• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

 

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home Recipe Index Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 3/23/23Updated: 9/25/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

Try our Crockpot White Chicken Chili.

white bean chicken chili in three bowls with cilantro and lime wedges on top

Take a look at how easily this healthy chili comes together in the Instant Pot…

Table of Contents
  • Ingredients
  • Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
  • How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
  • What Goes With White Chicken Chili
  • Can You Freeze It?
  • Can I Make This Soup in the Slow Cooker?
  • Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

Here are the flavorful ingredients you’ll need on hand. All of these are easy to find in any grocery store.

  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans
  • 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion (sub: 1-1 1/2 cups frozen, diced onions)
  • 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 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)
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sub: boneless chicken thighs)
  • Fresh cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
  • 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
ingredients for white chicken chili in the instant pot
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart CTA.
A Must Have for Instant Pot Users

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.

Loading

How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Recipes like this one and our Instant Pot Turkey Chili are a breeze to make in the Instant Pot. 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.)

white cannellini beans in a colander
smashed white cannellini beans on a plate

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. 

shredded chicken on a wooden cutting board next to Instant Pot
lime being squeezed into white chicken chili
a ladle of white chicken chili over Instant Pot

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.

chips and guac

Chips and Guacamole

Mexican chopped salad in a white bowl.

Mexican Chopped Salad

Baked sweet potato corn bread in a metal dish

Sweet Potato Cornbread

layered taco dip

Layered Taco Dip

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.

freezer bag with Instant Pot White Chicken Chili in it

Can I Make This Soup in the Slow Cooker?

Absolutely! Use our Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe to make this same recipe in your slow cooker.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili
white bean chicken chili in a bowl with cilantro on top and Instant Pot in background

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

white bean chicken chili in a bowl with cilantro on top
★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

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.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/2 cups each) 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 35 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Scale:

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.

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Prep Beans: Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Then mash half of them with a potato masher or fork. Set aside.
  2. Saute Veggies & Spices: Turn on Saute function and heat the oil. Add onions and 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.) 
  3. Pressure Cook Soup: Stir in the broth, 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.)
  4. 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. 
  5. Serve: Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and suggested toppings.

Freeze For Later: 

  1. 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.
  2. 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: 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

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.

© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: Mexican Method: Instant Pot

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

Freezer meal quick start guide CTA.
Start Here!

Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Get the best of the best recipes, tutorials, and freezer meal expertise straight to your inbox. A $9.99 value for free!

Loading

12 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
Dump and go freezer meal email cta.

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

Fall Recipes

Autumn Salad tossed with apple cider vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Pumpkin chili in a dutch oven ready to be served.

Pumpkin Chili

Hearty Baked Penne Pasta

Pumpkin spice latte in a mug with two snickerdoodle cookies on a plate next to it.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte

Fast Weeknight Meals

chicken parmesan casserole in a glass baking dish with a spoon

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Taco bar with all the toppings lined up

Totally Tasty Taco Bar

Overhead portrait photo of tomato bisque soup

Tomato Bisque

Pork tenderloin sliced and on a plate with salad.

Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Popular Round-Ups

20+ Easy Crock Pot Recipes

freezer meal

100+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

Collage of 6 mason jars with various overnight oats prepared in them.

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

7 Chicken marinades side by side - 1

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2023 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
12 shares