Made with hearty chunks of tender chicken, creamy white beans, diced green chiles, and a rich cheesy broth, Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is a flavorful family-favorite recipe that comes together with minimal effort.
Inspired by my recipe for Crockpot White Chicken Chili, this ultra-creamy, easy version of White Chicken Chili made in the pressure cooker is absolutely delicious.
Why You Will Love Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Quick & Easy Dinner Recipe. This recipe for Instant Pot White Chicken Chili tastes like it has been simmered all day, yet is ready in less than an hour and most of that time is completely hands-off, making it one of the easiest Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes.
- Incredibly Flavorful. From the diced green chiles to the earthy cumin to the rich creamy broth, this white chicken chili is packed with flavor, yet not overly spicy.
- Versatile Recipe. Because this is an Instant Pot recipe, you can use dried or canned beans, and fresh or frozen chicken.
- Allergy-Friendly. White chicken chili is already naturally gluten-free and egg-free, but it can also be made dairy-free by omitting cream cheese.
Notes On Ingredients
- Chicken: Use fresh or frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Beans: White chicken chili is made with white beans. You can use Great Northern or Cannelini beans. I have also included instructions on how to use dried beans if desired.
- Green Chiles: Use canned green chiles, but be sure they are labeled as mild, not hot, or your chili recipe will be overly spicy.
- Chicken Broth: Use either store-bought or homemade chicken stock or broth. It is best to use low-sodium broth to control the level of sodium in the chili.
- Spices: To flavor, this white chicken chili, add cumin and oregano. They add flavor without overwhelming the chili with heat.
- Cream Cheese: The cream cheese is optional, but will give the chili a creamy, almost cheesy finish. Be sure to use full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese, not fat-free cream cheese as it is not as creamy and will not blend well into the soup.
Recipe Modifications
- Dairy-free: Omit the cream cheese from the recipe. I promise the white chicken chili will still be delicious, just not as thick and creamy.
- No Instant Pot? Use my recipe for the Crockpot White Chicken Chili.
- Start with Dried Beans. Instead of using canned beans, start this recipe by adding 1 cup of rinsed great northern beans and 4 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes with a natural pressure release. Drain the cooking liquid from the cooked beans, and set the cooked beans to the side to add to the chili. Proceed with the recipe for white chicken chili.
Tips for the Best Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tip#1: Saute the Onions and Spices. Starting this white chicken chili by sauteing the onion, chilies, garlic, and spices in a bit of oil, you build layers of flavor to this chili with just a few extra minutes of hands-on prep.
Tip #2: Deglaze the Inner Pot. Any time you saute anything in the instant pot, you want to deglaze the inner pot with a bit of thin liquid to prevent a burn notice. For this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe, add in a small amount of chicken stock and scrape off browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
Tip #3: Let Pressure Release Naturally. After pressure cooking the white chicken chili, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This will ensure the chicken stays tender, not to mention prevent hot liquid from spewing out the vent knob.
Tip #4: Add Cream Cheese. To make this chili creamy and have the texture that white chicken chili is known for, blend a bit of the broth with cream cheese. Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature BEFORE adding the chili so that it will become super creamy, not lumpy or gritty.
Serving Suggestions
White chicken chili can stand alone on its own in terms of flavor. However, my family loves to top this chili with shredded cheese, diced avocado, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, and corn chips or a side of Homemade Cornbread. I personally love to add in a squeeze of fresh lime juice which really brightens up the flavors.
Storage Instructions
Once the white chicken chili has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing the soup, as it may separate when thawed due to the addition of cream cheese.
More Cozy Instant Pot Chili & Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Beef & Bean Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Chili
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
If you enjoyed this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili, I would love for you to leave a comment or review below.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles mild heat level
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 (15.5 oz) can cooked great northern beans, rinsed and drained or 1 cup dried beans (see notes on how to cook)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs fresh or frozen
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
Instructions
Instant Pot Chicken Chili Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot by turning the pressure cooker to the saute function, add in the oil, and allow to heat for a minute or two. Once the oil has heated, add the diced onion, green chiles, cumin, and oregano and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add in garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Turn the Instant Pot OFF.
- Pour in ½ cup of the broth/stock and scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of Instant Pot.
- Add the remaining broth to the inner pot, along with the canned or cooked white beans and salt. Nestle the chicken into the liquid.
- Close the Instant Pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Using the manual or pressure cook button, set it to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes if the chicken is fresh and 20 minutes if the chicken is frozen.
- Once the cooking time elapses, let the pressure release for at least 15 minutes.
- Once the pressure has been released, remove the chicken from the inner pot to a cutting board and let rest for a few minutes, before shredding with 2 forks or chopping into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove about 2 cups of the cooking liquid (it is okay if there are beans in the liquid) from the inner pot and place it into a blender. Add the softened cream cheese to the blender. Blend until well combined, being sure to leave the vent on the blender lid partially open to let the steam escape while blending.
- Pour the blended liquid back into the inner pot, along with the shredded chicken, and stir everything together.
- Serve as desired with any toppings you like, such as sour cream, shredded cheese, pickled jalapenos, diced avocado, fresh lime juice, and/or cilantro.
To Cook Dried Beans:
- Add 1 cup of rinsed dried 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 the empty inner pot back to the pressure cooker, keeping prepared beans off to the side.
Erika
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.
Kristen Chidsey
Great idea to add in cornstarch at the end! I am so glad you enjoyed Erika!
Julie
This recipe calls for minced garlic and oregano but then doesn't tell you in the instructions when to put it in.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Julie-I add in when sauteing onions in step two under chili directions. Sorry you missed it.
Shellie Fortner
Can I use ground turkey for this recipe?
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely Shellie! I would brown up the turkey first using the saute function and then be sure to deglaze the pan and scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The cook time will remain the same 🙂
Clarence Dold
Happy diners here!
I missed the part about "drained beans", so that was too much liquid.
I might even drop to three cups of stock.
As a soup, it was popular 😉
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed, despite the error Clarence!
Clarence Dold
I was sending the slow cooker version to my daughter. I noticed that it includes pureeing some of the beans to thicken the chili. Why is that missing from the Instant Pot version?
I see some comments here from people who mash some of the beans.
I'm 65 years old, and just started cooking a couple of years ago.
I don't know what I'm doing, I just follow recipes 🙂
If I see an interesting recipe, I always check here, to see if you have a version.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Clarenece! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes😊 The Instant Pot Version calls for the addition of cream cheese, which makes the broth super creamy. However, if you want a lower calorie recipe, omit the cream cheese and blend some of the beans for a thicker, low fat version.
Beth
I love White Chicken Chili and I love your recipe even more because I can get it in my belly so much quicker with the Instant pot! Thank you for making my busy weeknights easier!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy you enjoyed this Beth--and that it made your night a bit easier 🙂
wilhelmina
This is a new family favorite! we all loved it so much, even the 5 year old!
Kristen Chidsey
When the kids love it--everyone is happy! So glad to hear that your all enjoyed!
Laura
Thank you for the recipes. When I made it last, we really enjoyed it. Now I cannot remember if I cut up the chicken into pieces before or after I cooked them. I am pretty sure I did cut them up last time.Maybe leave it whole and shred it after cooking? Thank you, really is delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Laura! I am so glad you enjoyed this so much. I shred the chicken up after cooking.
Tracy
Best white chicken chili recipe I've found!
I can't do the cream cheese so I puree some of the beans to make it thicker and creamy. I also add a small amount of cut up canned chipotle peppers for more depth of flavor. I won first place in the annual chili cook-off at work with this version.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed and got such great reviews Tracy! I also LOVE the idea of pureeing beans in place of the cream cheese--that is a great tip for anyone that is watching calories or dairy free.
Ann Crisp
Do you soak the beans? Can I double this recipe?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ann, there is no need to soak the beans, unless you like your beans really soft, then I do recommend soaking. And an 8 quart instant pot has enough room to double this recipe--it may be cutting it a bit too close in an 6 quart. Hope you enjoy!
Jenna Yuhase
If you use fresh chicken with the canned beans and also decrease the liquids is it still 8 servings?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jenna! Yes, this will still be 8 servings. The extra liquid is needed because the dried beans will absorb those liquids as they cook. I hope you enjoy!
Casey Williams
Garlic goes w onion right???
Kristen Chidsey
Yes😉
Megan
Hi! You mention cooking it for 35 minutes on high but then mention doing it 10 for fresh chicken and 15 for frozen. Which one do you recommend? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Megan! It is 35 minutes high pressure for dried beans, 10 minutes for fresh chicken and canned beans and 15 minutes for frozen chicken and canned beans. Hope that helps clear it up for you!
Cindy West
I followed the directions to a T, but my dry beans weren't even close to being done in the end. Ideas?
Kristen Chidsey
Sorry about that Cindy, that can be frustrating. If that happens again, put lid back on pressure cooker and cook for another 10 minutes on high (it won't take as long to come to pressure the next time). It may be a couple things that caused this recipe to not work for you. One, you may just like your beans very soft (like canned beans), if that is the case you will always need to add an extra 10-15 minutes. Two, do not ever do a quick release as that will cause the beans to seize up (like meat) and loose some of their soft texture.
Cat maxwell
Good flavor but more like a soup than chili. Next time I will reduce the liquid and mash some of the beans
Kristen Chidsey
Great idea for a thicker "chili" This has always been a thinner chili, but we still called it chili 😉
Abeer Rizvi
This is such a hearty comforting meal for the winter time! Yum!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Abeer!
Taylor W.
White chicken chili is one of my favorites! Love this instant pot version!
Kristen Chidsey
It makes dinner incredibly easy to make any night of the week.
Jenn
Perfect flavor, as expected with every recipe from a mindful mom!! I cut the liquid to 3 cups and used a can of corn since I only had one can of beans. Thank you!!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Jenn (and that you are enjoying all my recipes!) I appreciate you leaving a review.