Easy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is a creamy, white bean chili loaded with tender chicken, diced chiles, and a secret ingredient to make this the best chicken chili ever! Make it in the instant pot or slow cooker for an easy, comforting meal!
I really can’t get enough of warm, fulfilling soup and chili recipes in the winter time. It’s either turn up the thermostat, move to warmer climate, or make soup.
Soup always wins out because it’s easier and cheaper than the alternatives.
White Bean Chicken Chili in the instant pot makes the perfect weeknight meal in under 30 minutes! If you enjoy a warm meal waiting for you after work, use the slow cooker directions. It’s equally as good!
Like Buffalo Chicken Chili, it is also perfect for entertaining, tailgating, or chili cook off contests!
What is the Secret Ingredient?
There are literally thousands of white chicken chili recipes online, and you are about to learn why this one is the best…
So exciting!
White Chili is best when it’s ultra thick and creamy. Can we agree on that? Most recipes add sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream at the end of the recipe to add smooth creaminess.
Instant Pot (or Slow Cooker!) White Chicken Chili uses a double fold method of adding prepared hummus and sour cream to the chili for the ultra creamy and satisfying flavor.
The hummus also thickens the chili so it’s comforting and satisfying. Make it dairy free by omitting the sour cream and cheese. It still maintains a thick creaminess from the hummus.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken – Use fresh or frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- Diced Green Chiles – Sold in small cans usually in the ethnic food aisle
- Great Northern Beans – Substitute any white bean, such as cannellini beans or navy beans. See below for how to make white chili with dried beans.
- Spices – Oregano, ground coriander, cumin, and cayenne pepper
- Hummus – Secret ingredient to make chili ultra creamy and thick
- Sour Cream – Adds additional creamy tang
- Lime juice – Bright citrus flavor to compliment chicken chili spices
How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Select the SAUTE setting on your pressure cooker and heat oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté onion for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds longer. Press CANCEL.
- Add chicken breasts, chicken broth, diced green chiles, cumin, oregano, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper.
- Secure the lid on pressure cooker and make sure valve is in sealed position. Cook at HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Once the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then let out any remaining pressure.
- Remove the cooked chicken with a large slotted spoon to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
- Ladle some hot broth into 1/2 cup sour cream and stir to combine. Add the beans, sour cream mixture, hummus, lime juice, and shredded cheese to the pot. Mix together and add shredded chicken. Serve with suggested toppings.
frequently asked questions
Yes. Lay chicken breasts on bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle on cumin, oregano, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Top with green chilies, onions, and beans. Pour broth over everything.
Cook LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks or remove chicken to shred.
Add hummus, lime juice, sour cream (or cubed cream cheese), and shredded cheese to the slow cooker. Stir to combine until smooth. Serve with suggested toppings.
Yes. Saute the ground meat with the onions until almost cooked. Continue on with the remaining pressure cooker instructions.
To use ground turkey or chicken in the slow cooker, saute the ground meat on the stove before adding to the crockpot with the remaining ingredients.
Instant pot chili is best served with hot slice of buttered cornbread or cheese bread for dunking. However, if you are serving this at a party, or want a more complete meal, check out the best side dishes for chili article.
Some favorite chili toppings are sour cream, tortilla chips, cilantro, shredded cheese, jalapenos, avocado, and green onions.
Yes. Before cooking the chili add 2 cups dried white beans and 6 cups water to the pressure cooker. Cover, seal lid, and cook for 25 minutes HIGH pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then drain beans. Set aside and add to recipe after the chicken has cooked.
Just like in Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff recipe, frozen chicken breasts or thighs may be used. For best results partially thaw, or at least separate, the chicken before adding to the pressure cooker.
Add an additional 3-5 minutes, depending on how frozen they are, to the cooking time. I don’t recommend using frozen chicken if using the slow cooker directions, though.
Yes, it makes the perfect freezer meal! Allow time for the chili to come to room temperature, then transfer to freezer ziplock bag or freezer container.
If using a ziplock bag, make sure all the air is squeezed out and lay flat to freeze. The chili will stay good up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stove. Be careful to not reheat the chili too fast or the dairy will curdle.
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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
best Tips and modifications
- Substitute 4 ounces room temperature, cubed cream cheese for the sour cream.
- Adding a little hot broth to the sour cream prevents the soup from curdling by tempering the mixture.
- Add the dairy after cooking the chili. Dairy, such as sour cream, milk, cream cheese, or cream, curdles when cooked under pressure. It’s best to add in at the end.
- To make dairy-free white chili omit the sour cream and cheese.
- Instead of great northern beans use cannellini beans or navy beans.
- This is mild spiced chili. To make it spicier add 2 teaspoons of chili powder, a freshly diced jalapeno, or increase cayenne pepper to 1/2 teaspoon.
More instant pot Soup Recipes
- Chicken Chorizo Chili has tender chunks of chicken, a spicy red sauce, beans and secret ingredient spices.
- Loaded Potato Soup recipe tastes like a cheesy twice baked potato in a thick and creamy soup.
- Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings are a thicky, creamy bowl of comfort made in the pressure cooker or crockpot.
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana combines bacon, sausage, potatoes, and kale in a velvety broth.
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cans (15 ounce) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup hummus (8 ounce tub)
- ½ cup sour cream (or 4 ounces cubed cream cheese, room temp)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
- Optional toppings: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, sour cream
Instructions
- Select the SAUTE setting on your pressure cooker and heat oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté onion for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 seconds longer. Press CANCEL.
- Add chicken breasts, broth, diced chiles, cumin, oregano, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper.
- Secure the lid on pressure cooker and make sure valve is in sealed position. Cook at HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. For frozen chicken breasts add an additional 5 minutes to the cooking time. Once the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then let out any remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken with a large slotted spoon to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
- Ladle some hot broth into 1/2 cup sour cream and stir to combine. Add the beans, sour cream mixture, hummus, lime juice, and shredded cheese to the pot. Mix together and add shredded chicken. If necessary, rewarm on SAUTE LOW until hot. Serve with suggested toppings.
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Recipe Notes
Slow Cooker Directions:
Lay chicken breasts on bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle on cumin, oregano, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Top with green chilies, onions, and beans. Pour broth over everything. Cook LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks or remove chicken to shred. Add hummus, lime juice, sour cream (or cubed cream cheese), and shredded cheese to the slow cooker. Stir to combine until smooth.Using Dried Beans:
Before cooking the chili add 2 cups dried white beans and 6 cups water to the pressure cooker. Cover, seal lid, and cook for 25 minutes HIGH pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then drain beans. Set aside and add to recipe after the chicken has cooked.Nutrition
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Audrey says
Really delicious! Perfect flavors. I didn’t add the sour cream just to cut down on some calories and it’s so good (and still creamy) without it!
Melissa says
Hey Audrey,
Glad you enjoyed it! This is a favorite of ours for sure!
Best,
Melissa
Teresa B. says
I’ve never been a big white chicken chili person, but Melissa has never led me astray in the chili department, so I gave it a shot. Oh my goodness, this is sooooo delicious!!!
I made it for dinner tonight in my pressure cooker, and my husband and I were both raving about it. I made it exactly as written, ands the flavors are complex and perfectly balanced for little to no effort – I didn’t even defrost my chicken first.
You are our go to chili recipe source (the buffalo chicken and pumpkin chilis are in frequent rotation during the cold months here) and this absolutely did not disappoint. I’m just sad there aren’t more than 5 stars to give!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for this! It really brightened my day. It was very sweet of you to take the time out to write. I’m so happy you and your husband are enjoying the recipes!
Best,
Melissa