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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.

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.

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.


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.)

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
Keto White Chicken Chili Recipe
An 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.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes, until soft.
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Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
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Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, green chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 40 minutes, until soup has reduced and thickened a bit.
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Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese and shredded cheese, until the cheese has melted and the chicken chili is smooth.
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Stir in shredded chicken and simmer for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our free low carb support group, too – I’d love to see it!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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120 Comments
Lisa Almy
0Hi. No beans?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, No, beans are not considered keto.
Billie
0It’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
0Absolutely delicious. Creamy and cheesy… Perfect.
Karen
0This was the best ever chili! No sugar spike for my husband, who LOVED this chili.
Skyler
0I 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
0Hi Skyler, I have never made this recipe in the Instant Pot, but I think it should work for you.
Meagan
0Hi, 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
0Hi Meagan, You can use a regular pot if you don’t have a dutch oven.
Tom
0Maya – 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
0Hi Tom, If you need an alternative thickener, try this list of cornstarch substitutes.
Diana
0Delicious & super easy to make! ❤️
Caroline
0Hi all wondering if you use jalapeno peppers and not green finger chilis – if so is there a difference in carb contents?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Caroline, There would not be a difference in carbs between the two peppers.
Michelle
0Delicious! 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
0I 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
0Absolutely DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making again!
Jen
0This 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
0Hi 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
0I 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
0Not 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
0This 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
0Made 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
0Can I use canned chicken? That’s all we have right now in the house.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Megan, Yes, that would work.
Crista
0Easy to prepare, delicious. I used 3 cups bone broth instead of 2-1/2. Made it a tad more like soup.
Theresa
0Unfortunately, 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
0This was the best! I will definitely make it again!
Erica
0So 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
0Serving size matters when you are tracking macros. Noting that there are 9 servings is not helpful!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Martha, As listed in the recipe card, each serving is 1 cup.
Michelle
0Can you use fat free cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, or maybe even Greek yogurt to lower the fat content?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, Yes, that would work.
Sheila d
0So good. Used leftover turkey with the juice from my turkey and veggies from my turkey. Delicious!
Michael Jarman
0I made this chili for our chili cook off at work and got 1st place out of 22 entries.
EXCELLENT RECIPE
Stephanie
0This 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
0Hi, 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
0Hi 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
0Yes, followed to the recipe to the T
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi 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
0Awesome recipe, making it for the third time in 3 weeks.
Andrea
0How can I thicken it more? Mine is a bit thin.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Andrea, You can use xanthan gum or unflavored gelatin to thicken the soup.
Christina
0Girl, 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
0I 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
0Delicious recipe! So flavorful with the perfect amount of heat. Thanks!
Beth
0So creamy, flavorful, and delicious!! A family favorite.
Michelle
0This 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
0Absolutely delicious! A new favorite!
Lynn
0Hi Maya, whats the recipe for crock pot shredded chicken, as i don’t have an instapot?
Thanks so much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi 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
1Hey 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
0How much chicken breast goes into this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi 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
0Awesome recipe. Now our favorite
Linda
0I 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
0Absolutely amazing.