Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
WOAH! This White Chicken Chili is done in less than an hour start to finish in the Instant Pot with melt-in your mouth tender chicken. Stir everything together in the instant pot, top with cream cheese and set for 20 minutes. So easy!!
It’s wonderful to have quick homemade meals like this in your pocket for busy weeknights. This chicken chili can be served over baked potatoes or as an appetizer with tortilla chips.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients for White Chicken Chili:
We have made this recipe healthier over the years by using organic produce and non-bpa lined cans. You can absolutely use home-cooked beans, or your own bone broth and freshly cooked corn on the cob (if using fresh corn from the cob, use 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 1/2 to compensate for the lost liquid).
*What Size Ranch Dressing Mix Should I Use?
Various ranch mix brands come in different sizes. It should be enough to make 16 oz of dressing or dip per the package instructions.
- Hidden Valley brand ranch packets come in a more concentrated 0.4 oz packet yielding 2 cups ranch.
- Simply Organic ranch dip used here came in a 1.5 oz packet which also yields 2 cups ranch dip.
How to Use an Instant Pot:
**CAUTION: If you are new to using the pressure cooker, always read the instruction manual and safety warnings for your machine as various brands or even models might have a different process and settings for use.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and call on your inner nerd to read through the instructions. Instant pots are fabulous tools for speedy cooking, but they have to be used properly.
How to Make White Chicken Chili:
Step 1: Combine everything in your Instant Pot (Amazon Affilliate link) and stir together
Step 2: Top with cream cheese and set on manual high pressure for 20 minutes. It will warm up, cook 20 minutes then let it naturally depressurize 10 minutes.
Step 3: Remove chicken and shred then put it back and stir everything together.
The chicken absorbs the liquid and because super juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Garnish with avocado, cilantro or even shredded cheese. This chicken chili always disappears fast!
Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over:
- Chicken Bone Broth – the best way to make bone broth!
- Instant Pot Beef Plov – a flavorful one-pot rice pilaf
- Dulce De Leche – unbelievably fast in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Beets – blazing fast and so flavorful
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for White Chicken Chili:
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can white beans drained
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 15 oz can corn with juice
- 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes wiht green chilis with juice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 tsp chili powder or to taste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 0.4 oz packet ranch dip or dressing mix*
- 8 oz package cream cheese cut into 6 pieces
Optional Toppings and Serving Suggestions:
- 1/2 cup chopped Cilantro for garnish
- 1 avocado diced, for garnish
- Tortilla chips or baked potatoes to serve
Instructions
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Place all of your ingredients into your instant pot bowl in the following order: 2 chicken breasts, drained black and white beans, chopped onion, corn with juice, tomatoes with juice, and 1/2 cup chicken broth.
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Add 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder (use 1/2 tsp to make it kid friendly), 1 tsp cumin, ranch packet. Stir everything to combine, getting some of the juice under the chicken to keep it from scorching.
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Cut cream cheese into 6 pieces and place over the top of chili. Cover and seal with lid, switch the valve to the "sealing" position and cook for 20 min on manual high pressure. Once it is done cooking, let it naturally depressurize for 10 min then switch the valve to the "venting" position to completely release steam before opening lid.**
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Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and shred apart with 2 forks. Stir everything together in the pot to melt the cream cheese into the chili then return the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Serve garnished with avocado and cilantro if desired.
Recipe Notes
*Ranch Dressing mixes come in differing sizes (0.4 to 1.5 oz). It should be enough to make 16 oz of dressing or dip per package instructions.
**CAUTION: If you are new to using a pressure cooker, always read your instruction manual prior to use.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Q: What is YOUR favorite way to use an Instant Pot? If you were to name 1 recipe that makes owning an instant pot worthwhile, what would it be?
natashaskitchen
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I tried this tonight. It was very tasty but the cream cheese curdled a bit. It wasn’t creamy looking. Chunky looking. But as I said….still very tasty!
Hi Linda, I haven’t had that experience but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. It helps if the cream cheese is cut into pieces so it melts into the chili easier. Also, I use the full fat cream cheese and I’m not sure if low fat would cause that to happen.
can I use a slower in this recipe? With different cooking times and temperatures of course
Hi Mila, here is the slow cooker version of this white chicken chili.
Made this white chicken chili recipe last night. Was absolutely Delicious! Wouldn’t change anything on it. This is my fourth instant pot recipe and by far my family’s favorite now. Will be making more!
That’s so great Carly!! Thank you so much for this great feedback!!
This is so very good! Perfect for a cool fall evening. I made it as is with the exception of the onions (husband doesn’t tolerate them), and added an extra 1/2 cup of broth according to the directions for my pressure cooker.
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was fantastic. My 20 yo daughter isn’t wild about chicken chili, but really liked this! I was wondering about adding the cream cheese because I had read somewhere not to use dairy in pressure cooking, but I tried it anyway. This was so much better than other chicken chili recipes I’ve tried!
I’m So happy to hear your enjoyed this recipe!! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Can I put all ingredients in with frozen chicken breasts? Does that change cooking time/instructions?
Hi Katie! I have made chicken chili with frozen chicken in a slow cooker and I’m assuming it should work fine in the instant pot. If using frozen, I would probably cook on high pressure 23-25 minutes rather than just 20 minutes to give the chicken a little more time to thaw in the instant pot.
Hi there, just made your recipe- still eating and loving it actually- this is delicious! Will definitely be adding this to my repeat list. Thank you so much for sharing this, and I will be looking up some of your other recipes too. Also, I saw in another comment, that it was a hit with a toddler. Yeah, my extremely picky two-year-old is also scarfing right now haha…
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
I’ve always heard dairy doesn’t do well in IP, so I usually add it afterwards. What do you know about dairy in the IP?
Hi Diane, I haven’t heard that but you might do some more research online. I haven’t had any issues with dairy in the instant pot personally though.
Just made this today, so easy and delicious. I warmed up some white corn tortillas to roll up and dip in the sauce.
Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I just made this for me and my husband last night and it turned out awesome! Some of my adjustments I made because I didn’t quite have everything were- Crushed tomatoes instead of diced, light kidney beans and garbanzo beans instead of the white & black. DELICIOUS. I would definitely make this again. IT WAS SO EASY!! Ugh… I love my instant pot so much. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you both enjoyed that, Jamie!
Really like this recipe, simple and flavordul…. but i was just wondering what a servings size is.. 1 cup? (I an one of those crazy peeps that count calories: ] ) Thanks!
I wish I had measured it that way Mary. This pot makes 8 full size servings. So 1/8 of the total recipe would be the amount.
This was fantastic! Easily my favorite meal from my instant pot. I halved the recipe for my 3 qt. Just advice for anyone else using a 3 qt, you’re going to get close to the max content limit since you’re using all the juice from the tomatoes/corn but only half the content. One difference I made: instead of normal ranch mix, I used spicy ranch. Do yourself a favor and don’t skip the cilantro!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Justin!! So happy to hear you were able to make this in the Instant Pot.
Girlfriend!!!! This is Absolutely Delicious! Thank you So Much! YUM!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha! Do you think I can skip chicken and do a vegetarian version? Instead of chicken stock use vegetable stock?
I haven’t tried that but it may work! I’m sure the flavor profile will be somewhat different! If you experiment I would love to know how you like it!
Hi Elena, I think it could work well with vegetable stock but you would have to sub the chicken with something or else it would seem more like a vegetable soup, especially since the chicken absorbs the sauce once it’s shredded to create a great thick chili consistency. If anyone else has any suggestions, please let us know! 🙂
Any chance you have a crockpot friendly version of this or any tips for crockpot cooking this? Looks and sounds delicious, plus I actually have every single ingredient! My sick boyfriend and I would appreciate it! 🙂
Hi Leigh, I have crockpot / slow cooker instructions for cream cheese chili posted here. The instructions should be similar
What would you use in place of black beans if you don’t care for those?
Hi Tiffany, you could replace it with a different kind of bean (use double the white beans instead), or add more corn.
Made it today and it came out so delicious better than in slow cooker, thank you Natasha for the recipe.
You are very welcome, Vera! So happy you enjoyed that!
Could frozen chicken be used? If so, what would the cook time be?
Hi Steph, I have made chicken chili with frozen chicken in a slow cooker and I’m assuming it should work fine in the instant pot. If using frozen, I would probably cook on high pressure 23-25 minutes rather than just 20 minutes to give the chicken a little more time to thaw in the instant pot.
Really tasty! Will definitely make again. It was a bit more liquid than I like my chili but that’s easily remedied. I also thought that my chicken was very slightly overcooked. That’s a quick fix as well. Smells while cooking were intoxicating! Flavors were fabulous! Thanks!
Hi Alja, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken chili! 🙂
Hi there, can’t wait to try this! Does it matter if you’re making this in a 6 qt instant pot or an 8 qt? I have an 8 qt and am just wondering if I need to change anything. Thank you!
Hi Mel, this should work just fine in a 8 qt pot. One of our readers wrote: “I doubled the recipe in my 8 qt. Instapot and the recipe worked perfectly!” I hope this helps 🙂
When doubling did you cook it longer?
Hi Kristin, My readers who tried it did not specify but I am assuming they kept the timing the same.
This was my first try at using my Instant Pot and it was delicious!! I was worried that I wasn’t using the minimum amount of liquids so I added 1 1/2 cups of water. It was more like soup but still great. I am guessing the recipe contains enough liquids as written?
Hi Beth. Yes, the amount of water listed makes enough to use safely in the insta pot and to allow the perfect taste and consistency. I’m so happy you still enjoyed that!
I am new to the Instant Pot and don’t particularly enjoy cooking. I made two batches of this – one for a friend and one for my husband I. It is delicious and so easy! My husband, who adds salt or hot sauce to most things ate it as is. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
That’s so great. I’m so happy you both enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!
I’ve been making this recipe over and over again since you originally posted. We love it! Thanks for posting an instant pot version. No cilantro in this one?
Hi Olya, we didn’t put it in since since the flavor would we lost in pressure cooking but you definitely get a nice boost of flavor by garnishing with cilantro 🙂
Thank you for another Instant Pot recipe. I usually made this recipe in a slow cooker but this is so quick and tastes the same, if not better! Hope you create more pot recipes 🙂
Thank you Katie! I appreciate the great review!
When I switch it to the venting position, it’s takinf a while maybe longer than 20 mins is that normal until all the steam is out?
Depends on the machine. Some do take longer than others. I would recommend reading your machines instructions or check for any issues.
Hello! I just made this but got the bu notification. Please clarify the recipie! It says to put the ingredients in a certain order then it says to stir. So what was the purpose of the order? Also chicken broth is missing from the directions. I saw in the comments someone else mentioned that so I added the broth in. The instant pot is not forgiving, any tips or anything g else you did to avoid the burn?
Thanks!
Hi, thank you so much for pointing that out! I had it in the list of ingredients but forgot to list it in the instructions. That is now corrected. The idea of ordering that way is so you don’t end up with chicken floating at the top (it cooks better in the chili) and you do want to add the cream cheese last. To avoid any kind of burn, you need to make sure you stir to get liquid under the chicken. If the chicken is sitting directly on the surface, it is more likely to scorch. You can also add 3/4 cup broth to 1 cup if your pot gives you problems with burning.
Thank you so much for the reply!! I will say the flavor profile was DELISH and we really did enjoy it!! I will be making it again for sure!!
Thank you for the great feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed that
What a fantastic recipe! Thank you so much, Natasha! It was absolutely delicious and super easy to make. Please post more Instant pot recipes!!!
Hi MJ! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Ok, stupid question! Are an instant pot and a pressure cooker basically the same?
How would you make this in an old fashion dutch oven?
They have similarities but the pressure cooker has several functions 🙂 In an old fashioned dutch oven you can add the ingredients in a similar order just making sure the meat is cooked through 🙂
I made this today and served with rice and my kids loved it!!! I can’t believe how tender the chicken gets in such a short time! Natasha please keep posting more instant pot recipes! We absolutely love your ins.pot plov recipe too and I make it all the time now 🙂
I’m so happy you all loved this! Especially knowing how picky kids can be! Thank you for sharing this with us Galina!
I am so excited for this recipe!.. my hubby kept mentioning a white chicken chili he tried at work and kept wanting me to make some.. Thank you for this!!
You’re so welcome Ira! Now you can surprise him with this! 🙂
whats your next recipe
So many great ones planned!!
Hi Natasha I tried it and was so good I just put salsa instead of rotel and I missed the chicken broth because you forgot to mention it in the instructions but I added some water thanks for sharing
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Alyaa!
Can rotisserie chicken be used? If so, what would the cooking time be?
Hi Marina, I think that may work. Since it isn’t raw the cook time may be quicker. I honestly haven’t tried that however. Please let me know how it works if you experiment. 🙂
Awesome. Thanks. I’ll juat make it according to your recipe ( love your recipes). 💞💞
You’re so welcome!
As soon as I manually released pressure (after that first 10 min), I knew this is going to be good. The smell was amazing and the taste went right with it. The chicken truly did melt in my mouth.
The best part – my toddler enjoyed it! I made him a separate meal not expecting him to like such a mix for flavors but he opened that little mouth wide even after his own meal 😆 ! We used all suggested toppings (crumbled chips are a must!) and this fit into my mini Insta Pot perfectly.
The only “concern” is that it didn’t have enough “salt”. I used the original ranch though, so I’m wondering if that’s it? Or something else lacked salt/flavor from my ingridients 🤷🏻♀️Planning to buy the same type of ranch powder for next time.
Hi Yuliya! We felt that salt was enough and the taste was great! I’m wondering now if there is in fact a salt content difference in the packets. I’m so happy this worked out well for you however! 🙂
I have noticed most savory recipes lack in the “salt factor”. Just wanted to mention it cause it could just be that we all have different taste preferences. 😉 I usually do a heaping spoon when it calls for 1 spoon, etc..
So, I ended up making this chili and I wanted to mention that it was plenty “salty”. I used an organic ranch seasoning packet so maybe it does depend which one you use. Also, I doubled the recipe in my 8 qt. Instapot and the recipe worked perfectly! I didn’t have that diced tomato with chili can so I used a regular diced tomato can and added an ounce or so of a green chili can. Also, I halfed the chili as recommended to make it kid friendly and it was just hitting the “this is spicy” point, yet kids kept digging in with their toritalla chips for more. Btw, we really like the trader Joe’s brand white corn tortilla chips…not too big and not as hard and crispy as the “usual ones”.
Thank you, Natasha, for an effortless and yet a very delicious recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you for posting your experience with this!
Is there any way to transfer this recipe to a slow cooker?
Hi Elvira. Yes! That will work great. Here are the instructions for the slow cooker chicken chili.
Hi Elvira and Natasha, go with the instructions as listed but cook on High setting on your slow cooker for 3-4 hours, remove chicken and shred and return to pot, add the cream cheese but diced smaller, and continue on High setting for another 2 hours, stirring occasionally. This should provide the same results.
Thank you for sharing that with us Lee! 🙂
Awesome! Love your recipes! Please please please more recipes for instant pot!
Thank you Irina! We have so many recipes we want to share with you! All in good time 🙂 Thank you so much for checking out our blog!
Yay!!! A new recipe for instant pot! It looks yummy, cannot wait to make it.
Hi Anna! I’m so excited about this also! It’s so good!
Omg!!! Made it last night, it was delicious! This recipe is a keeper. Super easy and fast. A friend stopped by, so I packed some for her to take home and now she is asking for this recipe 😊. I love my instant pot, I can’t wait for more recipes from you.
That’s so great Anna! Thanks for the awesome review!
What do you do if you do not have an Insta Pot to make the White chicken chili?
Hi Rusty. It is very easy to modify it to the slow cooker. Here are the instructions for the slow cooker chicken chili.
awesome recipe loooooooooove it
I Loooooooove this comment! Thank you Kathy!! So happy you liked it!
Is the dry ranch mix necessary? Can it be subbed for a combination of other spices?
Hi Kim, I think you could get creative and substitute :). You can make your own ranch seasoning mix but it’s just much easier to get the packet 🙂
Thank you, Nathasha! Would you happen to know if the dry buttermilk powder in the ranch mix also contributes to the consistency of the dish? If I left it out would you recommend adding more cream cheese?
Hi Kim, it might affect the thickness just slightly but will still work without it. You could add another ounce or 2 of cream cheese but it’s probably not necessary.
This looks so creamy and delicious! We should try it😋
It really is so good! Enjoy!
How long would you cook it in a crock pot?
Hi Ella, I have crockpot / slow cooker instructions for cream cheese chili posted here.
This sounds delicious, but I will use my stove top pressure cooker to prepare the beans, then will assemble as you have stated here. Canned beans here (Thailand) are pricey, dry is very reasonable. I will come back with my review for this, I am looking forward to making this 🙂 Thank you for a great recipe, Natasha 🙂
I look forward to your review Lee! I would love to know your process! 🙂