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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.
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It’s a tradition to have chili on Halloween night before we walk the kids/grand kids around. I am not eating red meat so I turned to my favorite salt and lavender recipes. I tweeted it by accident and added a can of diced roasted tomatoes to it and made a little corn starch slurry to thicken it up after but it turned out yummy. Now to take it to the party and see how it goes!!
Awesome!! Hope it goes well, Pam!! 😀
This chili was delicious and a real hit with my family. I added potatoes and carrots. Loved it.
I’m thrilled to hear that!!
Good recipe. But any hot recipe like this I can never get my chucks of cream cheese to melt completely. I try making them small and flat but still doesn’t work! Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
I like to microwave it for about 30 seconds or so so it’s super soft.
I was craving white chicken chili the other day and this recipe really hits the spot in so many ways. It’s flavorful, super easy to make, hearty and cozy, but also zingy which a lot of chili recipes lack. I’ve been making it since 2020 during quarantine when we were all craving comfort, and everyone who I’ve served it to raves about it. It also somehow tastes even better the next day?! I add lots of lime, and sliced green onions on top. My fiancé likes hot sauce added. It doesn’t need any subs though, it’s really the best I’ve come across!
I’m so glad it’s a favorite!! 😀 Thanks for your detailed review, Lil!
This is my husbands absolute favorite thing ever. I do one can of hot chilies, one mild. Add a splash of green salsa and about 1/3 of a Mexican lager as a portion of the liquid. Sometimes even add in a fresh jalapeño. I’ve made this countless times and it never ever gets old. And it’s even better the next day if you can stop yourself from eating it all the first night! 10/10!!!
Aw that makes us so happy to hear, Arianna! Thank you so much for your review!
This is the first time to make this. I have been wanting to make white chili and ran into your recipe. Thank you for this. Janet
You’re very welcome! 🙂
This white chicken chili is everything you hope it will be. It is tangy, zesty, and creamy! It is so delicious. I doubled the batch because I couldn’t get enough of it last time I made it. My husband, toddler, and I all licked our bowls (don’t worry, we were at home!) like animals. Absolutely a recipe going into our dinner arsenal!
Aww thank you!! I’m so pleased it’s a hit with your family. Appreciate your review! 😀
I meant to say beans lol
Hi! I’m so looking forward to making this chili for an event I’m having, but I need to have at least 36 servings and I read serving size is 4-6. I know I have to use 6 pounds of chicken, but I’m concerned with the longer cook time that the means will get mushy. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.
Hi! I would cook it in batches. That’s a lot of servings. I think you could easily double it with the same cook time (that’s what IP recommends when doubling most recipes), but you’re right that more than that could potentially impact the recipe results. I do have a stove top version of this recipe (it’s linked in the blog post), so if you do have a LARGE pot (like commercial kitchen size) and want to do it in one go, you may want to opt for that method.
My favorite white chicken chili recipe. I have made it in the instapot and on the stove. Yum!!
Yay!! That’s great to hear!! Thanks, Diane. 🙂