Creamy Pesto Chicken Chili – simple ingredients!

Looking for a non-traditional chili to switch things up a bit? This Creamy Pesto Chicken Chili is not your average white chili! Adding pesto to this recipe is adding a whole new flavor, and lots of it! I’m a basil pesto lover, so I knew adding it to white chicken chili would be absolutely delicious. ❤️

(My husband and I used to order Pesto Pizza for an appetizer at one of our favorite restaurants – I make this at home sometimes when I’m craving that pizza.)

This is the prepared pesto that I use, ⬇️ but there are several brand options and any of them will work! (This one from Walmart would be perfect.) Just be sure you get BASIL pesto and not DILL pesto lol – I accidentally grabbed dill pesto when I was grocery shopping in a hurry once….let’s just say we did *not* love it like we do basil pesto. 

The ingredient list is so simple — I use a rotisserie chicken and prepared pesto to make this come together really quickly on a busy night!

We make our family French Bread recipe to go with it, and the whole family devours this meal!

How to make Creamy Pesto Chicken Chili

To get this white chili started, in your favorite soup pot, saute onions in olive oil, then add the garlic. 

Add prepared basil pesto, chicken broth, white beans, and rotisserie chicken, then let it cook!

If you don’t want to buy a rotisserie chicken, use 4-5 cups of any cooked chicken you have. I typically have cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded, in my freezer for meals like this, so I may have to add this white chili to my list of reasons why I need cooked chicken in my freezer!

(When I do mine on the stove, I gently simmer it for about an hour maximum. If it’s a crockpot day, I do 2-3 hours on high for 4-5 on low. It doesn’t need a long time.)

How easy is that?!

:: PIN FOR LATER ::

Now for the last thing – a major addition that takes this recipe up a notch:

When you’re ready to serve it, stir in one block of cream cheese until it’s melted through (this is how it gets creamy!), then top with mozzarella and fresh parsley if you like.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Chili

Yield: About 8 servings

Bursting with flavor from pesto + smooth creaminess from the cream cheese!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. prepared basil pesto
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 4 cans white beans, drained (about 6 cups cooked beans if you start with dry)
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (4-5 cups)
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• Shredded mozzarella (optional)
• Fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Saute chopped onion in 2 T. olive oil, then add minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
2. Add pesto, broth, beans, and chicken.
3. Crockpot cooking times: 2-3 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low
4. Stovetop cooking time: simmer for about 1 hour
5. Before serving, add 8 oz. cream cheese to the pot or crockpot and stir in until melted and evenly combined.
6. Serve with shredded mozzarella and fresh parsley as garnishes. (optional)

 PIN PHOTO TO SAVE THIS RECIPE! ⬇️

Here’s another yummy recipe that uses prepared pesto to make it easy!