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. It’s one of our favorite instant pot recipes! Just stir everything together, top with cream cheese and set for 20 minutes. So EASY!!
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili!
We love chili around here including this hearty beef chili and easy turkey chili. It’s wonderful to have quick homemade meals like this in your pocket for busy weeknights. The instant pot makes it faster than ever to enjoy a piping hot bowl of white bean chicken chili in no time!
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 boiled 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 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 shredded chicken absorbs the liquid and because super juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Instant pot chicken is the only way to get super tender chicken this fast!
How to Serve White Chicken Chili:
White chicken chili can be served over baked potatoes or as an appetizer with tortilla chips. Garnish with:
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Jalapeños
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 with green chilis , (with their 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.**
- 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.
Notes
**CAUTION: If you are new to using a pressure cooker, always read your instruction manual prior to use.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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?
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 🙂