freezer bags, laid flat in the freezer. Once solid, you can store tham vertically if needed. This low carb white chicken chili will last 2-3 months in the freezer, which is why I love making a big batch! (Feel free to double the recipe, but it may take a bit longer to simmer.)
What To Serve With Low Carb Chicken Chili
First of all, toppings are listed as optional here to keep the ingredient list short, but I say they are a must:
Sour creamLime wedges (for a squeeze of fresh lime juice!)AvocadoFresh cilantro
Then, all this low carb creamy white chicken chili needs is a simple side. Here are a few ideas:
Vegetables – Vegetable sides like oven roasted vegetables, keto fries, or air fryer eggplant all pair well with low carb white chili.Salad – Try salad recipes like cucumber tomato salad, chopped Italian salad, or kale and brussels sprouts salad.Bread – Keto breads like fathead dinner rolls, almond flour bread, and keto white bread are perfect on the side or for dipping.
More Keto Soup Recipes
If you like this low carb white chili recipe, you might also like some of my other low carb soups:
Keto Chicken Tortilla SoupBroccoli Cheese SoupKeto Beef ChiliLow Carb GumboKeto French Onion Soup
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