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White Chicken Chili Recipe in the Instant Pot

instant pot filled with white chicken chili
Servings: 8
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken, breast or thighs
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 oz can green chilies, with liquid
  • 1 can corn, rinsed and drained (or 12oz frozen bag)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 oz cream cheese, block style
  • ½ cup half and half

Instructions

Prep

  • Add the chicken broth and all the seasonings into the Instant Pot (6 qt or larger) and give it a good stir to evenly mix all the seasonings into the broth.
  • Add in the chicken to the Instant Pot and mix it with the broth. Add the beans, corn, chilies (with the liquid), onion, and garlic, and stir. Make sure the chicken is fully covered.
    overhead view of beans, broth, veggies, and raw chicken inside the instant pot before cooking

Pressure Cook

  • Close the Instant Pot, set to seal and cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release. It usually takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure before cooking begins.

Shred the chicken

  • Open the lid and use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board or plate. Then, shred it with two forks into small pieces.
    shredding the cooked chicken on a cutting board

Make it creamy

  • Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the cream cheese and half-and-half, then stir until the cream cheese dissolves in the hot liquid. Adding the dairy after pressure cooking keeps it from burning and curdling.
    adding the cream cheese and dairy to the instant pot
  • Add the chicken back in and let it all heat through for another 5 minutes (in sauté mode) while stirring from time to time.
    adding the shredded chicken back into the instant pot once it's cooked

Serve and store

  • Ladle this white chicken chili into bowls and top it with your favorite toppings.
    ladling out a serving of white chicken chili out of the instant pot
  • Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Or freeze it in containers or a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Notes

  • Chili seasoning packet: You can omit all the seasonings in the recipe and use one (1) 1.25oz chili seasoning packet (regular or white chili mix).
  • If you don't have coriander, add ½ teaspoon of additional cumin.
  • Use your favorite canned beans in this recipe.
  • Frozen chicken: For individually frozen, separated chicken pieces, cook on HIGH pressure for 28 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release. When you take out a piece, check that the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165F.
  • Make it spicier: Increase the cayenne pepper, use hot diced green chilies instead of mild, or add a diced jalapeño with the onion and garlic before pressure cooking. I recommend adjusting the heat after cooking, with diced jalapeños or a few drops of hot sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1070mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 566IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 3mg
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