Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili has the best creamy texture and amped-up flavor from roasted poblano peppers. It’s a cozy soup recipe for a cold day when you need a warm-up!

It’s an extra step, but roasted peppers add so much to this chili. It’s easy to do in the oven, and it only takes a few minutes. Roasting them coaxes all their flavor out so the chili is infused with their earthy, not-spicy flavor.

Masa harina adds a subtle corn flavor and thickens the chili, while some cream cheese gives it a velvety, creamy texture.

If you’ve been following along, you already know I love a bowl of cozy, comforting goodness, and this chicken chili checks all of those boxes. So, if you’re on team cozy with me, I think you’re going to love it.

How to Make It

We get to do a few different things in this recipe – roasting, sauteeing, and simmering – but it’s not an hours-long affair. The whole thing comes together in less than an hour, but it tastes like a whole lot more work was involved. It’s like magic.

Roasted Poblano Chicken Chili

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Creamy white chicken chili with roasted poblano peppers, beans, and chicken is what to make when it’s cold and you’re craving a bowl of something cozy.

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Simmer
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 poblano peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup masa harina
• 16 ounces diced cooked chicken
• 1 (32-ounce) box low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce can) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
• Optional garnishes: Chopped cilantro, shredded pepper jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips

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Instructions

1. Move an oven rack to the top spot in the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Place the peppers on a sheet pan and place them under the broiler. Broil the peppers for 10 minutes or so or until the skins blister, turning them a few times. It may take more or less time depending on how close the peppers are to the broiler, so keep an eye on them. You can also rotate the sheet pan if they are not blistering evenly.
2. Set the roasted peppers aside to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel off as much skin as you can and discard the skin and stem. Remove the seeds (I rinse the peeled peppers under water to make this easier). Finely chop the peppers.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions, roasted peppers, and garlic. Stir and cook the veggies for a couple of minutes or until softened.
4. Add the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and masa harina and stir. Stir and cook the veggies and masa for about a minute. The mixture will look crumbly and paste-like at this point, which is what you want.
5. Add some of the broth (about a cup) to the pan. As it simmers, scrape up any masa stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the broth, the chicken, and the beans. Stir until the masa has dissolved into the soup. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook it for 10 minutes.
6. Take the pot off the heat and drop the cubes of cream cheese into the chili. Stir until they melt into the chili. Serve with the garnishes, if using.

Notes

Roasting the peppers is an extra step, but it’s worth it. I’ve made this soup without roasting the peppers first, and the result is not the same. Roasting brings out their flavor, which makes the chili even better.

Using cooked chicken makes this recipe easy. I like to use rotisserie chicken, but any cooked chicken that’s seasoned will work. It’s also a great way to use up leftover roast turkey from a holiday meal.

If you use regular chicken broth (not low-sodium), you might want to halve the added salt and add more at the end. Just give the chili a taste and add more salt, if needed, to your taste.

I like to use kidney beans because they hold their shape well, and I like the pop of red. You can also use other kinds of beans like pinto beans, white beans, or black beans.

Masa harina is a type of corn flour used to make tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican dishes. It’s also used as a thickener, like in this chicken chili (I also use it in my Texas chili recipe).

Nutrition

• Calories: 696
• Sugar: 6.2g
• Sodium: 687.6mg
• Fat: 34.6g
• Saturated Fat: 14.6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 49.4g
• Fiber: 10.4g
• Protein: 50.1g
• Cholesterol: 142.4mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

A Few Recipe Tips

I like the convenience of rotisserie chicken, but you can cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs before you make the soup. I recommend cooking them in the same pot or pan you plan to make the chili. Brown them over medium-high heat until they are cooked through.

The browned bits they leave behind will add more flavor to the chili. Season them well with salt and pepper, cook them in the pan until browned on both sides, then dice them up.

Then you can proceed with the recipe as it’s written – sautee the veggies in the same pan, add the masa, spices, broth, cooked chicken, and beans, simmer, and then creamify the chili with the cream cheese.

How to Store the Leftovers

Leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to warm it up on the stove over medium heat, giving it a stir every so often. Initially, when you take it out of the fridge, it will be pretty thick, but as it warms, it loosens and turns as creamy as when you first made it.

Treat yourself to a bowl of this chicken chili goodness, friends. You won’t regret it.

Happy soup-making,

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More Cozy Dinner Recipes

Looking for more cozy soups and stew? Here are a few more of my favorites, or browse all of my favorite soup, stew, and chili recipes for even more ideas 🧡

Green Chile Stew

Loaded Potato Soup

Meatball rice soup

Recipe, photos, and post updated from the archives. First published in December 2017.