Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Hearty, creamy Instant Pot white chicken chili is a cozy comfort food dinner that’ll warm you up on the coldest nights. Made with simple ingredients and naturally gluten-free, this white chili recipe is loaded with tender chicken, chickpeas, corn, and spices. The pressure cooker gives you that slow-cooked taste in a fraction of the time!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American Southwestern
- Primary Cooking Method: Instant Pot
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I make a lot of chili during the colder months. My World’s Best Chili is one of my family’s favorite wintertime meals, and I have so many chili recipes on the site, including no-bean chili, slow cooker chili, white bean turkey chili, and this deliciously creamy white chicken chili in the Instant Pot. Today’s recipe is thick and hearty, filled with tender shredded chicken, sweet corn kernels, jalapeños, and bold Southwest-style flavor. Whenever I find myself craving a cozy weeknight dinner, I switch on my pressure cooker, and have this homemade white chicken chili on the table in under an hour. It goes wonderfully with a side of gluten-free cornbread.
The White Chicken Chili Recipe You’ll Crave All Winter
- Minimal hands-on time. This is a dump-and-cook dinner that mostly cooks itself. Just shred the chicken and stir it all together when the cooking time is up.
- Naturally gluten-free. Many chili recipes call for seasoning packets or canned sauces, but this one uses fresh ingredients (except for canned beans and frozen corn, though both can be swapped for freshly cooked!). Not only does it avoid processed ingredients, but this white chicken chili is naturally gluten-free.
- Hearty and creamy. I’ve tasted a lot of chicken chili recipes that are more soup-like. Don’t get me wrong, I love chicken orzo soup and the rest. But when it comes to chili, I like it chunky. Cream cheese makes this version thick, rich, and satisfying.
- Versatile. Add more or less jalapeño, adapt the seasonings, and change out the beans based on what you have. You can also replace the beans and corn with more veggies for a low carb option. See the Variations section later for suggestions.
Excellent flavor, super easy. Will make it again and again! -Stephanie
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make creamy Instant Pot chicken chili, with possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – You’ll need two large ones, or about 1-1 1/2 pounds total. You can leave them whole.
- Canned chickpeas – Drained and rinsed. You can use low sodium, if desired.
- Onion – Chopped. Yellow or white onion are good options.
- Bell pepper – Yellow is a nice color with this white chicken chili, but you can also use orange or red. Green peppers are too bitter.
- Jalapeño – You can leave the seeds for extra heat, or remove them if you don’t want it too spicy. You can also substitute a small can of chopped green chilis.
- Corn kernels – Fresh or frozen. They do not have to be thawed. You can also trim the kernels off of leftover air fryer corn on the cob.
- Chicken broth – You could use vegetable broth instead. I like to use low-sodium broth and adjust the salt to taste.
- Spices – Chili powder and cumin. Feel free to use more or less for the level of spice you like.
- Cream cheese – Use the cream cheese that comes in blocks, and cut the block in half. If you don’t have cream cheese, stir sour cream or heavy cream into the chili after cooking.
How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Here’s an overview of how to make this super easy white chicken chili recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Combine the ingredients. Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot then layer the chickpeas, onion, pepper, jalapeno, and corn. Pour the broth on top then sprinkle with the seasonings and pieces of cream cheese.
- Cook. Close the lid, place the valve in sealing mode, and select Manual/High Pressure. Cook for 12 minutes, then let naturally release for 10-15 minutes.
- Shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Place back in the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Saute to heat it through. Serve and enjoy!
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Tips and Variations
- Adjust to your level of heat. Deseeding the jalapeño peppers helps tame the heat. Otherwise, you can leave the seeds in for a spicier chili. Add more jalapeño and chili powder to taste.
- Swap the beans. Instead of chickpeas, replace them with small white beans, cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans for a white bean chicken chili.
- Don’t burn the cream cheese. Dairy can scorch in the Instant Pot, so make sure the cream cheese is resting on top of the other ingredients, away from the sides and bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Make it faster with rotisserie chicken. Just chop up about 3-4 cups of leftover rotisserie chicken and use it in place of the chicken breasts to make white chicken chili. Then you can skip the shredding step and just stir everything together at the end of the cooking time.
- Low-sodium. Use low-sodium beans and chicken broth. Reduce the cream cheese by half and even try substituting light cream cheese (not fat-free, or it may be grainy). Then, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt to make it creamy.
White Chicken Chili FAQs
This chicken chili is thickened and made creamy with cream cheese. If you find that it isn’t thick enough, make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in equal parts chicken broth or water. Stir it into the chili at the end and bring it to a simmer until thickened. Or, try stirring in a pinch of cornmeal.
Yes, you can use frozen chicken. Just be sure it isn’t frozen together in one large clump. As long as the breasts are separated, you can just add another 5 minutes or so to the cooking time.
Dishes with dairy don’t freeze well, as the cream cheese can separate once it thaws. But you can follow the directions above to cook it without the cream cheese, then stir in the cream cheese when you reheat it. See the Storage section for details.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Any leftover white chicken chili can be packed in an airtight container and refrigerated. It is best if you enjoy it within 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm leftovers in the Instant Pot, microwave, or on the stove.
- Freeze. This Instant Pot white chicken chili isn’t great for freezing, as the texture can be grainy due to the dairy. If you’re making this ahead to freeze, cook the chili without the cream cheese. Freeze it in an airtight container or plastic freezer storage bag for up to 2 months. Thaw, then reheat the chili, and stir in the cream cheese as soon as it is nice and hot.
Make It a Meal
I like to serve our white chicken chili in bread bowls with all the fixings: Fresh cilantro, minced red onions, bell peppers, extra jalapeños, plus tortilla chips, chopped avocado, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. This creamy chili makes a hearty meal on its own. If you’d like, round it out with some extra sides:
- Bread: Instead of bread bowls, serve with cornbread muffins or thick slices of crusty gluten-free bread.
- Salad: I love this crunchy coleslaw, or I’ll toss fresh greens with jalapeño ranch dressing for a Southwest-style side salad.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1-1 1/2 pounds total
- 2 cans (15 oz. each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (can substitute small white beans, cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced (can substitute orange or red)
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds removed if you don't want it too spicy
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, cut in half
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
- Sour cream, shredded cheese, minced red onion, or any of your favorite chili toppings for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot, then add the ingredients in the order listed, layering the chickpeas, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and corn. Pour the broth over the top, then sprinkle on the chili powder and cumin. Place the pieces of cream cheese on the top so that they aren't touching the sides or bottom of the Instant Pot bowl.
- Close the lid and place the valve on sealing mode. Select Manual (high pressure if your Instant Pot has that setting) and cook for 12 minutes. (it will take about 20 minutes for it to pressurize and start cooking).
- Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes before opening the valve for a quick release.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place them on a cutting board or on a plate. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Place the shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot and stir to combine everything. If desired, set to Saute to heat it through.
- Serve garnished with cilantro and any other favorite toppings, if desired.
Notes
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Excellent flavor, super easy. Will make it again and again!