How to Make Pressure Canned White Chicken Chili

Having meals ready to go on my shelf during those busy seasons is essential in our house. Now is the perfect time to get those meals made up and pressure canned! This pressure canned white chicken chili recipe is the perfect meal to start with. 

It is a family favorite and when you have been outside all day working in the garden, you will be thankful to pull a couple jars off your shelf and throw them into the pot to heat up. Dinner or lunch in minutes!

That’s what makes all the work up front of pressure canning worth it. 

Winter is the perfect time to get all your pressure canner projects going and pantry staples on your shelf. Depending on where you live, you are inside more, plus you don’t have the garden produce coming in to be canned and preserved. That makes these winter months the perfect time to get ready made meals on your shelf.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission on qualified purchases at no additional cost to you. 

It’s important that you use an approved canning recipe when you are canning. Ready made meals are no different. 

One of my favorite cookbooks to get all my recipes from is The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning by Diane Devereaux. Most all my ready made meals come from this cookbook. 

The original recipe for this white chicken chili is from it and it is delicious. We haven’t found a recipe in it yet that the whole family doesn’t like, so it would a good one to add to your shelves!

What pressure canner to use?

Picking the right pressure canner can be tricky if you have never used one before. There is so much information out there and it can be kind of overwhelming. One thing is for sure, you need to make sure you have a pressure CANNER not a pressure COOKER. There is a difference. 

The pressure cooker will not maintain adequate pressure during the processing time to ensure that botulism spores are killed and your food is shelf stable. That is why it is highly important you have a pressure canner when processing low acid foods. 

I have 2 different pressure canners that I love, for different reasons. 

All American Modal 921:

The first is the All American modal 921. This canner is heavy duty and is timeless. It is the first pressure canner I ever used and love! The All American is made in the USA and is a very well built product. This would be a canner that you can pass down to generations to come.

There are few downfalls to the All American though. 

The first is it is highly expensive. While it is a wonderful canner and definitely worth it, in my opinion, it is very expensive. So if you were just getting started and unsure if you will even like to pressure can, this may not be the best option for you. 

I was very fortunate to borrow my pastor’s wife’s All American pressure canner for over a year before I purchased my own. 

​The only other reason I am not using my All American at this time is because I have a glass top stove. It clearly states in the instructions manual that it is not suitable for a glass top stove. 

The All American is very heavy which can cause your glass top to break. While I was quite the rebel for a long time using it on my glass top, I never felt completely confident it was not going to crack my top. 

Denali Canning, The Tanker:

The other canner I recommend, which is the canner I am using currently all the time, is the Denali Canning The Tanker. I have been loving this canner! 

It is not made in the USA, so that is a bummer but the quality is very good. 

One of the main reasons I love this canner is it is suitable for ALL stovetops. This pressure canner was designed for glass top, induction, or even gas stoves. Which means you don’t have to worry about it ever breaking your stove!

It is much more light weight and easier to move around which is nice. The All American is very heavy, which is why you shouldn’t use it on your glass top.

I also love how simple it is to use. The Tanker has an automatic vent system in the handle which means you leave the weight on all the time. It will vent itself, seal off, and build pressure all on it’s own. 

This makes the whole process that much simpler. 

The last reason I love it, is the price. This canner is significantly cheaper, which means it is a perfect starter canner to invest in. When you use my link above you will get an automatic 10% off which makes this pressure canner very affordable. 

Whichever canner you choose to go with, both will get the job done beautifully. I highly recommend them both!

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans, northern beans, or navy beans
• 1 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil
• 4 cups of boneless chicken breasts or thighs, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 1 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 cups of chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups hot water
• 1 cup canned diced mild green chiles 

​How to make pressure canned white chicken chili:

1. Thoroughly rinse your dry beans and add to a large stockpot. Cover the beans with water, 2 inches above the beans. Bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to simmer, and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on. This quick soak method helps to break down the phytic acid in the beans to make them easier to digest.
2. In a large stock pot, add the oil and chicken. Cook chicken on medium heat for about 10 minutes. It does not need to be cooked all the way through, as it will finish cooking in the canner. Make sure to stir frequently so the chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add in the onion, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Drain your beans and add it to the chicken along with the chicken broth, water, and chiles. Give it all a good stir and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it simmer for an additional 5 minutes. 

Filling the jars:

1. Wash 6 quart jars or 10 pint jars with warm soapy water. Fill your canner with several inches of water. 
2. Ladle the hot chili into warm clean jars. Fill each jar with just the chunky part of the chili about 3/4 of the way. Then add the broth leaving a very generous 1″ headspace. (see video for better explanation).
3. Remove any air bubbles from each jar using the back of a wooden spoon or any canning tool. Adjust the headspace with more broth if needed. If you have no more broth and need extra liquid just use warm water. 
4. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean wet dish towel. If your rims are exceptionally dirty you can use a clean dish towel dipped in white vinegar. 
5. Place lids and rings on each jar and screw down fingertip tight. 

Get Jars into the Canner:

1. Place filled jars into canner and ensure they are not touching each other. You don’t want your jars to be completely submerged in water, but the water should be roughly halfway up the jars. 
2. If using a Denali canner, place the lid on and slide into place. Turn your stovetop onto medium heat and let the canner vent itself, seal off, and begin to build pressure. 
3. Once it has reached the appropriate pressure for your elevation, you will hear the weight rock back and forth and hum. Start your timer. Process quart jars in the canner for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you used pint jars you will process for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
4. Once the timer goes off, turn stovetop off and let the pressure come down naturally undisturbed. After your dial gauge reads zero, wait a minimum of 20 minutes before removing the lid. The longer you let the canner cool down the easier the lid comes off.
5. Remove the jars carefully using a jar lifter and place on a clean dishtowel to cool down completely. Let them sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
6. The next day, check seals, remove rings, wipe jars down, and label with contents and year.

​When ready to serve this pressure canned white chicken chili:

1. When you are ready for a quick weeknight meal pour the contents of the jar into a pot. For a creamy white chicken chili add in 1 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup cream cheese. This will make a thicker chili as well. Turn stove on to heat through.
2. Stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and your chili is hot. Do a taste test and make sure you don’t want to add any extra salt or spices.  
3. Serve hot with a side of homemade sourdough bread and your favorite toppings. Some of our favorite toppings are tortilla chips, corn chips, squeeze of fresh lime juice, and fresh cilantro.

How long will it last on your shelf?

The big question I get asked when talking about canning is, how long will it last on my shelf? 

This really depends on your safe practices. 

​Food can stay good in jars for years if you have started with clean jars and lids and canned at the appropriate pressure and for the appropriate time. 

A good rule of thumb is a year. I always label the contents and the year on my jars and when I can something new of the same thing I bring the older year forward and put the new year towards the back. This just ensures that I am using the older foods first. 

Always make sure your home canned food is in a location that has a stable temperature. You don’t want it to fluctuate in temperature a lot, getting extremely hot or cold. This can cause jars to unseal. 

You also want to make sure to store all your jars out of direct sunlight. A closet or pantry is good. I have shelves that are tucked in a corner of my mudroom with no natural light that hits them. Find whatever spot in your home works best for you.

After you open a jar to serve, make sure you store the leftover white chili in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Now you are ready to get some pressure canned white chicken chili on your pantry shelf to have a hot heathy and delicious meal ready for your family in minutes!

The next time you have a busy day where you are tempted to order a pizza… just reach for a jar in your pantry and your whole family and body will thank you later.