This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is quick and easy to make, and oh so creamy and comforting to enjoy. Plus, it’s topped with the yummiest garnishes for a meal that’s sure to be a hit on a cold night!
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- How To Use an Instant Pot
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store and Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
- Video
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe Recipe
This recipe is…
We love this white chicken chili Instant Pot recipe because it’s 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 best 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. Saute a few of the ingredients together (right 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!
If you’re a big fan of chili like us, you may want to try a few other recipes during your busy weeknights when you’re craving something extra hearty. The Slow Cooker Chili with Shredded Beef & Beans is super easy and will have the kitchen smelling delicious while it cooks and the Pork Chili Verde Recipe is a fun take on Mexican flavors. We’re also big fans of the Bison Chili Recipe when entertaining a crowd for game day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s so easy – this Instant Pot chicken white chili recipe is quick to throw together, making it an ideal go-to weeknight meal.
- Super hearty – since it’s packed with lots of healthy protein, this is a dish that will fill any hungry crowd.
- It’s freezer-friendly – chili recipes like this make for great leftovers, too!
How To Use an Instant Pot
If you don’t have a lot of experience using a pressure cooker or this is your first time giving it a try, it’s best to read over the instruction manual and safety warnings beforehand. These multi-cookers can not only pressure cook but also saute and slow cook, so it’s important to understand the various settings and precautions on each model and brand before using them.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe Ingredients
This white bean chicken chili Instant Pot recipe is loaded with tasty ingredients but it’s super easy to put together. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Boneless, skinless chicken – for this recipe, you’ll need about a pound and a half of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- 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!
- Garnishes – feel free to use as many or as few garnishes as you’d like to 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 shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, or tortilla strips.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free – leave out the sour cream and skip using cheese as a topping. Your white chicken chili won’t be as creamy, but it’ll definitely still be delicious.
- Make it 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.
How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
This white bean chicken chili Instant Pot recipe is easy-peasy – here’s how you’ll make it:
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Using the manual setting, place the lid on the 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. Once the pressure is released, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks.
Step 5: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the sour cream, lime juice, and bacon
Step 6: Garnish each serving with avocado slices, cilantro, sour cream, and a lime wedge, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Leftover shredded or diced chicken or rotisserie chicken that is already cooked can work in this recipe, too, and save a little time. Just be sure to minimize the cooking time to 5 minutes at high pressure.
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this chili in a slow cooker by adding all your ingredients along with 1 cup of broth and either cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Remove the chicken and shred it before adding it back to the slow cooker and stirring with the rest of the ingredients.
How to Serve
We love this Instant Pot chicken white chili on its own without any added sides, but it can also be served over rice or veggies along with a side of cornbread or tortillas if you like. As for toppings, we say the more the merrier, with options that can include avocado slices, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, and a lime wedge.
How to Store and Reheat
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze your chili for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, thaw overnight if frozen and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
This white chicken chili Instant Pot 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.
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!
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.
It typically can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the amount of liquid that is in your Instant Pot.
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.
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.
More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
Video
If you tried this Instant Pot White Chicken Chilior any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
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!
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.
Nutrition
This soup is so delicious. Definitely a crowd pleaser!
Yay!! We are so glad, Maggie!
Hands down a family favorite! My two boys (13 and 6) eat multiple servings and are always excited when this on the family menu. Super easy and so so yummy!
That is so sweet, Jen! We are so so happy it is a hit with your fam!
Great flavor and super easy to prepare. I always have a hard time with sautéing Hemplers bacon in my instapot. Ended up adding a little oil and finishing the crisping of the bacon in a fry pan. My husband and picky 3 year old ate this! The broth was great.
We are so happy y’all loved it, Cheryl!
Could you make this with the frozen chicken?
How many cups is a serving?
Do you have macros for this recipe?
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
Could this be made in a slow cooker?
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
Could I triple the recipe in the instant pot? Would I have to adjust the cook time or would it stay the same?
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!
So good. This will definitely be a go-to rotation recipe for me.
So glad to hear that, Raine! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Gorgeous Recipe… Fab for a cold winters night. Definitely will be having more.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sophie!! Thank you for sharing this with us!
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!
YAY! SO glad you loved it, Laura. Thank you so much for the comment!
Delicious! I used a dairy-free sour cream and it worked perfectly.
Awesome! Thank you, Rachel!
So good!!
Yay! That’s so great to hear, Mimi!