Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
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This Instant Pot white chicken chili cooks in just 15 min with tender chicken, hearty beans, and a dreamy broth. It’s so cozy and so creamy!
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Why you’ll love this instant pot white chicken chili
- Ridiculously easy. Thanks to the Instant Pot®, this white chicken chili will taste as if it has been simmering for hours on end. But all we really need to do is a quick sauté, add ingredients, press a button, and let it do its magical thing.
- Creamy, dreamy goodness. With its velvety, rich, creamy broth, this is a recipe you will keep coming back to again and again, perfect for big family get togethers, snow days, sick days, or when you simply need a cozy, warm, hug-in-a-bowl.
- Not overly heavy. This recipe does not use cornstarch or cream cheese. Instead, we use a little bit of AP flour and a touch of sour cream, yielding the most perfect irresistible consistency without feeling too heavy.
- Completely customizable. This chili is incredibly flexible and giving – it can cater to chicken breasts or thighs, and it can easily be doubled or tripled, as needed. Want to mix it up? Add a can of corn kernels or diced jalapeño for a kick of heat before sprinkling some of your favorite toppings.
What is white chili?
White chili is typically made with white meat (chicken) and green chiles in a broth base, yielding a creamy consistency with mild flavors. White chili often times includes dairy such as sour cream, heavy cream or cream cheese.
How to make Instant Pot white chicken chili
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat a splash of olive oil. Sauté the onion until translucent, then stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano until fragrant.
- Add flour. Stir in the flour until lightly browned, removing the raw starchy taste while building a rich, nutty flavor to help thicken the chili.
- Combine. Stir in the chicken thighs, chicken stock, white beans, green chiles, salt, and pepper.
- Pressure cook. Seal the pressure cooker valve and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, immediately releasing pressure once the cooking cycle is complete.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken and use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the shredded chicken, sour cream, cilantro, salt, and pepper until smooth and heated through.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve warm with the desired toppings below.
chili toppings
- Cheese: shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Mexican cheese blend
- Onions: diced red, yellow, or white onions
- Cream: sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or Mexican crema
- Chips: corn chips or tortilla chips
- Crackers: Saltines or oyster crackers
- Peppers: pickled jalapeños
- Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro leaves, parsley leaves, or lime wedges
what to serve with instant pot white chicken chili
Tools For This Recipe
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili: Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional red chili is made with red meat (beef) in a tomato base, and is much more sweeter and spicier than white chili.
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges will all work very well here.
Absolutely! Swap out the sour cream for coconut cream, or omit the sour cream completely.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
White chicken chili freezes very well! Freeze the leftovers without the sour cream and toppings (as dairy soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags. Thaw overnight and gently reheat on the stovetop until warmed through, adding the sour cream and desired toppings when serving.
Yes! You can cook it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped mild green chiles
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Heat olive oil; add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken, chicken stock, beans, green chiles, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 12 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot® and shred using two forks. Return chicken to the Instant Pot®.
- Stir in sour cream and cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Make it lighter. Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream for a lighter chili.
- Add a kick of heat. Add in 1 diced jalapeno for additional spiciness.
- Size matters. When doubling the recipe, use an 8-qt Instant Pot®, ensuring that the ingredients do not exceed the 2/3 max line, keeping the same cook time. Alternatively, when halving the recipe, reduce the cook time to 10 minutes.
- Add your favorite toppings. Diced avocado, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro or a squeeze of fresh lime juice are all great options.
- Freeze without the sour cream. White chicken chili is a great dish to freeze for meal prep and quick meals for busy nights. Freeze without the sour cream as dairy products tend to separate and curdle when frozen and thawed, leading to a grainy texture once reheated.
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Your instructions do not mention when to come add the chicken!
This sounds delicious! I’m reading the instructions and I can’t find where the chicken is added to the Instant Pot. I see where is it removed in step 5 but not where it’s added. Can you clarify?
Did I miss which step chicken goes in??
You don’t mention when to add chicken just chicken stock !! I assume it is prior to pressure cook .. Just thought you may want to know about the error 🙂
Looks great and can’t wait to try this! Sorry, but I didn’t see when we put the chicken thighs in? Should we sear them first and put aside before sauteing the onions and then put it back after all other ingredients are thrown in and mixed?
You make no mention as to when you put the chicken thighs in.
Can this be made on stovetop in a Dutch oven?