Low Sodium White Chicken Chili Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium white chicken chili recipe is a savory, spicy, and a little creamy – made with low sodium and salt free ingredients. It’s a perfect cozy dinner recipe to enjoy any time of year!
Ready in under an hour, this easy chili is the perfect game day dinner. Serve with a thick slice of low sodium cornbread and a chopped salad for a full meal.
Chili is one of our favorite dishes in the winter – it’s so great to enjoy a warm bowl made with fresh, whole ingredients. I use no-salt-added white beans, low sodium chicken breast, and chopped veggies to make this delicious chili.
We love low sodium beef chili with tomatoes – but every once in a while it’s nice to change things up and make a creamy chili with chicken instead. I have a few tips below for how to choose the lowest sodium chicken for your recipes.
And don’t worry about spice – if you don’t like your chili too spicy, you can substitute the jalapeno pepper for a milder version instead.
This Low Sodium White Chicken Chili Recipe Is
- Creamy
- Fresh
- Spicy
- Cozy
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Versatile
- A Great Winter Meal or Game Day Dinner
Low Sodium Soup & Chili Recipes
Soups and chili can be one of the most difficult things to make low sodium (and make it still taste good)! I’ve made dozens of low sodium soups, and this creamy white chili is a really fantastic version. The cream cheese gives a tasty flavor in each bite without adding shredded cheese.
You can make soups low in sodium by swapping a no-salt-added broth for traditional stocks, and using a good variety of herbs, spices, and a bit of acidity. Browse all our low sodium soup recipes, for lunch and dinner inspirations without added salt or preservatives!
Ingredients in this Low Sodium Chicken Chili Recipe
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
- Olive Oil
- No-salt-added chicken – getting organic meat without added preservatives is key for reducing the sodium in this recipe. Store-bought chicken can contain “hidden sodium” from being injected with a salt solution. Look for all natural chicken breasts or chicken thighs, preferably packages with a nutrition label on it.
- Veggies: Onion, Garlic, Celery
- Peppers – I used bell peppers and jalapeno peppers for a bit of heat. If you don’t like chili too spicy you can remove the seeds from the jalapeno before slicing, or just omit it altogether.
- No-Salt-Added White Beans
- Cumin
- Smoked Paprika: if you’re on a low sodium diet and you haven’t tried smoked paprika yet – I highly recommend! It gives a sweet & smoky, mild flavor to recipes, with no added salt. It’s one of my favorite spices, we use this on proteins, potatoes, sauces, and veggies.1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt Free Chili Powder – chili powder blends can contain salt, so I like this no-salt version. Check your spices before adding to the recipe.
- No Salt Added Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth
- Cream cheese (which can have 50-80mg for a 2 tablespoon serving). Cream cheese gives this chili it’s white creamy color and a rich flavor. You can substitute sour cream or plain yogurt instead, if desired.
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Toppings of choice: I used cilantro, green onion, and extra jalapeno peppers
Easy Low Sodium Chicken Meals
I love finding new (& delicious!) ways to cook chicken. Chicken is an inexpensive protein, is great for easy lunches and dinners, and is so versatile – you can cook it many different ways! When buying chicken, make sure to find a low salt or sodium variety, as some chicken brands add a salt solution to texture the meat.
I recommend buying chicken that has a nutrition label on it, so you know the exact amount of sodium in the meat. Or check out your local butcher and ask them for low sodium options. And skip the rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken in the deli section – it can have added salt and sodium.
How To Make This Recipe
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes, until chicken begins to brown and is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the onion, garlic, and celery. Sauté for 7-8 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add the sliced bell peppers and jalapenos and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, white beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and add the cooked chicken back to the pot. Reduce to a simmer, and allow the chili to cook for 30 minutes, covered.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the cream cheese and lime juice, and stir until the cream cheese has melted into the chili.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings: I used cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno peppers, and a little extra lime. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
More Low Sodium Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Low Sodium Chicken Tenders
- Less Sodium Chicken Parmesan Recipe
- Low Sodium Chicken Soup with Vegetables Recipe
- Easy Low Sodium Baked Chicken Recipe
- Crispy Low Sodium Chicken Breasts Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs chicken diced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 2 bell peppers I used green and yellow, sliced
- 1 jalapeno sliced and seeded if desired
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 14- ounce cans no salt added white beans
- 6 cups no-salt-added chicken stock
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 limes juiced
- Toppings of choice: I used cilantro green onion, and extra jalapeno peppers
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes, until chicken begins to brown and is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the onion, garlic, and celery. Sauté for 7-8 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add the sliced bell peppers and jalapenos and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, white beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and add the cooked chicken back to the pot. Reduce to a simmer, and allow the chili to cook for 30 minutes, covered.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the cream cheese and lime juice, and stir until the cream cheese has melted into the chili.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings: I used cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno peppers, and a little extra lime. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition and Serving Size
This recipe makes about 8 2-cup servings, and the nutritional information above is for 2 cups of chili. Sodium content may vary based on ingredients you use, so be sure to check labels of anything you add to the chili and calculate accordingly.Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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This is one delicious dish. I’ve always got chicken on hand and always looking for ways to use it
I have recently been ordered by my doctor to go on a low sodium diet (1500 mg or less) and happily found your site. I’ve made several of your recipes and most are enjoyable for our entire family – thank you! I appreciate your expertise and ideas as I learn my new normal. I just made the above recipe as written and the base is still too watery for our “chili” taste. So I took a third can of no salt cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, and blended them into a paste, then and added to the pot. It helped to provide a nicer body making the dish a little less soup like. Otherwise, I loved that I had everything in my pantry and it was otherwise very easy to make. Much appreciated!
Hi Chi,
Thank you so much for the note. Noted you found the recipe a bit watery, but really happy you found the alternative to thickening it with beans, that is a great idea. We serve ours over rice, which may mask the ‘soupiness’ yo me, so thank you for letting me know.
Best regards,
Kelly
Very tasty
A great combination of flavors and healthy also
I am excited to try this today. In the future, could I use a crock pot?
Hi Christine, you absolutely could use a crockpot next time. If you do, let me know how it turns out.
– Kelly
Excellent. an’t believe it’s so low in sodium and so great in flavor. Subbed 1 4oz. can diced green chilies for jalapeno pepper. Thanks for a super recipe. 12-5-24
Hi Darrell, thank you so much for ratings and review on this recipe! Great substitution with canned chilies! I’m so glad you enjoyed, it’s a favorite for us as well 🙂
– Kelly