This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe is incredibly flavorful, warming, and creamy. It’s ready in about half an hour for a low-effort and cozy meal!
For the stovetop version, head over to my Creamy White Chicken Chili instead.
Why you’ll love it
I love how you can get delicious concentrated flavors super fast in an Instant Pot. This zesty white chicken chili tastes like it’s been simmering for hours, yet it’s a 30-minute meal! It’s got oodles of white beans, tender chicken, and all your favorite toppings.
This is an awesome game day chili, and it’s made with pantry staples. The creamy broth is just so comforting. Cream cheese makes it delightfully silky with a hint of tanginess. It’s not what I’d call spicy, but the seasoning blend definitely has personality to it!
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Chicken broth – the base of the broth/sauce
- Mild green chilies – these canned chopped peppers add a little kick and tangy notes. Find them in the Mexican/international aisle.
- Seasoning blend – I use dried oregano, ground cumin, and chili powder. Keep in mind that most varieties of chili powder are mild, but check yours to make sure if heat is a concern.
- White beans – cannellini beans make it hearty
- Cream cheese – my go-to is Philadelphia brand
- Toppings – use any/all: lime wedges, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, sliced avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, tortilla strips, and Mexican blend or Monterey Jack cheese
Pro tip
Leave the cream cheese sitting on the counter so that it softens up while everything is cooking. That’ll make the recipe even faster! You could also microwave it.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is my model of Instant Pot.
- Swiftly mince the garlic with a squeeze of a garlic press. No more time-consuming chopping! And store the rest in this cute garlic saver.
- Here’s my trusty can opener that’s been going strong for many years.
How to make Instant Pot white chicken chili
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In your Instant Pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until softened. Stir in the garlic until fragrant. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese, and give it a stir.
- Cook on high pressure, and once the countdown is done, do a quick pressure release. Remove the chicken, and shred it. Add in the cream cheese, and set to sauté to heat it through. Stir until it melts in fully.
- Return the chicken, give it a taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Top each bowl as desired.
Substitutions and variations
- This chili isn’t too spicy, but it does have a bit of kick. If you do want to add some spice, I suggest adding a bit of cayenne pepper, using spicy green chilies, or tossing in some chopped fresh jalapeños.
- I like the tanginess the cream cheese gives to the chili, but you could use heavy cream (start with 1/2 cup). I’d add some lime juice to provide tanginess if you go this route. Sour cream also works in a pinch.
- I use the standard cannellini beans, but you can use navy beans or great northern if you prefer.
What to serve with this chicken chili
- It makes a meal in itself, especially with the suggested toppings, so all you need is a big slice of fresh crusty bread! Sourdough is my recommendation. Or you can go all out with my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- Try a salad to go with it. Spring mix, cucumbers and tomatoes and avocado, and this Creamy Balsamic Dressing or Chipotle Ranch Dressing is a great idea.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this Instant Pot chicken chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Warm it up on the stove over a low heat or in the microwave.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but the texture may change due to the cream cheese. If freezing the whole batch, I’d wait to add it in after thawing.
More easy Instant Pot recipes
If you made this easy white chicken chili in your Instant Pot, please leave me a star rating and review below! Or tag me on Instagram so that I can see it.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 (4 fluid ounce) cans mild chopped green chilis with juices
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 (14 fluid ounce) cans white beans drained
- 4.4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block Philly) softened
- Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings (optional, to taste):
- Lime juice
- Avocado chopped
- Cilantro chopped
- Tex-Mex cheese blend
- Tortilla strips
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in your Instant Pot for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic.
- Add the remaining chili ingredients to your Instant Pot except for the cream cheese.
- Give it a good stir, close the lid, set the valve on “sealing”, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. It’ll take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to get up to pressure. I like to prep the toppings while it’s getting up to pressure and cooking.
- Once the countdown has finished, do a quick pressure release.
- Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot. Add the cream cheese to the Instant Pot and press the “sauté” button so it heats through. Meanwhile, shred the chicken using 2 forks. Stir the chili until the cream cheese nicely incorporates into the sauce (this may take a few minutes). Add the chicken back into the Instant Pot and give it a good stir. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Serve chili into bowls and top with desired toppings.
Notes
- I used about 1 pound of chicken breasts in this recipe. Feel free to use chicken thighs instead.
- If you want to double the recipe, keep cooking time the same.
- Makes 4 generous portions (especially with toppings).
- Want to make this recipe on the stove? Check out my stovetop creamy white chicken chili recipe instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
I’ve made this a few times and we love it! Have a question though tonight…
Can I use a cooked rotisserie chicken and add it in, shredded, after the 8 minute cook time?
I don’t think I would put it in if its already cooked? I’m not sure when to add it.
Hi! Yes, that’s what I would do. 🙂 You’re right that it’ll dry out even more if it’s pressure cooked. I’d add it in around the same time as the cream cheese.
Made this tonight!! It turned out great!
Somehow ran out of white beans so I used 1 can black beans and 1 can chickpeas, and minus 1 can of chiles because I was worried my 7yo would freak out about it being “spicy” lol. She told me I “did a good job on the soup” and she has NEVER made a comment like that before, so this was a win!!
Thanks so much for the awesome recipe, as usual!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to improvise!! That’s awesome your daughter liked it too. You’re very welcome! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Doubled the recipe so that I wouldn’t have half a block of cream cheese floating around the fridge. The only changes I made was:
– left out canned chilis as that isn’t something that we have in South Africa (or at least I’ve never seen it and couldn’t find online) and I was scared to substitute
– I removed about two cups of liquid before adding in cream cheese to make it less soupy
It was hot enough with 4tsp of chili powder. 🙂
Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Dot!! Thanks for the tips… I’m sure they will be useful for other readers. 🙂
Great recipient! Is it possible to make this dairy free? I want that tang of cream cheese, but would love a way to use a dairy free alternative! Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Anne
Hi Anne! I haven’t tested one. I heard there’s vegan sour cream and cream cheese available, so maybe one of those options would work?
Can you use frozen chicken? If so what do you set the pressure cook to?
Hi! I think that should be fine. Give it an extra couple minutes and just make sure it’s fully cooked prior to serving.
Thank you!! We did frozen chicken for 12 minutes and it turned out as awesome as the thawed way.
Yay that’s great!
Made this last week and everyone is already begging me to make it, again. Really delicious! I’ll, definitely, double the recipe this time so we can have some leftover.
That’s awesome!! I am so happy to hear it! 🙂
Made this the other day and it was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. So flavorful and delicious. Tasted even better on day two when the flavors keep melding together. This will be my new go to recipe by far. Ate the soup with Naan bread, it was the perfect combination!
I am so happy to hear that, Brook! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment! 🙂
Do I set the timer for 8 minutes or 18? Not comfortable with my instantpot yet.
8 min ♥️
How can I reduce the “kick” in this for a kid friendly meal? My little ones are sensitive to heat. The chili powder or the chili’s??
Hi Stefanie, you could probably reduce both the chili powder and mild green chilies.
I love your recipes! My husband is doing a keto-ish diet and I’m thinking of subbing Lima beans. Have you done this with dried beans?
Thanks, Dana!! Hmmm… my only concern is that they may not be cooked unless you soak them first. Otherwise, I think it should work fine.
It worked out great! I used about a cup of Lima beans and added a few extra cups of water. Took out the chicken as the recipe noted and then pressure cooked the beans for another 20 min or so. I’m not very precise at measuring, but it was delicious! Thx!
That’s awesome!! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! I’ve made quite a few versions of white chicken chili, but this is my favorite. I followed this recipe but added a little less cream cheese (3.5 oz 1/3 reduced fat) and added thyme, parsley, celery salt, basil and coriander. I also added 1 tsp lime juice & cilantro before pressure cooking and a little extra chicken broth (I like mine a little soupier). It was SOOOO good. I didn’t feel like it needed sour cream or cheese toppings, I just added avocado and tortilla chips. Very much looking forward to leftovers later 😉
I am so pleased that you liked it, Brittney! 🙂 Thanks for the tips!