Keto White Chicken Chili Recipe

Jump to recipeAn EASY keto white chicken chili recipe that's creamy, cheesy, and flavorful! No one will guess this is low carb chicken chili, with just 4g net carbs per serving.

By Maya Krampf

120 Comments

Keto white chicken chili recipe in a ladle

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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.

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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.

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!

Why You’ll Love This Low Carb White Chicken Chili Recipe

Cheesy flavor with a touch of heat
Thick and creamy texture
Simple, healthy ingredients
Ready in less than an hour
Just 4g net carbs per serving

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 pepper
Sea 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.

Ingredients to make low carb white chicken chili

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.

Low carb white chicken chili in dutch oven

Add cheese. Reduce heat. Stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheese, until smooth.
Add chicken. Stir in shredded chicken and simmer until thick.

Stirring cream cheese into low carb chicken chili

Frequently Asked Questions

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.)

Bowl of low carb white chicken chili with lime and avocado

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 cream
Lime wedges (for a squeeze of fresh lime juice!)
Avocado
Fresh 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:

Tools To Make Low Carb White Chicken Chili

Dutch Oven – Cook up your low carb white chicken chili in the dutch oven and take it right to the table.
Soup Cubes – Freeze any keto chili recipe leftovers in these silicone cubes for easy storage.

Keto White Chicken Chili Recipe

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120 Comments

Lisa Almy
0 September 9, 2023Reply

Hi. No beans?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 September 11, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Lisa, No, beans are not considered keto.
Billie
0 August 1, 2023Reply

It’s really difficult to rate something you have not tried…. Since I have to rate the recipe to know how to finish the chili. But so far it looks great
Carol
0 June 14, 2023Reply

Absolutely delicious. Creamy and cheesy… Perfect.
Karen
0 June 4, 2023Reply

This was the best ever chili! No sugar spike for my husband, who LOVED this chili.
Skyler
0 May 27, 2023Reply

I want to make this tomorrow, it looks so good after being in a dinner rut lately. I have an instapot I’ve used a couple times but I’m not familiar enough to wing it with things yet. Do you have suggestions for cooking time or instructions for that? Thank you!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 May 31, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Skyler, I have never made this recipe in the Instant Pot, but I think it should work for you.
Meagan
0 May 4, 2023Reply

Hi, I am excited to make this next week. I was wondering what I could use instead of a dutch oven though? I (obviously) dont have one and they are crazy expensive! I have all kinds of pans and oven-safe dishes.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 May 8, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Meagan, You can use a regular pot if you don’t have a dutch oven.
Tom
0 March 30, 2023Reply

Maya – thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes.
I’m not a Cream Cheese fan, so trying to figure out how to make the jump from 8oz Cream Cheese to how much Psyllium Husk. I’m open to other thickeners if you think there is a better substitute.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 March 31, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Tom, If you need an alternative thickener, try this list of cornstarch substitutes.
Diana
0 March 16, 2023Reply

Delicious & super easy to make! ❤️
Caroline
0 March 7, 2023Reply

Hi all wondering if you use jalapeno peppers and not green finger chilis – if so is there a difference in carb contents?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 March 7, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Caroline, There would not be a difference in carbs between the two peppers.
Michelle
0 March 5, 2023Reply

Delicious! I had a skeptical audience. how it started – my husband came for a bowl, looked in the pot and said “I thought you made chili”, he wasn’t going to eat it. 14yo son, looked at the recipe and said I’m not eating cream cheese. How it ended – “that was great, 2 thumbs up, make more next time”. 14yo took left overs for lunch next day. I have 2 teenage boys with bottomless pits, so I doubled+ the chicken (kept everything else the same). This recipe was very tasty and filling.
Susan
0 February 25, 2023Reply

I made this for dinner tonight and we enjoyed it. I was so tired that I didn’t even think about toppings. One thing I would love to see, since I don’t do a lot of cooking with cream cheese, is for the directions to tell us to cut it into half-inch cubes. I learned about that the hard way, to use next time. The other thing is that in the future, I would heat up the chicken in the microwave, divide it among the serving bowls, and then add the soup over it. I found that it was impossible to divide the chicken reasonably evenly when everything was in the pot together. This is definitely a keeper recipe.
Liz
0 February 23, 2023Reply

Absolutely DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making again!
Jen
0 February 18, 2023Reply

This was very easy and tasty. It reminds me of a soupier crack chicken recipe with a kick. I added diced jalapeños to take it up a notch. One issue I have is that the cream cheese never seems to melt completely. What am I doing wrong?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 February 20, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Jen, Some ways to stop this from happening are letting your cream cheese soften before adding it, also, try reducing the heat, and adding the cream cheese, so it slowly melts.
- Jolene Rifenburg
  0 March 1, 2023Reply
  
  I would have taken a photo but it’s already GONE! ABSOLUTELY my new comfort food. The flavors are spot on!! If you want leftovers you better double the batch LOL. I might add some mushrooms next time! Thank You for this delicious gift!
Brenda
0 February 17, 2023Reply

Not often that I crave a dish, but I think I make this one about once a week! It is DELICIOUS! THANK YOU for posting this recipe. I encourage everyone to try this at least once…you will likely get hooked too 🙂
Dottie Bacon
0 February 4, 2023Reply

This is soooooo delicious and easy! I was able to use leftover chicken from last night. I don’t think I’ve made a single recipe that we did not like. Thanks for the fabulous recipes!! The next time I make this, I’ll consider throwing in some cauliflower! 🙂
Melinda Yeager
0 February 4, 2023Reply

Made this today and wow this really hits the spot on a cold day! I made it in the crock pot so I waited to add the cream and cream cheese til about 30 mins before serving! So Yummy!
Megan Jones
0 January 22, 2023Reply

Can I use canned chicken? That’s all we have right now in the house.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 January 23, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Megan, Yes, that would work.
Crista
0 January 16, 2023Reply

Easy to prepare, delicious. I used 3 cups bone broth instead of 2-1/2. Made it a tad more like soup.
Theresa
0 December 25, 2022Reply

Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of a move and didn’t have my spices so I used what I had on hand, which was a packet of chili seasoning and I had to figure out the right temp on the stove to simmer (you know gas vs electric). It was still delicious, I will definitely make this recipe again.
Liana
0 December 20, 2022Reply

This was the best! I will definitely make it again!
Erica
0 December 16, 2022Reply

So delicious and easy! I added some zucchini and peppers into the onions and then a jar of salsa verde to the broth and cream. Amazing!
Martha Phillips
0 December 6, 2022Reply

Serving size matters when you are tracking macros. Noting that there are 9 servings is not helpful!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 December 7, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Martha, As listed in the recipe card, each serving is 1 cup.
Michelle
0 December 2, 2022Reply

Can you use fat free cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, or maybe even Greek yogurt to lower the fat content?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 December 9, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Michelle, Yes, that would work.
Sheila d
0 November 29, 2022Reply

So good. Used leftover turkey with the juice from my turkey and veggies from my turkey. Delicious!
Michael Jarman
0 November 25, 2022Reply

I made this chili for our chili cook off at work and got 1st place out of 22 entries.

EXCELLENT RECIPE
Stephanie
0 November 10, 2022Reply

This was FANTASTIC! Took this to a church potluck and they scraped it dry and raved about it. People had no idea this was low carb until I told them. Only thing I did different from instructions was added smoked paprika, just because I love that stuff. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Caroline
0 November 9, 2022Reply

Hi, I notice that the portion tracker for 1cup measurements when I put in for 18 servings only produced 8…. Is the measurement for portion size supposed to be a 1/2 cup not 1 cup?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 November 9, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Caroline, Did you follow the times of the recipe? If it simmers too much, the liquid will evaporate and then there will be less servings.
  - Caroline
    0 November 10, 2022Reply
    
    Yes, followed to the recipe to the T
    - Maya | Wholesome Yum
      0 November 10, 2022Reply
      
      Hi Caroline, Sorry for the confusion, did you see the amounts changed when you changed the number of servings to 18? The recipe makes 8 servings as written, which is how many you got, so that makes me wonder if the amounts didn’t update.
Brian
0 November 7, 2022Reply

Awesome recipe, making it for the third time in 3 weeks.
Andrea
0 November 4, 2022Reply

How can I thicken it more? Mine is a bit thin.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 November 7, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Andrea, You can use xanthan gum or unflavored gelatin to thicken the soup.
- Christina
  0 November 14, 2022Reply
  
  Girl, you did it again. Such a simple, easy recipe, but so much flavor. My entire family, even the picky teenagers loved it! Thank you for a another great recipe.
Jaime
0 November 3, 2022Reply

I used this recipe in a chili cook-off at work. I took home the golden spoon – Best Overall Chili!! The only things I changed were I used smoked pork instead of chicken and Serrano peppers. I told everyone whose recipe it is so they can follow you. Your recipe was a great hit!!
Kristy
0 October 31, 2022Reply

Delicious recipe! So flavorful with the perfect amount of heat. Thanks!
Beth
0 October 31, 2022Reply

So creamy, flavorful, and delicious!! A family favorite.
Michelle
0 October 21, 2022Reply

This was delish! I recommend to anyone who wants the taste of white chili without all the carbs! My only regret is that I didn’t find this recipe sooner!
Judy
0 October 21, 2022Reply

Absolutely delicious! A new favorite!
Lynn
0 October 19, 2022Reply

Hi Maya, whats the recipe for crock pot shredded chicken, as i don’t have an instapot?
Thanks so much!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 21, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Lynn, I don’t have a recipe for shredded chicken in the crock pot. You could use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t want to cook the chicken yourself.
  - Tasha
    1 October 26, 2022Reply
    
    Hey Lynn!
    
    I just put everything in the crock pot on high for 4 or low for 8. Shred the chicken and add the cream cheese the last 30 minutes 🙂
Pat
0 October 16, 2022Reply

How much chicken breast goes into this recipe?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 17, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Pat, This recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of shredded chicken. You can find all of the amounts in the recipe card right above where you left this comment.
- Brian
  0 October 26, 2022Reply
  
  Awesome recipe. Now our favorite
- Linda
  0 December 8, 2022Reply
  
  I used boneless thighs and stock that I cooked in an Instant Pot. Sooo good… I will be making this again very soon!!! Not too rich like some keto soups. Thank you!
Stacy
0 October 15, 2022Reply

Absolutely amazing.