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Creamy Seafood and Shrimp Chili

Creamy seafood chili with plump shrimp, white beans, and corn in a smoky, slightly spicy cream base. This easy seafood soup-style white chili simmers until thick, then finishes with tender shrimp for a hearty coastal chili recipe.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Large shrimp
  • 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 3 cups chicken or seafood broth
Beans and vegetables
  • 1 can (15 oz) white beans drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
Creamy chili base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 lb cream cheese cubed
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Salt to taste
Toppings
  • 0.25 Cilantro
  • 0.5 lime
  • 0.25 sour cream
  • 1 tortilla chips

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the flavor base
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and spices and cook 1 more minute, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer the chili
  1. Add the broth, white beans, corn, and diced green chiles to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, keeping a steady simmer and stirring occasionally so it thickens evenly.
Make it creamy
  1. Stir in the cubed cream cheese until fully melted. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring to keep the base smooth and thick.
Cook the shrimp
  1. Add the shrimp and cook for 3–4 minutes until pink and cooked through. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer so the shrimp stay tender.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt to taste, then serve immediately. Top each bowl with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Notes

For the thickest chili, let it simmer the full 10 minutes after adding the beans and corn, then again 5 minutes after the cream cheese and heavy cream. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days (reheat gently on the stove). Freeze is not recommended because cream-based textures can break after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce the cream cheese to 2 oz while keeping the simmer times the same.