Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

4.60 from 5 votes
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – a comforting and flavorful white chicken chili that is ready in under 60 minutes! Tender chicken, green chili, corn, and beans all come together for creamy bowl of comfort food!

One thing I like when it is cold out is a big bowl of soup or chili. This Crock Pot Chili has been a staple in our house for years, but sometimes you want something a little different. And this white chicken chili is creamy, so comforting and has quickly become a family favorite.

Chili can take a long time to cook and get right. Which is why I love using the Instant Pot, because it is ready in less than an hour from start to finish. Instant Pot Turkey Chili is a delicious tomato based version that ready in no time as well.

bowl of white chicken chili topped with tortilla strips, cilantro, cheese and avocado

 

White Chicken Chili Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Chicken Broth
  • Northern Beans
  • Diced Green Chilies
  • Corn Kernels
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cumin
  • Chili Powder
  • Oregano
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Cilantro
  • Cream Cheese
  • Heavy Cream
all ingredients in the Instant pot for chicken chili

How To Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

  1. Set your Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil and onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Mix in garlic and cook for about 1 minute until you can start to smell it.
  2. Stir in everything but the cream cheese and heavy cream. Mix until it is all combined.
  3. Place cubes of cream cheese over the top of the chicken. Put the lid on that Instant Pot, make sure the vent is closed and locked. Turn off the sauté function, and set to high pressure for 17 minutes. Once the time is up, let it naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing to finish.
  4. Once the Instant Pot is unlocked, remove the chicken and use forks to shred. Add it back to the pot. Turn on the simmer function and mix in the heavy cream. Stir until everything is smooth, melted and combined.
a spoonful of white chicken chili over a bowl

How To Serve White Chicken Chili

We love to have a big bowl of this with a few toppings and maybe our favorite Best Cornbread Recipe on the side. But the toppings just make it all!

  • Diced Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Tortilla Strips
  • Sour Cream
  • Cheese
  • Sliced Jalapenos

You can serve that as a meal or it is great as an appetizer before taco night or set up a chili bar for game day and let everyone create their own delicious bowl of chicken chili.

a ladle of white chicken chili over instant pot

Recipe Tips

  • This is a great recipe to make last minute and use frozen chicken breasts. The cook time is 17 minutes if you are using thawed chicken, but if you have frozen chicken breasts just cook for 20 minutes, and your chicken should be fully cooked and you can shred and add back to the chili.
  • Like it spicy? Be careful which diced green chilies you use. They sell both hot and mild at the store. If you use mild chilies, this will be a mild chili. If you like things spicy you can use a can of the hot variety, or even add more cayenne pepper to the pot. Also topping with jalapenos is a great way to add spice to just your bowl if your family doesn’t like spice.
  • Go crazy with the toppings! Not only does this add flavor, but lots of texture. Adding tortilla strips gives you crunch, and sour cream adds something cool and creamy. Lots of ways to mix it up and make each bowl perfect for everyone.
  • This is a great use of leftover chicken or even turkey. You can shorten the cooking time to 12 minutes, and stir in your leftover meat to heat it through at the end.
  • Up the protein by adding more beans! The recipe calls for just 1 can of northern beans, but you can add a two full cans or even add a can of black beans if you want it to be more filling and go further.
  • Want a thicker chili? If your chili is thinner than you like mix in 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with the heavy cream, whisking to combine. Pour into the Instant Pot and simmer for a few minutes until has thickened.
looking down on a bowl of white chicken chili

Making White Chicken Chili Ahead Of Time

This is such a great recipe to make ahead, it reheats really well. There are multiple options if you want to store in the fridge or even freeze for a later date.

Freezing

  1. If you want to freeze and entire batch of this chili, it is best to make this as written, just omit the cream cheese when you cook it in the Instant Pot. Once you shred the chicken add it back to the chili and let it cool completely.
  2. Freeze for up to 4 months, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
  3. To reheat add the chili with the cream cheese and heavy cream to a large pot and simmer over medium heat until everything is hot and the cream cheese is melted.

Storage

  • Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can microwave or heat on the stovetop over medium heat until everything is warmed through.
close up bowl of white chicken chili for pinterest

More Easy Dinner Recipes

cropped in close up of instant pot white chicken chili
4.60 from 5 votes

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

By Erin
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – a comforting and flavorful white chicken chili that is ready in under 60 minutes! Tender chicken, green chili, corn, and beans all come together for creamy bowl of comfort food!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 17 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total: 57 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Set your Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil and onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Mix in garlic and cook for about 1 minute until you can start to smell it.
  • Stir in everything but the cream cheese and heavy cream. Mix until it is all combined.
  • Place cubes of cream cheese over the top of the chicken.
  • Put the lid on that Instant Pot, make sure the vent is closed and locked. Turn off the sauté function, and set to high pressure for 17 minutes. Once the time is up, let it naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing to finish.
  • Once the Instant Pot is unlocked, remove the chicken and use forks to shred. Add it back to the pot.
  • Turn on the simmer function and mix in the heavy cream. Stir until everything is smooth, melted and combined.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings

Notes

  • Want a thicker chili? If your chili is thinner than you like mix in 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with the heavy cream, whisking to combine. Pour into the Instant Pot and simmer for a few minutes until has thickened.
  • Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 926mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Additional Info

    Author: Erin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes
    Additional Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 57 minutes
    Course: Dinner Recipes
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 326
    Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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    Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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