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During cold winter months all I can think of are warm hearty meals.  What’s better than some chili on a dark winter afternoon!  By spatchcocking a whole chicken and smoking it above the chili mix, it brings a new twist to a traditional recipe.  Hence the name, Over The Top White Chicken Chili. The combined taste of smoked meat and enhanced chili flavor from the meat drippings make for an over the top white chicken chili recipe!

Don’t forget to check out my Over The Top Beer Chili and Over The Top Beef Chili for other tasty ideas.

white chicken chili in a bowl with chips and avocado on top.

Step 1: Prepare the chili mix.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of different chili recipes and mixes. You can keep things simple with a few basic ingredients or get complicated by using many different ones. I keep my chili on the simpler side. And it still comes out delicious!

Start by adding all your ingredients to a large Dutch oven. This includes diced onions, diced green chilies, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, oregano, taco seasoning, minced garlic and chicken stock. You probably have most of these in my pantry already.

Mix all the ingredients together and get started on prepping the meat.

dutch oven with veggies and a small bowl with seasonings.

Chili Tip

  • A great way to simplify the seasoning process is to get a pre-measured chili mix. It’s simple, convenient and takes out all the measuring steps.

Step 2: How to spatchcock a chicken.

Next, it’s time to prepare the chicken. The secret to this recipe is smoking a spatchcock chicken over the chili.  As the fat renders, the drippings add additional flavor to the dish. 

spatchcocked and seasoned chicken on a tray.

To start, cut out the backbone from the chicken with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Press down hard on the breast bone to break it so the chicken will lay nice and flat. I like to use a little olive oil or cooking spray for the binder. This will allow the seasoning to stick better to the chicken. Cover the outside generously with Dad’s All Purpose rub and pat it in.  

Place the spatchcock chicken on a wire rack and place it on top of the Dutch oven.

Dad’s Seasonings

Must have grillin seasonings!

Step 3: Grill the Over the Top White Chicken Chili.

spatchcocked chicken on a wire rack on top of a dutch oven on the grill.

Set up the grill for indirect heat at 300 degrees.  Slowly smoke the chili and chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. This will take about 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken and the grill you are using. During that cooking time all those delicious drippings from the chicken are caught in the Dutch oven to add layers of flavor to the chili.

Recipe Tip

  • A great way to add extra flavor to the chili broth is to drop the back bone into the liquid mix. Let it cook with everything else and remove once the over the top chicken is smoked.

Step 4: Time to add the meat.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the wire rack with the chicken from the grill. Let it cool down for a few minutes and it’s time to shred. Using your hands or 2 forks, shred the meat from the bones. I like keep the pieces slightly larger for better texture in the chili.

shredded chicken on a cutting board.

Next, add a drained can of cannellini beans, corn and cream cheese to the Dutch oven. Add another can of cannellini beans and a little bit of chicken stock into a blender, mix it together until smooth and pour it into the chili. The blended beans will add a smooth and creamy texture to the chili. And finally add the shredded chicken and mix everything well. If you like venison, take a look at my Venison Red Curry Recipe.

Close the Dutch oven and continue cooking for 30-45 minutes, until everything is fully warmed up and the flavors well incorporated. Remove the Dutch oven from the grill and serve immediately. I like to top my chili with Frito chips, avocado, cheese and enjoy!

scoop of white chicken chili.
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Frequently Asked Questions:

Beans or no beans?

Beans are probably the most controversial ingredient in my chili recipes. The country is definitely split in half here. I say, do what you want. I always include beans. It adds texture, flavor and substance to the chili.

What protein can I use in a chili?

The most common protein in chili is ground beef. However there are so many other alternative options. You can use such as a ground pork and beef blend, mix beef with Italian sausage or chorizo, left over brisket is another great option. For vegetarians, beans is a great protein option.

Similar Chili Recipe Ideas:

If you tried this Over The Top White Chicken Chili or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!

5 from 9 votes

Over The Top White Chicken Chili

The combined taste of smoked meat and enhanced chili flavor from the meat drippings make for an over the top white chicken chili recipe!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

  • 1 Whole chicken
  • 1 Small Yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Small Red onion, diced
  • 1 Lime
  • 32 oz Chicken broth
  • 16 oz Frozen corn
  • 8 oz Cream cheese
  • 7 oz Diced green chilies
  • 15 oz Canned cannellini beans X2
  • 4 tbsp All purpose BBQ rub
  • 2 tbsp Minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Oregano
  • 1 tbsp Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Taco seasoning
  • 1/2 tbsp Salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the grill or oven to 300 degrees and set for indirect heat.
  • In a dutch oven add diced onions, diced green chilies, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt, oregano, minced garlic and chicken stock. Mix everything well and place on the grill.
  • To spatchcock a chicken, cut out the backbone from the chicken with kitchen sheers or a sharp knife. Press down hard on the breast bone to break it so the chicken will lay nice and flat. Season with all purpose rub.
  • Place the spatchcock chicken on a wire rack and place it on top of the dutch oven.
  • Close the grill and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
  • Remove the wire rack with the chicken, let it rest for for 10 minutes, and shred the meat.
  • Next, add a drained can of cannellini beans, corn and cream cheese to the Dutch oven. Add another can of cannellini beans and a little bit of chicken stock into a blender, mix it together until smooth and pour it into the chili. Add the shredded chicken, mix well, cover the Dutch oven and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.
  • When the chili is ready, remove from the grill and serve immediately. Garnish with chips, cheese, hot sauce and enjoy!

Notes

  • When shredding the chicken, keep the pieces slightly larger for a better texture in the chili. 

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1329IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg
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About Maciek

I make easy meals that anyone can replicate at home. I’m not a professionally trained chef, just your average guy that likes to fire up the grill. So follow along and see what’s cooking today!

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5 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. This was SO good! I have an electric smoker so I did it at 250 and so it took longer and I decided not to use the skin. But wow was it different and delicious! Even better this morning when I snuck a pre-breakfast taste. Thank you will definitely do again!

  2. 5 stars
    One of the best White Chilis I’ve followed. Cooked it on a treager and turned out great. The all purpose rub is one of the best out there.