Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe is one of our favorite family recipes. It can be made in the Instant Pot, on the stove or in your crockpot (I have included directions to all three routes below). It is creamy, delicious and is the perfect comfort food. This is the best white chicken chili recipe and I can’t wait for y’all to try it!
ARE YOU NEW TO YOUR INSTANT POT?
If you’re new to your Instant Pot and aren’t sure how to use it, click here for an Instant Pot Beginner’s Guide. It’ll walk you through how to use it, safety precautions and more.
WHAT SIZE INSTANT POT DO I NEED?
For the average family, this Instant Pot will be the perfect size.
For a larger family like ours (we have 9 people in our family), we use this sized Instant Pot.
INGREDIENTS
- red onion
- garlic cloves
- olive oil
- chicken breast
- chicken broth
- great northern beans (you can also use white beans or cannellini beans)
- diced green chiles
- salt
- black pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
- cilantro
- cream cheese
- heavy cream
- cayenne pepper: totally optional! But if you want to add a little kick to your soup, add a few dashes of cayenne pepper. It gives just the right amount of spice to the white chicken chili
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI ON YOUR STOVE TOP
To make this White Chicken Chili recipe on your stove top, you’ll need to make a few simple changes.
Cook the onions, garlic and olive oil on the stove in a large dutch oven or pot. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Add all of the ingredients (except the cream cheese, heavy cream and fresh cilantro) into your large pot (I prefer a Dutch oven).
Simmer on low for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked completely.
Take the chicken out and shred it.
Add the shredded chicken back in with the cream cheese, heavy cream and cilantro.
Stir until the cream cheese has completely melted (avoid medium high heat. Your cream cheese will curdle and not melt).
Serve with all your favorite toppings! I have a few recommended toppings listed below.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI IN YOUR CROCKPOT
If you’re wanting to make a slow cooker White Chicken Chili, you’ll need to make a few simple changes.
Cook the onions, garlic and olive oil on the stove. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Add all of the ingredients (except the cream cheese, heavy cream and fresh cilantro) into your large crockpot.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can also cook It on high for 2-4 hours if you’re on a time crunch.
20 minutes before serving pull out the chicken breasts and shred them.
Place them back into the crockpot with the cream cheese, heavy cream and cilantro.
Stir until the cream cheese has completely melted. Then serve!
I think you’ll love the White Chicken Chili as a slow cooker recipe
EXPERT TIP
If you’re in a pinch for time, you can easily swap out the uncooked chicken breast for precooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken works well! You can adjust your cooking time in half if you’re using precooked chicken.
TOPPING IDEAS
- tortilla strips
- shredded pepper jack cheese
- sour cream
- cilantro
- avocado
- jalapeños
- shredded cheese
- green onion
- dollop of sour cream
If you are using your Instant Pot for the first time, make sure to read this post first! It is a Beginners Guide to Understanding Your Instant Pot. It is a simple blog post that outlines everything you need to know about using your Instant Pot. You’ll be walked through the different buttons, learn how to release pressure and how to safely use your Instant Pot.
Yes! You can absolutely freeze leftover White Chicken Chili. Make sure to use freezer containers to keep your soup from getting freezer burn. You’ll want to make sure you have an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag.
This recipe serves 10. Our large family of 9 eats the entire pot in one sitting. That is with everyone having multiple bowls.
Yes! This recipe can be adapted for your slow cooker/ crock pot. We have included directions for both ways in the post above.
Yes! This recipe can be adapted for your stove top. Scroll down to see the directions on how to make the White Chicken Chili on your stove top.
No. This recipe makes quite a bit of soup! There’s always plenty to go around.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 diced red onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds uncooked chicken breast
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 4 cans great northern beans 15.5 oz. cans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cans diced green chiles
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
Optional Toppings
- tortilla chips
- cilantro, chopped
- red onion, diced
- sharp cheddar, shredded
- avocado, sliced
- lime wedges for squeezing on top
Instructions
- In a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add onion, garlic and olive oil. Saute until your onion is translucent.
- Add in your chicken breast, chicken broth, beans (drained and rinsed), green chilies, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. No need to stir.
- Close the lid to your Instant Pot. Set the pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 20 minutes.
- After your 20 minutes is up, you'll set a timer for an additional 10 minutes. Let your Instant Pot naturally release pressure during these 10 minutes. You will then release the rest of the pressure by using your Quick Release by turning the pressure valve to the venting position. Make sure to use a towel when releasing. The steam is very hot and can easily burn you!
- Once the pressure is released completely (it will stop hissing out the top), carefully open the lid. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks.
- Return the chicken to the Instant Pot along with the cream cheese (cutting it into smaller pieces helps it melt quickly), heavy cream and fresh cilantro.
- Press the saute button and let the chili simmer to melt the cream cheese completely. Once your cream cheese is melted, the white chicken chili is ready to serve!
- Serve with your favorite toppings like tortilla chips, avocado slices, diced cilantro, minced red onion and a squeeze of lime.
