Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
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This easy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe is a little lighter than others yet packed with fresh, complex flavor. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer-friendly.
Or, try our Crockpot White Chicken Chili instead.
Why We Love the Instant Pot
We love the Instant Pot not just for the speed of making dinner, but because it comes together in one pot. One and done – just like our Instant Pot Whole Chicken, Instant Pot Turkey Chili, or our Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Beef. Explore our best Instant Pot Recipes here.
Ingredients
Here are the flavorful ingredients you’ll need on hand. All of these are easy to find in any grocery store.
- Cannellini or Great Northern beans
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- White or yellow onion
- Green bell peppers
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Chili powder
- Chicken broth
- Diced green chiles (medium or mild)
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
- Fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
- Limes
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.
How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Recipes like this one and our Instant Pot Turkey Chili are a breeze to make in an electric pressure cooker. Let’s walk through a bird’s eye view of how to make this nutritious and tasty chili in the Instant Pot.
Prep the Beans
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Then mash half of them with a potato masher or fork. Add all of the beans to the Instant Pot. (The smashed beans help to thicken the soup without using any flour.)
Saute Veggies & Spices
Turn on Saute function and heat the oil. Add onions and peppers, and saute just until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder during the last 30-60 seconds of cook time. Press Cancel.
Pressure Cook the Chili
Stir in the broth, all of the beans, salt, pepper, and chicken breasts. Lock and seal the lid. Cook for 6 minutes at high pressure and quick release the pressure when done. (Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally or is no longer pink inside.)
Shred Chicken & Finish
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the cooker, and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts.
Serve
Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and suggested toppings.
What Goes With White Chicken Chili
This Mexican-inspired meal works well when hosting a group or just on a cozy winter night. Here are some ideas for what to serve with Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, white chicken chili freezes well either before or after cooking it. Read our thorough article about two methods for how to freeze white chicken chili.
If you’d like to freeze this chili from frozen in the Instant Pot, be sure to use our freezing instructions in the recipe below.
Check out all of our delicious, easy, and healthy freezer meals recipes and our freezer meal cookbooks.
Can I Make This in the Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! Use our Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe to make this same recipe in your slow cooker.
Recipe FAQs
Our version is healthy! We’ve created a chili that’s filled with high-quality protein and packed with veggies. It’s relatively low in fat and carbs, too. If you’re watching your salt intake, be sure to use low-sodium broth and “no salt” canned ingredients.
Lastly, to kick up the nutritional value, add in some healthy toppings such as diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, diced green or red onion, and fresh cilantro.
Our version is because we use smashed beans to thicken the chili instead of flour. Our recipe is also dairy-free.
In this recipe, we use smashed beans to help thicken the chili. The soup will thicken some as it sits, so give it some time after cooking.
If you’d like it even thicker, you can make a cornstarch slurry to stir into the chili at the end. To do this, mix a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into the soup. I’d suggest starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons of each. Slow cook the soup for 30 minutes after adding it.
You can use a few different types of white beans in white chicken chili–cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or even pinto beans work.
Either refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later. The USDA says that most leftovers if refrigerated properly, are safe to eat within 3-4 days. You can also freeze the chili and it will be safe indefinitely, although it will taste best if eaten within about 3 months.
More Instant Pot Chilis & Soups
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
This easy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili recipe is a little lighter than others yet packed with fresh, complex flavor. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer-friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced (sub: 1-1 1/2 cups frozen, diced onions)
- 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chilis (medium or mild), juices and all*
- 1 1/2 pounds medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
- Juice of 2 limes, plus extra lime wedges, for serving
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese
*Two 4-ounce cans will work fine, as well.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep Beans: Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Then mash half of them with a potato masher or fork. Set aside.
- Saute Veggies & Spices: Turn on Saute function and heat the oil. Add onions and bell peppers, and saute just until softened, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while they cook. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder during the last 30-60 seconds of cook time. Press Cancel. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Pressure Cook Soup: Stir in the broth, green chilis, all of the beans, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and chicken breasts. Lock and seal the lid. Cook for 6 minutes at high pressure and quick release the pressure when done. (Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally or is no longer pink inside.)
- Shred Chicken & Finish: Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or chop into bite-sized pieces. Add it back to the cooker, and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts.
- Serve: Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and suggested toppings.
Freeze For Later:
- Method 1 (Uncooked): Follow Steps 1-2. Add cooked, cooled veggie mixture, broth, chicken breasts, beans, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a gallon-sized freezer bag or round container. Seal and freeze. Tip: Place freezer bag in a bowl in the freezer until frozen to freeze in the shape of the Instant Pot.
- Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Follow Steps 1-4. Let the fully-cooked soup cool completely. Freeze in a gallon-size freezer bag or in individual portions using SouperCubes or 2-cup Pyrex containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
- Method 1 (Uncooked): Note: You will need fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and favorite optional toppings on hand to make this meal. Turn on the Saute function. Saute the frozen meal for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Press Cancel. Seal and lock the lid. Follow Steps 3-5, except cook for 17-22 minutes at high pressure with a quick release.
- Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw using one of these safe methods. Warm up over low heat using the stove, microwave, slow cooker, or Saute function on Instant Pot. Follow Step 5 to serve.
Notes/Tips
- Slow Cooker Version: We also have a Crockpot White Chicken Chili that’s the same recipe but reworked for the slow cooker.
- You can use a few different types of white beans in white chicken chili–cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or even pinto beans work.
- At 35 grams of protein per serving, this recipe is considered high in protein. We explain how important protein is in our Round up of High Protein Slow Cooker recipes. If you are looking to add more protein to your diet, this recipe is a great start!
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my full review here.
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