Southwestern White Bean Chicken Chili with Cheesy Burrito Lunch

There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of chili on a chilly evening. This southwestern-spiced white bean chicken chili is packed with tender chicken, creamy cannellini beans and a rich, smoky broth. It’s hearty, comforting and perfect for a cozy dinner at home.

But here’s the best part: the recipe makes extra chili and rice, which you can transform into a cheesy burrito for tomorrow’s lunch. Simply roll the leftovers into flour tortillas with Monterey Jack cheese, refrigerate overnight and reheat for a quick, satisfying meal. It’s meal prep made delicious!

Log in to save recipes and build weekly shopping lists.

Ingredients

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Long Green PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Roma TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

20 ounce Chicken CutletsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Enchilada Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Chili PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

13.4 ounce Cannellini BeansView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 teaspoon Hot SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Flour TortillaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Bring 1¼ cups water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small pot. Add the jasmine rice, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Keep covered off heat.
2. Meanwhile, wash and dry all produce. Core, deseed and dice the green pepper. Dice the tomato. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, separating white and green parts. Finely chop the cilantro.
3. Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper and half the enchilada spice blend. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 4-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. While the chicken cooks, zest the lime to get 1 teaspoon zest, then quarter the lime. In a small bowl, combine the diced tomato, scallion whites, up to half the cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper to make a salsa. In another small bowl, mix the sour cream, lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and pepper to make a crema.
5. Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced green pepper and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and remaining enchilada spice blend, cooking for 1 minute. Add the cannellini beans (with their liquid), chicken stock concentrates and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 7-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces (or shred with two forks). Stir the chicken into the chili. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and stir in half the scallion greens; season with salt and pepper. Reserve ⅓ of the rice and ⅓ of the chili for the burrito lunch.
7. Divide the remaining rice and chili between two bowls. Top each with the salsa and crema. Sprinkle with the remaining scallion greens, half the Monterey Jack cheese, the remaining cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Drizzle with hot sauce to taste.
8. For the lunch burritos: Divide the reserved rice and chili between the two flour tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Roll tightly into burritos, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. To serve, microwave until warmed through, 1-2 minutes. Serve with extra hot sauce if desired.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different type of bean?

Yes, great northern beans or navy beans work well in place of cannellini beans.

How do I make the burrito without a microwave?

Wrap the burrito in foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or pan-fry in a dry skillet until golden and heated through.

Can I freeze the chili?

Absolutely. Cool the chili completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.