This deliciously creamy White Chicken Chili (AIP, Paleo) comes together quickly. It’s rich, satiating, dairy free, Whole30 compliant and sure to be a favorite.
After so many reader requests for AIP chilis, last year I finally got around to developing this hearty nightshade free paleo chili which you all have been loving. I’m so glad because it took many attempts to create that perfect flavor that rivals traditional tomato-filled, bean-based chili. After the positive reception of that recipe, I thought it was only fitting that I create a creamy version of chili and that’s how this White Chicken Chili was born.
The coconut cream in this recipe makes the chili deliciously creamy and silky. It’s a perfect compliment to the chicken and chicken broth and of course, it’s dairy-free!
Here’s what you need for this delicious White Chicken Chili (AIP, Paleo)
- full fat additive free coconut cream – I love the creaminess this adds to the recipe. I haven’t tried substituting this for full fat coconut milk. My guess is that the chili will be a lot thinner.
- celery, garlic and onions – these aromatics help season the chicken and provide the chili with a wonderful depth of flavor
- dried oregano, onion and garlic powder, ground ginger and cilantro – these dried spices and aromatics are used to mimic that characteristic spice blend in white chicken chili.
- chicken or beef bone broth – you can use chicken or beef stock as a replacement for the bone broth, just ensure the ingredients are AIP compliant and sodium free (or edit the salt in this recipe accordingly).
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs – you could use chicken breasts here too, I just prefer the flavor of chicken thighs.
- lime – you’ll need a whole lime, both the juice and the zest in this recipe
- avocado – for garnishing. You won’t wanna skip this!
FAQs
What can I serve this AIP White Chicken Chili with?
I love pairing this with a salad for some veggies and some butternut squash biscuits. If you want to bulk up this dish, feel free to add some peeled and cubed white sweet potatoes. Japanese or Hannah Sweet Potatoes add a nice starchiness and mild sweetness to the chili!
What else can I top this dairy-free chili with?
Some other AIP-compliant toppings include red or green onions and a dollop of unsweetened coconut yogurt to mimic sour cream. If you’ve reintroduced peppers, jalapeños are a yummy addition.
How do I store this chili?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze in ziplock bags or a glass container for up to 2 months.
If you loved this AIP White Chicken Chili, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
Looking for more comforting AIP and Paleo Soups? Try these:
- Paleo Chili (Nightshade free)
- Caribbean-inspired Beef Soup
- Roasted Squash and Ginger Soup
- Turkey and Kale Soup
White Chicken Chili (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
This deliciously creamy White Chicken Chili (AIP, Paleo) comes together quickly on the stovetop. It’s rich, satiating, dairy free, Whole30 compliant and sure to be a favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups celery, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
- 6 skinless chicken thighs
- 2.5 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- zest of one lime
- juice of one lime
- 3 cups sodium free chicken or beef bone broth (ensure ingredients are AIP compliant)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 2 cups full fat, additive free coconut cream
- avocado (for garnish)
- green or red onions (for garnish)
Instructions
- To a large stockpot add olive oil and heat on medium heat.
- Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until onions turn translucent.
- Add chicken thighs, sea salt, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, and lime zest. Stir the pot occasionally so that the chicken browns on all sides (approximately 5 minutes).
- Reduce heat slightly and add lime juice, chicken broth and cilantro. Allow to simmer 20 – 25 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl and use two forks to shred it completely before adding back to soup.
- Return to medium heat, add coconut cream and allow to come to a boil.
- Taste and adjust salt as necessary.
- Remove from heat and garnish individual portions with sliced avocado, cilantro, green or red onions, as desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Mains
Keywords: AIP, paleo, chili, white chicken chili, soups, dairy free recipes, nightshade free, aip soups
This recipe was great! I added a can of green chilies to my husbands portion, and a can of cannellini beans, and a can of small white beans to the whole pot! We’re not AIP, but I’m night shade free. We both don’t enjoy the taste of coconut, but you can hardly detect the flavor in this. I printed the recipe and i’m adding it to the rotation of staples.
★★★★★
Can this be made with ground chicken instead of shredded?
The flavors likely won’t be as prominent. If you’re keen on ground chicken, I would recommend something like my turkey and kale soup or this chicken and pumpkin soup.
Having poly myalgia rheumatica recurrence so met with Naturopath Practioner and she recommended AIP protocol to see what’s causing the recurrence. Was getting tired of stir fry’s.
This soup is sooo good. I added leftover cooked mashed carrots and turnip at time of serving and it was wonderful. Can’t wait to try all the other suggestions in the comments. So glad I found your Heal Me Delicious site.
★★★★★
This doesn’t seem like chicken chili to me–but it so delicious! I substituted heavy cream for the coconut and carrots for the celery. It seemed more like a soup, but it was very, very good!
★★★★★
Hi! I’m going to try this recipe but I was wondering if leaving out the celery will make a difference? I’m sensitive to celery. Thanks!
Hi Iris, yes it will be lacking a lot in flavor since there aren;t many other aromatics. I’d suggest another soup like this one without celery https://healmedelicious.com/aip-paleo-chicken-dumpling-soup/
So good. Like other have said, it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of ingredients in this chili, but it is super delicious nonetheless. I love the flavor profile of the broth—and it is incredibly filling.
★★★★★
This looks great but can you substitute the coconut? I am allergic to it.
Thx
Najia
Hi Najia, coconut cream is the base of the soup so unfortunately it cannot be substituted.
I can’t wait to try this but I need to leave out the lime juice. Do I need to adjust the seasonings or amount of broth for the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Rachel, the lime is a key ingredient for the flavor but no need to adjust the seasonings or the amount of broth if you’re omitting it. You could also try using some lemon if you can have it, instead of the lime.
I have made this twice and both times it has been so delicious! The first time I made it, I didn’t shake the can of coconut cream, so I had bits of coconut fat floating in my chili. Last night, I shook the can before adding the cream and it made a big difference in the texture of the chili. I would also advise making sure that the bone broth is sodium-free. (I, thankfully, made sure before buying it; however, I can see how easily that could be overlooked.)
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your review!
This soup is insanely good. I was skeptical at first, because the ingredients are so simple and it was so easy to make–The result was delicious. It tasted like restaurant food. I loved the cooked lime flavor. Also, the shredding of the chicken really allowed the flavors to seep all the way into the meat. We will definitely cook this again.
★★★★★
Hi! Can this be done in the crock pot? If so, would I just dump everything in and let it cook?
Hi Shawna, we haven’t tried but if we were to we’d recommend sautéing the aromatics first before putting them in the crock pot, and shredding the chicken before serving. Do let us know the outcome and what you try!
This recipe hits every mark – easy to make, delicious, my entire family loves it, and it is completely AIP compliant. I have yet to try a recipe of yours that I did not like and this one is definitely on our regular menu rotation. Thanks for creating such amazing recipes that heal AND taste delicious! You have a gift!
★★★★★
Used the Instant Pot and it turned out great! I didn’t expect how flavorful it would be sith such simple ingredients. For the Instant Pot, I browned the chicken first. Then sauteed the onion, garlic, celery, lime peel, ground/dried spices until the onions were just translucent. Added broth, lime juice, and cilantro. Secured the lid and cooked on “Soup” for 7 minutes. Once done shredded the chicken and added coconut cream and salt.
★★★★★
Fantastic!! Made this the other night, and my husband already wants me to make it again. I added white beans to it, as those are safe in our household. My husband, my son (who has multiple food allergies), and myself all loved it a lot! Sooo flavorful and perfect for fall/winter.
★★★★★
Has anyone tried making this in the instant pot?
This was definitely a hit!! I was skeptical at first because there aren’t many veggies however, I made it for not only myself but also my none aip protocol family and needless to say there aren’t any leftovers!!! Next time I will add zucchini and squash just like I use to in my non aip chilli. Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes. I look forward to trying many more.
★★★★★
By far my top favorite meal I’ve made of Nicole’s recipes! Like I wish I had made 3x the amount and froze some cause I could eat this everyday!! So delicious. ! Totally healed my relationship to food!! I actually enjoyed eating something for once my taste buds woke up from their coma !
★★★★★
Oh my goodness, I thought Nicole’s pork / ginger soup was my favorite AIP soup recipe but this chicken chili is stiff competition! I love the cilantro / citrus lightness and how satiating the coconut cream makes this soup! I was out of celery from making so many recent broths so subbed for bok choy stems (I also added the leaves, but separately). What an apt title Heal Me Delicious continues to be for the amazing resource that is this blog. Thank you so much for it!
★★★★★
I am cooking this for the 6th time already – looks like I am addicted!! But it helps so much to get through cold and grey winter in Berlin !!! The last time I used normal coconut milk, which was also delicious, even if not that creamy. My non-AIP-family eats it with rice,and they also love!
I just made this and added cubed jicama and turmeric. The jicama added a different flavor and texture that complemented the other ingredients and the turmeric added another layer of flavor. (I’m trying to get turmeric into my diet whenever I can so I thought I would give it a try). I just boiled the broth a little longer to soften the jicama before I added the coconut cream. It was amazing. I’m adding it to my favorites list. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Yes!!!!!! This was so delicious. I wasn’t sure about a chili without nightshades and not having anything really in it besides chicken and celery but OMG it is delicious. Only changes I made was to add a little more broth and let it simmer longer so all the flavors melded together (also I forgot about it for a while so it simmered even longer than planned lol). We added the suggested accoutrements and pinto beans for those in the family not on AIP. Not a heavy coconut flavor for anyone wondering. Will make again. Thanks!
★★★★★
I did leave a reply and it vanished. I asked, about using a chicken substitute. I don’t eat meat. I know you mentioned night shades. I follow Blue Zones, so beans are part of my routine. I added cannellini beans and vegetarian chicken.
I don’t eat meat. Has anyone tried this wit a chicken substitute and, what if I wanted to add cannellini beans?
If you’re not on AIP then you can add the beans instead but beans arent traditionally AIP compliant.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I would caution others that mine was a bit too salty. Next time I will add most of the salt at the end as possibly my store bought bone broth was quite salty already.
★★★★★
Lol…well I’m one of those people that always presses “jump to recipe”, and I just took a look and saw in your write up that you say to use unsalted broth! I should have known better!
Uh oh! I’m glad it was still delicious and I’ve just made the note in the ingredient list as well!
What brand coconut cream without additives should I use? Any recommendations please would be helpful
Thank you so much
I use Natural value or Cha’s here in Toronto, Canada.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it. How many chicken breast would you recommend in lieu of the chicken thighs?
Hi Diane. Depends on how many you want to feed. An equivalent to the recipe would probably be 3 medium-sized chicken breasts.
I used 3 medium breasts and it was perfect. Once cooked I shredded them using my kitchen aid stand mixer instead of 2 forks. It was very easy.
★★★★★
I’m always looking for a warm, comforting AIP soup, and this one hit the spot. I added white sweet potatoes, and I’m not sure they were needed, but I wanted a little more than meat in my soup. I added all the garnishes, and they definitely added a little something extra. I just really missed the “warm” spices that AIP doesn’t allow (like cumin, maybe?). That being said, I realize there are limitations, and this was a nice change, and could see myself making it again.
★★★★