Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

at a glance
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 5 servings
4.5 — Votes 8 votes

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This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is EASY, creamy, delicious, and topped with the yummiest garnishes for a meal that’s sure to be a hit on a cold night!

easy white chicken chili in a bowl topped with lime, sour cream, avocado, and cilantro on a marble surface with a grey towel beside it

I LOVE this White Chicken Chili, y’all! It is loaded with all of the good things (bacon, beans, corn, green chilis, and lime juice to name a few), made creamy thanks to a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, and topped with the yummiest garnishes (avocado, cilantro, lime, and MORE sour cream!) for a meal that the entire family is sure to love. The best part, though? This chili is made in the Instant Pot, making it a busy cook’s dream!

Instant Pot Chicken Chili

We love that this chili is made in the Instant Pot! We love the Instant Pot for so many reasons, but at the top of that list are the ease, versatility, and quickness that it brings to the kitchen. Soups, stews, and roasts that used to take hours on the stove or in the oven (making them impossible to make and serve on a weeknight) take a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot, and this chili recipe is no different. Saute a few of the ingredients together (in the Instant Pot), throw the rest of the ingredients in, and then let the pressure cooker work its magic and cook dinner for you!

White Chicken Chili Instant Pot Ingredients

While the list may look long, rest assured that this recipe is very easy. Here’s what you’ll need to make White Chicken Chili tonight:

  • Boneless, Skinless Chicken – for this recipe, you’ll need about a pound and a half of boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
  • Chicken Broth – you’ll also need 4 cups of chicken broth…homemade or store-bought both work great!
  • Diced Green Chilis – one can of diced chilis will add a touch of flavor and spice to the chili – you can typically find these canned chilis in the Mexican food section of your local store, but if you can’t find any green chilis, a diced poblano pepper or jalapeno will work in its place.
  • Bacon – BACON. Need we say more? This ingredient isn’t often found in white chicken chili recipes, but we think that a few strips of crispy bacon lend a delicious smoky, salty flavor to the chili!
  • Onion and Garlic – feel free to use fresh onion and garlic here (our recommendation) or, if you’re short on time, 1 teaspoon of onion and garlic powder instead.
  • Corn – to add just a tinge of sweetness to the chili, you’ll need 1 cup of frozen yellow corn, and…
  • White beans – …to bulk up the chili a bit more, you’ll need 1 (15-ounce) can of creamy white beans.
  • Sour cream – sour cream makes this chili deliciously creamy and adds a great tangy flavor to the finished dish, while…
  • Lime juice – …the juice of one lime brightens up the soup and adds another layer of flavor.
  • Spices – to season this chili, you’ll use a simple combination of salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.
  • Garnishes – now for the really fun part! Feel free to use as many or as few garnishes as you’d like…make it your own! A few of our favorite garnishes here are extra lime wedges, sour cream, avocado, and fresh cilantro. You could also add cheese, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, or tortilla strips.

How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

This recipe is easy-peasy – here’s how you’ll make it:

  1. Cook the Bacon – set your Instant Pot to saute mode and cook the bacon in it. Once crisp, remove from the pot and set aside, then drain all but one tablespoon of drippings from the pot.
  2. Saute the Onion + Garlic – add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  3. Add the Green Chilis, Seasoning, Chicken Broth, Chicken, Beans, and Corn – add the green chilis and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the seasonings and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and add in the chicken, beans, and corn.
  4. Set to Cook – using the manual setting, place the lid on pot, making sure the valve is sealed, then set it to cook for 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is up, you can either let the pressure release naturally, or turn the valve to ‘venting’ and release the pressure manually.
  5. Shred the Chicken + Stir in the Sour Cream, Lime Juice, and Bacon – remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot and stir in the sour cream, lime juice, and bacon.
  6. Garnish + Serve – garnish each serving with avocado slices, cilantro, sour cream, and a lime wedge, and enjoy!
white chicken chili with chopped cilantro on top in a white pot on a marble surface
white chicken chili with chopped cilantro on top in a white bowl

We know you’ll love this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili as much as we do!

Video

Q What Do You Mix with White Chicken Chili?
A

This recipe includes a lot of powerhouse ingredients that come together to deliver a really well-balanced meal, so while White Chicken Chili is a filling, complete meal all on its own, feel free to serve it with cornbread, over rice, or scoop it up with your favorite tortilla chips if you’re looking to add a bit more starch.

Q How do you thicken White Chicken Chili?
A

It’s important to note that this recipe is more soup-like in texture with bold, chili-like flavors (as opposed to a thick traditional chili). The addition of sour cream does help to thicken up the White Chicken Chili, but if you’re looking for an even thicker chili, feel free to leave out some of the broth. If you really want a thick, creamy soup, you can blend half of the beans with the broth!

Q What is the Chili Setting on Instant Pot?
A

While there is a chili setting on *some* Instant Pot models, we actually prefer skipping it and setting the Instant Pot to manual for 15 minutes here. We find that this gives us more reliable results than choosing the pre-programmed chili setting.

Q What Happens if Chicken Is Undercooked In Instant Pot?
A

While this shouldn’t happen (especially with a 15-minute pressure cook-time), if your chicken is undercooked, go ahead and put the lid back on, and set the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure again for about 5 minutes.

Q White Bean Chicken Chili Instant Pot Serving Suggestions
A

We love serving this chili nice and hot all on its own (no extra sides needed!) or with toppings galore, including extra sour cream, lime wedges, cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and crushed tortilla chips.

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White Chicken Chili Instant Pot

By: Brandi Schilhab
4.5 — Votes 8 votes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 5 servings
This white chicken chili comes together quickly in the Instant Pot and makes for the perfect cozy winter meal!

Ingredients  

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 4-ounce can diced hot or mild green chilis, drained (depending on heat preference)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs*
  • 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained*
  • 1 cup frozen yellow corn*
  • ½ cup sour cream*
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 avocado sliced, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
  • 4 lime wedges from ½ lime, for garnish
  • Additional sour cream for garnish

Instructions

  • Set your Instant Pot to saute mode and cook the bacon in it. Once crisp, remove from the pot and set aside, then drain all but one tablespoon of drippings from the pot.
  • Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the green chilis and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the seasonings and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and add in the chicken, beans, and corn.
  • Using the manual setting, place the lid on pot, making sure the valve is sealed, then set it to cook for 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is up, turn the valve to “venting” to manually release the remaining pressure.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot and stir in the sour cream, lime juice, and bacon.
  • Garnish each serving with avocado slices, cilantro, sour cream, and a lime wedge and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
White Chicken Chili Instant Pot
Amount per Serving
Calories
507
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
22
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
 
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
 
0.04
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
9
g
Cholesterol
 
116
mg
39
%
Sodium
 
1545
mg
67
%
Potassium
 
1396
mg
40
%
Carbohydrates
 
38
g
13
%
Fiber
 
9
g
38
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
42
g
84
%
Vitamin A
 
359
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
25
mg
30
%
Calcium
 
141
mg
14
%
Iron
 
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Notes

  • If using rotisserie chicken: Use 4 cups of shredded chicken and cook the soup for 7 minutes on high pressure.
  • To make this recipe dairy-free: replace the sour cream with an equal amount of coconut cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk and 1 additional tablespoon of lime juice.
  • To make this recipe Paleo/Whole30: Follow the dairy-free substitution and omit the beans and corn. You can either replace them with 2 1/2 cups of chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, kale, or sweet potato would be great options), or simply reduce the broth by 1 cup.
Meet the Author
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Brandi Schilhab

Brandi leads our efforts on content audits, outline construction, website calendar management, and a great deal of writing. She could unashamedly watch reruns of Friends + Harry Potter movies and never get bored!⁠ ⁠ ⁠
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Mimi says

    Mimi —  12/27/2020 At 14:38

    5 stars
    So good!!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  01/04/2021 At 12:16

      Yay! That’s so great to hear, Mimi!

  2. Rachel says

    Rachel —  01/02/2021 At 21:38

    5 stars
    Delicious! I used a dairy-free sour cream and it worked perfectly.

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  01/04/2021 At 12:22

      Awesome! Thank you, Rachel!

  3. Laura says

    Laura —  01/10/2021 At 16:12

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh! I just finished making this and it’s one of the best things we’ve tasted! Didn’t have sour cream so I used coconut cream and it worked perfectly, such a delicious recipe!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  01/11/2021 At 12:28

      YAY! SO glad you loved it, Laura. Thank you so much for the comment!

  4. Sophie says

    Sophie —  02/05/2021 At 15:35

    5 stars
    Gorgeous Recipe… Fab for a cold winters night. Definitely will be having more.

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  02/08/2021 At 09:08

      So glad you enjoyed it, Sophie!! Thank you for sharing this with us!

  5. Raine says

    Raine —  08/08/2021 At 14:16

    5 stars
    So good. This will definitely be a go-to rotation recipe for me.

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  08/09/2021 At 10:28

      So glad to hear that, Raine! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

  6. Rena says

    Rena —  11/06/2021 At 06:08

    Could I triple the recipe in the instant pot? Would I have to adjust the cook time or would it stay the same?

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  11/09/2021 At 10:03

      Sure! Just make sure that you don’t fill it past the max fill line. Cook time will stay the same — it may just take longer for the Instant Pot to get to pressure!

  7. Natalie says

    Natalie —  01/30/2022 At 21:17

    Could this be made in a slow cooker?

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  01/31/2022 At 12:46

      Hi Natalie! Yes! You can make this in a slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients (minus the bacon) and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. No need to sauté them ahead of time, as they will soften with the slow cook. I would still cook the bacon separate in a pan and then crumble on top. Enjoy! ~Melissa

  8. Jen says

    Jen —  12/07/2022 At 13:05

    Do you have macros for this recipe?

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  12/07/2022 At 14:11

      Hi Jen! We don’t currently have nutritional information for this recipe. Nutrifoxx has a free trial that is great to use for entering in ingredients from a recipe to get nutritional info if you want to find them in the meantime. We hope that’s helpful! -Team FF