This creamy AIP/Paleo White Chicken Chili is the ultimate quick and easy one-pot meal — rich, comforting, and perfect for cozy weeknight dinners. With juicy shredded chicken, savory herbs and spices, creamy coconut broth, and vibrant, fresh flavors, this beanless, dairy free white chicken chili is sure to be a family favorite!
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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.
AIP White Chicken Chili Recipe
Traditional white chicken chili includes ingredients like white beans, shredded chicken, green chiles, corn, as well as dairy in the form of creams and cheese toppings. In this Core AIP version, I’ve recreated those flavors and textures without any dairy, beans, grains, or nightshades. Think of it as a milder yet incredibly creamy and flavorful white chicken chili soup!
Sautéed vegetable aromatics create a savory base that infuses the chicken with rich flavor. A blend of herbs and spices, zesty lime, and fresh cilantro mimics the characteristic flavor of classic white chicken chili, combining savory, herbal, warm, and bright notes.
Tender chicken thighs and umami-rich bone broth provide hearty depth of flavor, while silky coconut cream adds rich creaminess without a strong coconut taste. Its light sweetness is perfectly balanced by a tangy lime finish that brightens the entire dish. Don’t forget the garnishes — they add crunch, brightness, and extra creaminess!
This White Chicken Chili is the ultimate cozy, nourishing AIP comfort food! With a cook time of just 30 minutes, it’s perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Looking for more comforting AIP and Paleo Soups? Try my Paleo Chili (Nightshade free), Cream of Mushroom Soup, Caribbean-inspired Beef Soup, Creamy Chicken Soup, Roasted Squash and Ginger Soup, or Turkey and Kale Soup.
AIP/Paleo White Chicken Chili Ingredients
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.
- olive oil
- celery
- garlic
- onions
- chicken thighs – boneless or bone-in, skinless chicken thighs.
- dried oregano
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- ground ginger
- cilantro
- chicken bone broth – You can use a store-bought version or make your own gluten-free bone broth, just ensure the ingredients are AIP-compliant and sodium-free (or edit the salt in this recipe accordingly).
- lime – you’ll need a whole lime, both the juice and the zest in this recipe
- full fat additive free coconut cream – I haven’t tried substituting this with full fat coconut milk. My guess is that the chili will be a lot thinner.
- avocado – for garnishing. You won’t wanna skip this!
- green or red onions – for garnish.
Ingredient Substitutions
- You can use chicken or beef broth, stock, or bone broth as a replacement for the chicken bone broth, similarly ensuring the ingredients are AIP-compliant and sodium-free.
- You could use chicken breasts, I just prefer the deeper flavor of chicken thighs.
- For a slightly different bright, citrus flavor, you can use lemon zest and juice instead of lime.
- See the Comments section for suggestions from other readers. Note these may not be Core AIP compliant.
Instructions
Step 1. Sauté the Aromatics
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and garlic, and cook until fragrant and onions are translucent.
Step 2. Add the Chicken and Seasonings
Add the chicken thighs and the dried herbs, spices, and lime zest. Brown the chicken on all sides.
Step 3. Add Liquids and Simmer
Reduce heat slightly. Add lime juice, bone broth, and cilantro, and let simmer 20 – 25 minutes.
Step 4. Shred the Chicken
Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred it before returning to the pot.
Step 5. Add Coconut Cream
Return to medium heat. Add coconut cream and bring to a boil.
Step 6. Garnish and Serve
Remove from heat. Garnish with sliced avocado, cilantro, and green or red onions, as desired.
Tips & Tricks
Adjust Consistency
To thicken the white chicken chili without dairy, grains or gluten, make a slurry with water and tapioca or arrowroot starch.
Alternatively, if you’d like a brothier, more soup-like dish, add more bone broth to thin out the white chicken chili.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this dairy-free white chicken chili soup in advance and keep it in the fridge or the freezer for longer storage. If freezing it, thaw it in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, reheat on the stovetop and serve hot.
Although this recipe won’t be as thick as traditional white chicken chili, it shouldn’t be thin or watery. You can allow the liquids to cook and reduce longer, add more vegetables and/or chicken, or add slurry with tapioca or arrowroot starch to help thicken the dish.
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!
Some other AIP-compliant toppings include plantain or cassava chips, lime wedges, and a dollop of unsweetened coconut yogurt to mimic sour cream. If you’ve reintroduced nightshades, green chiles or jalapeño slices are a yummy addition. Similarly, if you’ve reintroduced black pepper or are following Modified AIP, feel free to add some freshly ground black pepper to each serving.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze in ziplock bags or a glass container for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. If the base is too thick, add some water or broth.
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.
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White Chicken Chili Recipe (AIP, Paleo)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This deliciously creamy White Chicken Chili (AIP, Paleo) comes together quickly on the stovetop. It’s rich, satiating, dairy free, 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 boneless, 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 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 fragrant and 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 returning 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
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex inspired
This is by far my favorite recipe since starting AIP! I’ve found so many more of your delicious recipes but I come back to this one at least once a month!
Hi there! I just wanted to thank you for all your delicious recipes. I was recently diagnosed with hashimotos and have been trying everything in my power to elevate some symptoms. I started the AIP diet and at first felt like I was missing out on the foods my family was eating. Then I discovered your website and it has been an absolute game changer. My whole family is enjoying your recipes. ( including my 6 year old daughter 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son ) Every recipe I’ve made has been absolutely delicious and I can’t thank you enough. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Yasmin. So glad the recipes have been helpful and enjoyable 🙂
Just made this tonight! So yummy and filling! I realized in the middle of cooking I did not have enough coconut cream. I added what I had and still good! I do have a question about the coconut cream as this is my first time to cook with it. I purchased a 6oz. box of creamed coconut on the aisle where the Asian cuisines are located. Can anyone recommend another coconut cream? I’m new this world of autoimmune diseases and learning how food can heal.
This looks great! Cannot wait to try it. I enjoyed all of the comments with add-in tips and links to other recipes, too. Personally, I’m not able to eat chicken. However, this recipe still seems it is going to be GREAT, however, even without the chicken, just as it is written minus the chicken. Living in the south, there is an abundance of freshly cut cactus (nopillitos) readily available here. When desired, I use that as my no-nightshade version of “green bell peppers” or “green chilies” in recipes, as it looks similar in a dish like this, without ruining the taste of the other ingredients. I especially like it with taco salad, Mexican-flavored dishes, and it may be nice in this for those who liked the nightshade versions in their chili. I like Christina’s idea of adding white sweet potatoes. I was thinking of adding summer squash cubed or chayote squash cubes to be texture wise a bit like beans.
I loved this soup! I added a cut up avocado, cilantro and a sprinkle of Tajin to my bowl. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe😊
If I can’t find coconut cream or milk and really only like coconut in other things like macaroons, what can I use as a replacement?
Hi there! This is a coconut based recipe so it doesn’t seem like it’s the best choice for you but might I suggest trying this Paleo Chili instead?https://healmedelicious.com/aip-paleo-chili/
My family really loved it! I used homemade chicken stock (one with a really good gel). Flavors are well balanced. Added tortilla chips (avocado oil ones) and crushed on top. Will add to my rotating menu planning! Thank you!
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.
I just made this with chicken breast instead of the thighs. I found that it had very little flavor and tasted very bland. I was disappointed after the good reviews. I don’t know if i did something wrong but i don’t like chicken thighs and the soup was tasteless.
Chicken thighs are a lot more flavorful and fatty than breasts so that’s a big difference for sure!
This is delicious! It’s not “traditional” white chicken chili but since I can’t have nightshades it hit my spot.I added cumin because that doesn’t bother me and also added an entire bunch of cilantro. It’s delicious. Make sure to use sodium free chicken broth and I will cut the salt down to 1.5 tsp of salt. I would say all the ingredients are necessary for this to come together so if you can’t have coconut or something else I don’t know if it would work for you.
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/
I use fennel (diced bulb. Not fennel seeds) to replace onions, celery and garlic for clients who are sensitive to these. The fennel adds the depth of flavor that you usually get with the onion, celery and garlic.
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 substituted the coconut with cashew cream and it worked great. I’m not allergic to coconut but I don’t like the sweet coconut taste in a savory soup.
I know this is a year late but I made it last night and you can just not add coconut milk. The broth was delicious without it. I roasted some cauliflower, purred it with some garlic and a couple splashes of almond milk and used that in place of the coconut milk. It was really good!
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.