Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe

This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is creamy and hearty with just the right amount of spice! Loaded with lean chicken, white beans, green chiles and corn it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

instant pot white chicken chili in pressure cooker

It’s the month we return to everything crockpot and Instant Pot, and I’m not done yet.

Both of my treasured appliances are making my life so much easier this season, since dinner time is a breeze when I plan ahead….. and when I don’t ?

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This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is one of those meals that comes together perfectly, even if you haven’t prepped any ingredients.

Literally, the only thing you’re chopping is an onion, and the rest is dump and go. (And let’s be honest, if you really wanted you could skip that onion and add in a sprinkling of onion powder).

The recipe here calls for fresh chicken breasts, but it is one that can be made just as easily with frozen chicken, breasts or thighs.

My only recommendation would be that you use skinless, boneless meat for this recipe as it won’t leave as much fat in the chili and make it greasy. It will also be a breeze to shred with no bones to retrieve.

How to prep this white chicken chili ahead:

You can actually prep the recipe entirely up to the point of cooking, in the Instant Pot inner pot, then cover and store in the fridge up to 1 day before cooking. This makes dinner time a breeze if you have been out in the afternoon!

instant pot chicken chili overhead in white bowls

Variations on this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili:

Spice it up: this recipe is on the milder side of chili, but I have 3 young kids who prefer it that way. If you like a lot of spice, add an extra teaspoon of chili powder or slice up a jalapeno!
Lighten it up: choose light cream cheese or opt to skip it.
Make it dairy-free: you can skip the cream cheese in this chili recipe, and it will still be delicious! You don’t need to substitute anything in its place.

How to make this white chicken chili with frozen chicken breasts:

For extra tips, see my post on how to cook frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. In reality, as long as your chicken isn’t frozen right together, you won’t need to add a lot of extra time even if they’re rock solid.

I would add 3-4 minutes additional cook time, just to be safe.

If they are frozen together, you’ll want to try to break them apart first.

instant pot white chicken chili close up

How to freeze this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili:

This chicken chili freezes perfectly, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch and save some for later!

Simply let cool to room temperature then place in a large freezer bag or container. Freeze up to 3 months.

If you’re using a freezer bag, be sure to lay it flat and squeeze the chili out into a flat layer to freeze for easy thawing.

To thaw, set in the refrigerator overnight, or place in a sink full of cool water for 20-30 minutes (super easy to do if you have used a freezer bag!).

Tips for making this White Chicken Chili in the crockpot:

This recipe can easily be made in the crockpot. Simply dump and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Shred the chicken and stir in the cream cheese as the original recipe calls to do.

Easy peasy!

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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is creamy and hearty with just the right amount of spice! Loaded with lean chicken, white beans, green chiles and corn it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword instant pot chili, pressure cooker chili

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6 (358g) servings

Calories 291kcal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
540 ml canned white kidney beans drained & rinsed (19oz)
341 ml canned corn (12oz), drained
1 medium onion finely chopped
127 ml canned green chiles (4.3oz)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz cream cheese room temperature

Instructions

Add chicken breasts to Instant Pot (I use a 6 quart smart wifi Instant Pot).
Pour in chicken broth, beans, corn, onion, green chiles, chili powder and salt. Stir.
Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes to start counting down the cook time.
Once the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then open the valve and remove the lid.
With two forks, either shred the chicken right in the Instant Pot or remove to a cutting board to shred. Add chicken back into the chili.
Cut cream cheese into very small pieces and add into the chili, Stir until melted and smooth.
Serve with chips, avocado, lime wedges, salsa, cheese, jalapenos — whatever your favorite toppings are!