Creamy, savory white chicken chili is even better when it’s made in the Instant Pot. With tender white beans, juicy chicken breasts, sweet corn, spicy green chiles, and a blend of spices, this nutritious one-pot meal is hearty and flavorful – exactly what you need this soup season.
What Makes Instant Pot White Chicken Chili So Good
- This white chicken chili is the perfect blend of creamy and brothy. A little cream cheese and Greek yogurt gives the soup a rich, thick consistency without overdoing it. Every spoonful is full of mouth-pleasing textures that compliment each other beautifully.
- Thanks to the Instant Pot, you’ll get a perfect chili with juicy chicken and tender beans with minimal effort in minimal time. Clean-up is easy, too! The beauty of a one-pot meal.
- If your Instant Pot is large enough, you could easily double this recipe so you have enough chili to eat on through the week or freeze for later. No need to adjust the cook time for the increased quantity. Also, if you plan to freeze it, I’d wait to add the cream cheese and Greek yogurt until you’re reheating it to eat.
Key Ingredients for Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Great Northern Beans – You might know these as “large white beans”. Great Northern beans are similar to cannellini beans, but they’re smaller and flatter, and they’re a little less creamy. If you have trouble finding Great Northern beans for this chili, you can use cannellini beans instead.
Chicken Breasts – For the best flavor and texture, use fresh chicken breasts. If you want an Instant Pot white chicken chili that uses leftover or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead, just shred the chicken first then add it as instructed below.
Frozen Corn – You can buy frozen corn for this recipe, or use your leftover frozen fresh corn from your summer haul. I don’t recommend using canned corn since it’s typically saltier and starts out softer. It’ll most likely be mushy after it cooks in the Instant Pot.
Spices – Don’t be shy! Feel free to adjust the quantities to meet your preferences. For a spicier chili, add a little cayenne or red chili flakes.
Chef’s Tips
- For additional nutrients, use a homemade bone broth instead of store-bought chicken broth. We have a FANTASTIC Instant Pot Bone Broth that you can make using chicken and/or beef bones. You only need 1 cup for Instant Pot white chicken chili, but you can save the rest of the bone broth to use in other recipes or just sip as-is!
- Make sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the Instant Pot. Canned beans usually have added sodium which can throw off the taste of the chili.
- This is one recipe where the Instant Pot shouldn’t even think about causing a burn warning. If you do manage to get one, be sure that your vent is set to the sealing position and that the inner sealing ring doesn’t need to be replaced.
- Forget to thaw your chicken breasts ahead of time? No worries. Frozen chicken will work fine – you may want to add an extra 3-5 minutes to the cook time to ensure they cook completely.
Be Sure to Check Out These Instant Pot Recipes, Too!
- Creamy Instant Pot Risotto with Parmesan and White Wine
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Legs
- Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Easy Instant Pot Applesauce
- Instant Pot Lasagna
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Two forks (to shred chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles undrained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans drained, rinsed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2-3 chicken breasts depending on size
- 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt at room temperature
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- cilantro optional, for topping
- diced avocado optional, for topping
- tortilla strips optional, for topping
- lime juice optional, for topping
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add diced onions and garlic. Stir and cook 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Add frozen corn, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, oregano, beans, and chicken broth to Instant Pot. Stir, then add chicken breasts and secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position.
- Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes. After 20 minute cook time is up, Natural Release pressure for 10 minutes, then Quick Release any remaining pressure.
- Use 2 forks to shred chicken breasts in Instant Pot. Once shredded, stir in cream cheese and Greek yogurt until cream cheese is melted.
- Taste chili and season with salt and pepper. Portion into serving bowls and top with cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla strips, and lime juice if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make it Dairy Free: Use a dairy-free cream cheese and a dairy-free Greek yogurt, or skip the dairy elements altogether.
- This recipe was tested and perfected using a 6-quart Instant Pot. Some adjustments may need to be made to ingredient quantities if using a smaller or larger Instant Pot.
Nutrition
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Jasmine Comer is a food photographer and recipe developer from North Carolina. She grew up in the kitchen watching her mom cook all types of delicious meals. In 2016 she established Lively Meals, a food blog where she creates healthy recipes. This led to creating recipes for other blogs as well. In her free time she enjoys exploring new places and spending time in nature. Ultimately she’s grateful to be doing work she loves—cooking good food and sharing it with people.
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