Monterey Chicken Chili – Plain Chicken

Monterey White Chicken Chili Recipe – our favorite chicken soup! Super simple to make and ready to eat in 20 minutes. Chicken, spinach, french fried onions, corn, diced green chiles, cumin, chili powder, chicken broth, half-and-half, and Monterey jack cheese. This hearty chicken chili will knock your socks off! Serve with some cornbread and a salad. Great for a potluck!

Plain Chicken participates in affiliate advertising programs. We may earn a commission when you make a purchase through links on our site.

Chicken, Spinach & White Bean Soup

This Monterey Chicken Chili has been on repeat at our house. It has tons of great flavor and only takes a few minutes to make. You are basically just heating everything up in the pot and digging in! Perfect for busy weeknights! Chicken, spinach, white beans, corn, green chiles, french fried onions, and Monterey jack cheese. SO good! We ate this for dinner and had the leftovers for lunch the next day. It was just as good reheated, if not better! This recipe is a great alternative to traditional chili. All you need is some yummy cornbread and you are set.

How to Make Monterey White Chicken Chili

This chili is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a Dutch oven or large pot melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 2 minutes, just until thickened. Add chopped cooked chicken, spinach, white beans, corn, diced green chiles, spices, french fried onions, and Monterey jack cheese. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and serve.

Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• I use rotisserie chicken for the shredded chicken in this soup. You can use any cooked chicken in this recipe. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders all look great.
• Can substitute heavy cream for half-and-half.
• Can substitute fresh spinach for thawed frozen spinach.
• I use great northern beans. White kidney beans or cannellini beans also work great.
• Feel free to add green bell pepper, fresh white onion, fresh garlic cloves, or celery.
• Is Chicken Chili spicy? No. We did not think this soup was spicy. If you want a spicier chili, add some diced jalapeno or cayenne pepper.
• For a gluten-free soup, use cornstarch for the flour in the soup.
• Can Monterey Chicken Chili be made in the slow cooker? Yes! Melt the butter and flour in a pot, add the chicken broth, and half-and-half. Cook until thickened. Pour the liquid into the crockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW until warm.
  • If making this chili in the slow cooker, you can substitute a few raw chicken breasts or chicken thighs for the cooked chicken. Shred the chicken with two forks before serving the soup.
• Can Chicken Chili be frozen? Yes! Let the soup cool completely and transfer to a plastic container or resealable freezer bag and freeze. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • You may need to add more chicken broth after reheating.

What to Serve with White Chicken Chili

We like to top our bowls with some sour cream, tortilla chips, and extra cheese. YUM! This makes a TON of food! It is perfect for any upcoming game day parties, potlucks, or anytime that you need to feed a crowd. Leftovers are equally delicious reheated. This is a hearty white chili. You don’t need a lot of side dishes to go with it. We usually make some cornbread or rolls and a salad. 

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this chicken soup:

Bread

Beer Cornbread

Beer Cornbread Recipe – great tasting cornbread made with beer! Super easy to make and even easier to eat!! All-purpose…

Salads

Green Jacket Salad

Green Jacket Salad – original recipe from the Green Jacket restaurant in Augusta. SO simple and it tastes great! Lettuce,…

Bread

Better than Jim ‘N Nick’s Cheesy Biscuits

Better than Jim ‘N Nick’s Cheesy Biscuits – delicious and easy mini cheese biscuits – I ate WAY too many…

Bread

“Cracked Out” 7up Biscuits

Cracked Out 7up Biscuits – Bisquick, sour cream, Ranch, cheddar, bacon and 7up – the best biscuits! I could make…

Monterey White Chicken Chili

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

The Ultimate White Chicken Chili – the BEST of the BEST White Chicken Chilis! SO good and ready to eat in under 20 minutes! Rotisserie chicken, white beans, corn, green chilies, chicken broth, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, half-and-half, pepper jack cheese. Top with some sour cream and extra cheese. Makes a ton. Freeze leftovers for a quick meal later.

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 rotisserie chicken skin removed, meat pulled off bones and chopped
• 2 (15-oz) cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (11-oz) can white corn, drained
• 2 (4-oz) cans chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1 (9-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup french fried onions
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

• In a Dutch oven melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, until thickened.

• Add remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• I use rotisserie chicken for the shredded chicken in this soup. You can use any cooked chicken in this recipe. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders all look great.
• Can substitute heavy cream for half-and-half.
• Can substitute fresh spinach for thawed frozen spinach.
• I use great northern beans. White kidney beans or cannellini beans also work great.
• Feel free to add green bell pepper, fresh white onion, fresh garlic cloves, or celery.
• Is Chicken Chili spicy? No. We did not think this soup was spicy. If you want a spicier chili, add some diced jalapeno or cayenne pepper.
• For a gluten-free soup, use cornstarch for the flour in the soup.
• Can Monterey Chicken Chili be made in the slow cooker? Yes! Melt the butter and flour in a pot, add the chicken broth, and half-and-half. Cook until thickened. Pour the liquid into the crockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW until warm.
  • If making this chili in the slow cooker, you can substitute a few raw chicken breasts or chicken thighs for the cooked chicken. Shred the chicken with two forks before serving the soup.
• Can Chicken Chili be frozen? Yes! Let the soup cool completely and transfer to a plastic container or resealable freezer bag and freeze. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • You may need to add more chicken broth after reheating.

Steph