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    Home > Soup, Stews, Chilis > Giada’s Ground Chicken Chili with White Beans

    Giada’s Ground Chicken Chili with White Beans

    Published: Jul 30, 2021 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Giada's Chicken and White Bean Chili with Swiss Chard

    This unique ground chicken chili will become a family favorite. This is no ordinary chicken and white bean chili recipe. Made very special with Swiss chard and plenty of Italian flavors, the combination makes one great bowl of soup.

    Italian White Bean Chili topped with grated parmesan and garnished with parsley

    The unique combination of the flavors march right up the aisle, all the way to the altar, and to everyone’s surprise, and without much ceremony, join in holy matrimony.

    Giada served this up a couple of months ago on her show, Giada at Home.  I went to Food Network and bookmarked the recipe and vowed to give it a try.

    First of all, I’ve never seen chard in a White Chili Recipe, nor have I seen Parmesan Cheese. After all, to us here in the Wild West, chili usually comes with ground beef, tomatoes, pinto beans and topped with grated cheddar.

    This Italian version of brings a delicious version of ground chicken chili. And the flavor with Italian spices is out of this world.

    This ground chicken chili with white beans includes chard. Chard is about the most beautiful vegetable to prepare.  Those deep rich green leaves with the red veins and those luscious colored stalks.  It just makes me feel good about adding it.   I think my New Year’s Resolution might be to get to know Chard a bit better.  

    Adding sweet corn adds a nice sweet crunch.

    We truly thought this was the best white bean chicken chili recipe we’ve had.

    Let’s take a look.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients to make italian white bean chicken chili
    • Cannellini white beans: 2 15-ounce cans
    • Onion: 1 large sweet or yellow onion
    • Chicken Broth: 4 cups
    • Garlic: 4 cloves
    • Ground Chicken 2 pounds
    • Swiss Chard
    • Frozen Corn; 1 1/2 cups
    • Parmesan Cheese: 1/2 cup, grated
    • Flat Leaf Parsley: 1/4 cup chopped
    • Flour

    Spices You’ll Need

    spices to make Italian white bean chicken chili
    • Ground Cumin: 2 Tablespoons
    • Fennel Seed: 1 Tablespoon
    • Oregano: 1 Tablespoon
    • Chili Powder: 2 teaspoons. Choose a good quality chili powder for maximum flavor.
    • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: 1/4 teaspoon

    Ingredient Swaps

    • Ground Chicken: Substitute ground turkey for the ground chicken for Turkey White Bean Chili.
    • Chili Powder: If you’re out of chili powder, but have chile powder (a single blend red chile powder) feel free to switch it out. New Mexico red chile powder is a good choice, or Ancho chile powder, a milder red chile powder.
    • Cannellini Beans: White Great Northern Beans will work just fine in this recipe.

    About Ground Chicken: Using ground chicken can be a nice break from ground beef. It’s lighter in taste, fat and calories and holds up in the heartiest of recipes. Unless labeled as ground chicken breast, ground chicken is made with both dark and white meat. I prefer the blend as adding a little fat equals a moist texture and more flavor.

    Step by Step, How To Make Ground Chicken Chili

    Browning ground chicken breast with spices for italian cnili
    Step 1
    • Step 1: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
    Adding flour to thicken white bean chicken chili
    Step 2
    • Step 2: Sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture and stir.
    adding corn, swiss chard and white beans to chili
    Step 3
    • Step 3: Add the white beans, chopped Swiss chard and corn to the chicken mixture.
    How to make chicken and white bean chili
    Step 4

    Step 4: Add chicken broth, stir well and simmer for about an hour until liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add red chile flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped parsley.

    Tips and FAQ’s

    Can I Make This Ground Chicken Chili In A Crockpot?

    Absolutely! Follow steps 1 and 2 for browning the onions and the chicken. Then add to a slow cooker and continue with the steps. Cook on low for 4 hours. This technique would be great for a make-ahead to feed that hungry football crowd.

    Can I Make This Recipe With Rotisserie Chicken?

    Great idea! Remove the skin and bones from a rotisserie chicken and cube the meat. This will allow you to skip the browning process for the chicken. Please take the time to brown those onions however. The enhanced flavor from browning onions is well worth the time.

    How Long Will This Last In The Refrigerator?

    This is one of those recipes that will taste better the next day! And the next. Keep this in the refrigerator for 5 days. Freeze any leftovers in an airtight container (freezer zip lock bags work best) for up to 3 months.

    What Goes Good With White Bean Chicken Chili?

    Cornbread is a always a great side dish for this hearty soup. Or lighten things up with a Simple Side Salad.

    What’s An Easy Way To Grind Your Own Chicken?

    You can easily find ground chicken breast in the meat counter at the grocery store, but remember, every step that the butcher takes to break down any piece of meat is charged to the customer. To save money, you can easily purchase boneless skinless chicken. Just cut it into large chunks and add it to your good processor. Pulse it until the chicken is ground.

    Giada’s Ground Chicken Chili with White Beans

    White bean chicken chili garnished with parsley and grated parmesan

    I hope you give this chicken and white bean chili recipe a try. It’s truly a great bowl of soup.

    More Chili Recipes

    • Bourbon Beef and Bean Chili, A unique mixture of flavors that come from a slow cooked chuck roast, bourbon, red kidney beans and lots of roasted Hatch Chile peppers. 
    • Hatch Green Chili with Pork, This chili is comfort food at its best and one of our favorite Hatch green chili recipes. An award winning recipe.
    • Award Winning Beef and Bean Chili, A combination of my Kansas family chili recipe with some unique additions. In the end you’e got a beef, pork, sausage, bean chili recipe which became an award winning chili recipe in Colorado. 

    And don’t miss my soup and stew category, you’ll find a ton of irresistible slurp worthy recipes. Including the most popular soup recipe on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Style Chili, A richly flavored, hearty beef chili stew featuring beef chuck and New Mexico Hatch Chiles and Poblano peppers.

    Italian White Bean Chili topped with grated parmesan and garnished with parsley

    Giada’s Ground Chicken Chili with White Beans

    The best white bean chili recipe
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup, Stews and Chilis
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 201kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • 2 pounds ground chicken
    • 1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
    • 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
    • 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
    • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 3 Tablespoons flour
    • 2 cannellini or other white beans 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 bunch Swiss chard about 1 pound, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
    • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn thawed
    • 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
    • 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
    • Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
    • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
    • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
    • Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
    • Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened.
    • Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 412IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Giada’s Ground Chicken Chili with White Beans …It’s What’s For Dinner

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    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    More Soup Stew and Chili Recipes

    • Sherried Black Bean And Ham Soup
    • Easy Turkey Lentil Soup with Barley
    • Jacques Pepin’s Beef Stew In Red Wine
    • Creamy Southwestern Chicken Soup

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. girlichef says

      November 18, 2009 at 12:12 am

      Wowza…that is some high praise! And of course, now I wish I had a bowl…. 🙂

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 18, 2009 at 3:31 pm

        It’s pretty darn easy to make. I’m going to be posting another soon. This just may NOT be the best White Bean Chili. As always, thanks for stopping by

        Reply
    2. Mr. P says

      November 16, 2009 at 12:53 pm

      ‘I don’t own a Panini press, but I do own a grill pan and a brick.’

      The best sentence I have ever read on a food blog! You have put a smile on my face 🙂

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 16, 2009 at 7:38 pm

        Thanks for stopping by my blog Mr. P. Always love new visitors

        Reply
    3. DebinHawaii says

      November 16, 2009 at 12:12 am

      Such a great and unique combination of ingredients, you have to love Giada. Thanks for joining us at Souper Sunday this week! The round-up is now posted.

      Aloha,

      Deb

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 16, 2009 at 1:13 am

        I love Souper Sunday. Thanks for stopping by Deb.

        Reply
    4. Joanne says

      November 14, 2009 at 3:04 pm

      I never would have thought to make an Italian version of chili, but I trust Giada implicitly. And you. These pictures are beautiful! What a great presentation.

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 3:49 pm

        I agree Joanne. She’s got great recipes. As always, thanks for stopping by.

        Reply
    5. Kristi says

      November 14, 2009 at 6:36 pm

      I love white bean chili. I’ll be giving this recipe a try!

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm

        Thanks for stopping by Kristi

        Reply
    6. Chris says

      November 14, 2009 at 1:07 pm

      That sounds like a great “black and white” chili. Whenever I hear chard, all I can think about is the move Zulu! because one of the main characters was Lt. Chard. He wasn’t Swiss though, he was Welsh 😉

      Reply
    7. Wandering Coyote says

      November 14, 2009 at 4:46 am

      Giada rocks my world! I’ve never been disappointed with any of her recipes.

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:10 pm

        Thanks for stopping by. I agree, I’ve saved so many of her recipes. Have only made a few and they are delicious.

        Reply
    8. Stephanie says

      November 13, 2009 at 6:53 pm

      That looks really good. I’ve never found a great white chili – I am going to try this soon!

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:21 pm

        You shouldn’t be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by

        Reply
    9. Natashya says

      November 13, 2009 at 2:27 pm

      Sounds wonderful! I love Giada, I will have to try this soon.

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:27 pm

        She puts out some yummy stuff that’s for sure. Thanks for stopping by Natashya

        Reply
    10. buffalo dick says

      November 13, 2009 at 3:08 pm

      I make a Wicked White Chili that has 4 1st place trophies, and was in the local( not a chili cook off either!) newspaper for third in a city wide cook off.. If you want the recipe, E-mail me! Key ingredients- cooked cubed chix breast, sweet Italian sausage, Jalapenos, and Alfredo sauce..

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:22 pm

        YOU BET

        Reply
      • kathy says

        March 17, 2010 at 4:13 am

        Hi – I’d be very interested in seeing your chicken chili recipe.

        Reply
    11. Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella says

      November 13, 2009 at 10:01 am

      I love hte sound of this chicken and white bean version of chilli. I always associate beef and kidney beans with chilli so this is a nice alternative! 🙂

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:30 pm

        Thanks for stopping by NQN. I think I’ve never met a chili I didn’t like, unless it just too doggone hot.

        Reply
    12. Vickie says

      November 13, 2009 at 5:41 am

      This sounds so good – I love the spices. Chard grows well up here in Montana and I usually freeze some at the end of summer. What a great winter use. I am adding this to my soup recipes. Very nice post – you made me grin (as usual).

      Reply
      • leaannbrown says

        November 14, 2009 at 1:33 pm

        Let me know how you like it. Thanks for stopping by Vic

        Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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