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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. Cooked in one pot for a thick, velvety texture, then topped with cilantro, lime, sour cream, and crunchy tortilla chips.
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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
  

Shrimp
  • 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
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 base
  • 4 oz cream cheese cubed
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups chicken or seafood broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Spices
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt to taste
Toppings
  • cilantro for topping
  • lime for topping
  • sour cream for topping
  • tortilla chips for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the chili base
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then cook onion for 4 minutes until soft.
  2. Add garlic and cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, then cook for 1 more minute.
Simmer until beans are tender
  1. Add broth, white beans, corn, and diced green chiles, then bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Make it creamy
  1. Stir in cream cheese until fully melted, then add heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook the shrimp and season
  1. Add shrimp and cook for 3–4 minutes until pink and cooked through.
  2. Season with salt to taste, then serve immediately topped with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Notes

For the thickest chili, keep the simmer steady (not a hard boil) once the cream cheese goes in. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (shrimp may be slightly softer after thawing). For a dairy-light option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce cream cheese to 2 oz, stirring until smooth.