Have you ever wondered what to serve with white chicken chili? I know I sure have! There are so many flavors in a bowl of white chicken chili that it can be a hard dish to match.
I like to think about the origin of a dish when trying to choose what side dishes are best. Chili is a classic Mexican meal, so it tends to pair well with Mexican side dishes. A lot of the sides I serve with white chicken chili have some kind of Mexican flair.
White Navy Bean Chicken Chili with Tortilla and Lime
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Easy Sides for Chicken Chili
Consider how hearty a bowl of chili can be. White chicken chili can be a complete meal on its own!
Lighter sides work well with chili. A simple dinner roll or green salad may be all you need!
You don’t have to be a chili cook-off champion to make a perfect, complete chicken chili meal. All you need are the right sides! Luckily, I have quite a few dishes here that will taste delicious alongside your white chicken chili.
Best Sides for White Chicken Chili
Take a look at all of the incredible side dishes we have found to pair with chili. You will never wonder what to serve with white chicken chili again!
1. Chipotle Corn Salsa
Before you dive into a big bowl of white chicken chili, you may want to enjoy some fresh chipotle corn salsa. Our corn salsa is fresh and vibrant, making it a tasty appetizer to your white bean chicken chili.
Fresh or frozen corn kernels, chopped jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice are mixed together in a big bowl. Salt, pepper, and chili powder are blended in to make the salsa even spicier.
Serve the corn salsa with some tortilla chip scoops or jalapeno crackers. It is a great way to enjoy a little healthy side dish before your white chicken chili.
2. Jalapeno Cornbread
White chicken chili is a dinner with Mexican roots. It is a great idea to serve similar, Mexican-inspired foods with a hearty soup. Sweet jalapeno cornbread is the perfect side dish!
Image Source: Sugar Spun Run
This cornbread recipe from Sugar Spun Run is amazing. It is sugar-sweet but also a little bit spicy thanks to the fresh chopped jalapenos. Add a few more jalapenos for a spicier bread or fewer jalapenos for cornbread with a little kick.
Serve white chicken chili right on top of the jalapeno cornbread. You can also serve the cornbread on the side. It is delicious no matter what!
3. Dinner Rolls
A fresh, homemade dinner roll is always a good idea. No one can resist a hot roll next to a warm bowl of chicken chili and white beans.
Image Source: The Stay at Home Chef
Try this recipe from The Stay at Home Chef. Homemade dinner rolls do take a little bit of time to make, so plan in advance.
However, making fresh bread is a fun cooking project. Get the whole family involved in rolling and kneading the dough!
Slather your warm dinner rolls with butter and enjoy. You will never wonder what to serve with white chicken chili again!
Dinner rolls are an excellent side for a lot of different meals. We love side dishes that are versatile and can be made again and again!
4. Dirty Rice
White rice or plain brown rice are often served alongside white bean chicken chili. Rice is a great side dish for chili. Serving white chicken chili with dirty rice is a whole new, perfect grain side dish.
Image Source: Spicy Southern Kitchen
This recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen for dirty rice is one of our favorites. The dirty rice is made with ground beef, bacon grease, chicken broth, bay leaves, and chicken livers.
The rice is seasoned with garlic, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and cajun seasoning. Dirty rice gets its name because it is not as pure white as regular rice.
The black pepper and spices do make it look a little dirty! Don’t be fooled by the looks. Dirty rice is an incredibly delicious side dish to serve with white bean chicken chili.
5. Tortilla Chips
When we think of what to serve with white chicken chili, we almost always think of tortilla chips. Homemade tortilla chips are an even more amazing side dish to pair with a fresh bowl of your favorite recipe for a hearty soup.
Image Source: Simply Recipes
Try this recipe for chips from Simply Recipes. All you need are soft corn tortillas, oil and salt, and pepper. The chips are baked in the oven, making them healthier than deep-fried chips.
Add more salt or pepper to suit your personal tastes. This may just be one of the best side dishes ever!
6. Black Beans
A traditional Mexican side dish of black beans may be exactly what you need to go with your white bean chicken chili. You can never have enough beans!
Image Source: Belle of the Kitchen
Try this recipe for black beans from Belle of the Kitchen. The dish uses canned beans rather than dried beans, so it is faster to make—onions, garlic, ground cumin, and cilantro flavor the beans.
A big scoop of soft beans and a warm bowl of white chicken chili sounds like an excellent meal! We love side dishes that are easy and amazing.
7. Chili Lime Salsa
Chips and salsa make the perfect appetizer for your white chicken chili entree. Salsa is a great side dish for anyone following a gluten-free diet or just for those who like a lot of flavors.
Image Source: Stacey Homemaker
This cilantro lime salsa from Stacey Homemaker is perfectly seasoned. Bell peppers, onions, fresh garlic, cilantro, and lime juices are the main ingredients. The salsa is flavored with ground cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt.
Add some red pepper flakes to the hearty soup to take it from a medium heat dish to one that is extra spicy. You will fall in love with tasty side dishes like this with just one bite!
8. Guacamole
Nothing can compare to a good guacamole recipe. A great recipe for guacamole and a perfect white chicken chili makes a fantastic meal. We love this easy guac from Cooking Classy.
Image Source: Cooking Classy
Ripe avocados and Roma tomatoes are the base of the perfect side dish. Minced garlic and chopped jalapeno add a flavorful finishing touch. Fresh lime juice is key to a good bowl of guacamole, so don’t skip it!
Guacamole side dishes are best made fresh. Be sure to make your bowl of guac right before you are ready to eat it. You will be happy when it is bright green and chilled!
9. Taco Salad
Still wondering what to serve with white chicken chili? Try a taco salad to go with your main meal. This delicious taco salad from Well Plated is exactly what you are looking for.
Image Source: Well Plated
The salad is loaded with healthy veggies. Corn, cherry tomatoes, chopped scallions, and fresh ripe avocado are all tossed together and topped with crunchy tortillas.
Homemade dressing adds a lot of flavor to the salad. Use sour cream in place of yogurt for a thicker, richer dressing. Mix in a little chili powder to make it spicier.
Cook some simple chicken to slice and serve on top of the taco salad. This makes an even heartier meal and will mimic the flavors in your white chicken chili. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are best!
10. Garlic Bread
Fresh, warm garlic bread is delicious alongside chicken chili with white beans. The slight spiciness of the garlic adds a lot of great flavors to your while chicken chili meal.
Image Source: Recipe Tin Eats
This recipe for garlic bread from Recipe Tin Eats is one of our favorite garlic bread ever. It is made with butter, olive oil, and freshly minced garlic. Don’t skimp on the butter as you want all that deliciousness with your white chicken chili!
Make sure to wrap the garlic bread tightly in foil before putting it in the oven. This will help keep the garlic bread soft while also warming it perfectly.
To keep the garlic bread warm while you make your soup, reduce heat in your oven and leave the bread in to keep it toasty. It will be one of the best side dishes ever!
11. Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are a nice side dish to serve with white chicken chili. The flavor of sweet potatoes complements spicy chili perfectly. This is a great appetizer to start off your chicken chili dinner or perfect finger food for dipping into a bowl of chili.
Image Source: I Heart Nap Time
Give these sweet potato fries from I Heart Nap Time a try. Sliced sweet potatoes are tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
The seasoned sweet potatoes are baked in the oven rather than fried, making these French fries healthier than usual. Sweet potato is also full of healthy nutrients like vitamin C, A, and antioxidants.
This is definitely a winning side for anyone looking to make a healthy and hearty meal.
12. Fried Zucchini
Looking for a healthy but tasty vegetable side dish? Give these fried zucchini a try! They are quite delicious, eaten on their own or with a nice bowl of soup.
Image Source: Lil Luna
These fried zucchini from Lil Luna are easy to make and use ingredients you likely have at home already. The sliced zucchini are dipped in flour, milk, and thick panko bread crumbs.
Fry the zucchini in olive oil or hot canola oil. Once the zucchini chips are perfectly browned, they are ready to eat!
Freshly fried zucchini is very tasty when dipped into a bowl of soup. It also is yummy with some garlic aioli or a cayenne pepper mayonnaise. A dipping sauce is definitely a good idea!
13. Stuffed Jalapenos
Hot jalapeno peppers are always a good side dish to go with your favorite chili recipes. Cream cheese stuffed jalapenos are definitely a side you want to try! A Spicy Perspective will show you how.
Image Source: A Spicy Perspective
Choose large jalapenos that will be able to fit a lot of filling. Scrape out all of the seeds from the pepper to ensure the stuffed jalapenos are not too spicy. The seasoning for the filling has quite a bit of cayenne pepper, so you don’t want too much extra heat!
Serve these stuffed, baked jalapenos before your white chicken chili course or alongside your hearty soup. It is great at any time of the meal!
We love the multi-colored peppers used to make this side dish. However, all green jalapeno peppers will be just as delicious! Plant a few jalapeno plants in your garden in preparation for making this tasty side.
14. Elote
Looking for truly authentic Mexican side dishes? Try making elote street corn. It may just be the most delicious corn you have ever tried.
Image Source: Tastes Better From Scratch
Make elote following the directions from Tastes Better From Scratch. Fresh corn cobs are the first ingredient you need. Mayonnaise, Mexican crema, and cojita cheese top the corn to make it incredibly flavorful.
A little chili powder makes the corn spicy like your soup! Reduce heat by skipping the spice and just enjoying a creamy, brightly flavored corn.
Elote is delicious served warm or chilled. Try it both ways and see which you prefer!
15. Margarita
One of the best side dishes to serve with white chicken chili is a really good margarita. Sometimes a good drink is exactly what you need to round out a tasty meal.
Image Source: Once Upon a Chef
These margaritas from Once Upon a Chef are perfectly blended to be refreshing and tasty. Choose a good tequila to really hold up next to your hearty chili. Skip the alcohol altogether to make a non-alcoholic drink that is still very tasty.
Blend the margarita for a tasty frozen drink. Rim the glass in salt or sugar to give it a little extra flavor.
We love margaritas and white chicken chili. However, you may still want extra food side dishes to bulk up your meal. Try making simple garlic bread or a plate of sweet potato fries.
Sides For White Bean Chicken Chili
There are so many delicious side dishes that you can pair with your favorite white bean chicken chili. There is something for everyone, from fresh, warm garlic bread to tasty heavy cream-loaded cornbread!
Let us know which of these delicious side dishes is your favorite, and enjoy!
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