White Bean Chicken Chili is one of our favorite family meals ever! This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is hearty, creamy, and made in a fraction of the time that the traditional recipe takes. Directions for dried and canned beans!
If you love this White Chicken Chili, you may also love Instant Pot Classic Chili, Slow Cooker White Chili, or Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
With the help of the pressure cooker, White Chicken Chili is EASIER than ever!
You can make this White Bean Chili with dried beans or canned beans. It also can be made with frozen or fresh chicken. Versatile and delicious, this Instant Pot White Bean Chili just can’t be beat!
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Chicken–fresh or frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- White Beans–dried or canned beans
- Cream Cheese–optional, but this adds creaminess to the white chicken chili.
How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
To make White Chicken Chili, you have several options. You can start with dried beans or you can use canned beans to make this meal even faster.
Step One: Cook Dried Beans (SKIP if using Canned Beans)
- Add 1 cup great northern beans and 4 cups water to the pressure cooker.
- Close the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is sealed.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes and then release pressure.
- Drain beans.
- Return empty inner pot back to pressure cooker.
Step Two: Prepare Chicken Chili
- Turn instant pot to saute and allow to heat.
- Add in 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and heat.
- Add in onions, chilies, and cumin and saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to soften and spices are toasted.
- Turn Instant Pot OFF.
- Add in chicken stock and scrape off browned bits on bottom of inner pot.
- Add in cooked dried beans or drained canned beans.
- Nestle chicken into liquid.
Step Three: Pressure Cook White Chicken Chili
- Seal Instant Pot and be sure vent knob is pointed to sealed.
- Cook on HIGH pressure.
- Fresh Chicken: 15 minutes if using fresh chicken breasts/thighs
- Frozen Chicken: 20 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts/thighs
Step Four: Add in Cream Cheese (optional)
- Once cook time as elapsed, let pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes.
- Open Instant Pot, remove chicken to cutting board.
- Leave the Instant Pot on the “Keep Warm” default setting.
- Add cream cheese to inner pot and close lid on instant pot–this lets the cream cheese melt into the chili.
- Shred chicken and return to Instant Pot.
- Mix together, until cream cheese has melted into the chili.
*For a healthier white chicken chili, omit the cream cheese. The chili will still be delicious, just not as thick and creamy.
Step Five: Serve
Serve chicken chili with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and corn chips if desired.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is hearty, healthy, and made in a fraction of the time that the traditional recipe takes.
Print Pin RateServings: 8
Calories: 200kcal
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 4.5 oz cans green chiles chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups cooked great northern beans or 1 cup dried beans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs boneless, skinless
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed
Instructions
If Using Dried Beans:
- Add 1 cup great northern beans and 4 cups water to the pressure cooker. Close the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is sealed.Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes and then release pressure. Drain beans. Return empty inner pot back to pressure cooker, keeping prepared beans off to the side.
Instant Pot Chicken Chili Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot by turning pressure cooker to saute function and allow to heat for a minute or two.
- Add in oil, small onion, green chiles, cumin, and oregano and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is softened. Add in garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Turn Instant Pot OFF.
- Pour in the chicken stock and scrape off any browned bits on bottom of Instant Pot.
- Add cooked or canned white beans, and salt. Nestle chicken into liquid.
- Close Instant Pot and be sure vent knob is sealed.
- Cook on HIGH Pressure for 15 minutes if chicken is fresh, 25 minutes if chicken is frozen.
- Once cook time elapses, let the pressure release for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from inner pot. Add in cream cheese to inner pot if using. Close lid on Instant Pot to keep the heat inside the chili--this will help melt the cream cheese.
- Shred chicken and stir back into soup, stirring until cream cheese is well distributed through chili.
- Serve with dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- See Instant Pot High Altitude Conversion if cooking 2500+ feet above sea level.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 48mg16%
Sodium 598mg26%
Potassium 566mg16%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Vitamin C 2.4mg3%
Calcium 70mg7%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram or Facebook - I would love to see!
I LOVE this recipe and have made it regularly since first trying it! However, the last time I was at the store picking up ingredients they were out of green chiles. I feel like the recipe would feel incomplete without them and the little bit of kick and flavor they add. Could you recommend a good substitute for when I can’t get my hands on green chile? Thanks so much! I love your website so much for when I need ideas and tips!
Hi Olivia! I am so glad you are enjoying these recipes <3 When you can't find green chiles, I would recommend using a minced, seeded jalapeno.
So so so yummy!! I replaced the chilies with frozen corn. So easy and so delicious!!
I am so glad you enjoyed Beth Ann!
What a great recipe! Served for lunch with crusty homemade bread for company and everyone loved it. It has a rich multilevel flavor. The only change was a can of original Rotel with chilies and Better than Bullion instead of broth. Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed Cookie!
Too soupy, prefer creamy and thicker. The cream cheese didn’t seem to dissolve and remained in small chunks. Really not a fan of this recipe for the IP, have enjoyed most of your other recipes and appreciate your efforts. Thanks.
I am glad you have enjoyed my other recipes Angela, but sorry this one let you down. I would suggest being sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so it will melt into the soup better.
If you purée the beans to make a lighter calorie version and omit the cream cheese, do you purée all of the beans?
Hi Laura! I would only puree half, or one can. Enjoy
Mine was kinda soupy. But delicious. First experience with Instant Pot. Love it.
I am so glad you enjoyed Carol! You can cut back the chicken stock by 1 cup if you like in the future.
Really great soup. It was just what I needed with this cold I’m facing. The frozen Hatch green chili proved medicinal. (Strongly recommend using high quality frozen hatch, and not the little green chili cans.)
For a thicker consistency, next time I’ll at least meet in the middle between the beans and chicken stock with 3 cups a piece. Not 2 and 4.
Intuitively, I’m still not sure if that change alone would thicken it up and will buy 4 cans of beans to be sure. And yes I drained the beans fully today.
For leftovers on this soupy batch, I may add in a bag of birds eye‘s frozen southwestern protein bowls. It’s full of lentils, corn, beans, and complimentary flavors. It’s what I add to canned white chili when camping and the flavor impresses everyone.
FWIW, the ingredients cost $22 from Trader Joe’s. I used about 1.3 lbs of chicken, and feel like I could probably use even more next time.
Hi Taylor! I am really glad you enjoyed this soup! One suggestion to thicken is to blend one can of the northern beans and add to the soup–that does help thicken it. But this recipe certainly has more consistency of a thick soup than traditional chili.
Hi!
Am I able to substitute the cream cheese for sour cream? I have seen sour cream in other recipes and I didn’t know if that was an option here.
Absolutely, just be sure to add after cook time 🙂 Enjoy!
When using already cooked & shredded chicken, how long should I set to pressure the InstantPot after putting everything together?
Hi Cindy! I would cook for 10 minutes to give the chili time to develop flavor! I hope you enjoy!
I made this tonight and the flavor was really good! I didn’t have any cream cheese so it was thinner, like a soup, but I added some orzo pasta to add some additional bulk and thickened the liquid with cornstarch. I usually end up doing that because I’m a big fan of thicker sauces.
Great idea to add in cornstarch at the end! I am so glad you enjoyed Erika!