Instant Pot White Chicken Chili | EASY Comfort Food

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili turns an old-time favorite into an easy, weeknight, comfort food meal.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili overhead in bowls

I think of Fall, cool weather, football, and Halloween when I dig my spoon into a bowl of chunky, creamy, satisfying white chicken chili. And for good reason! I actually made it for 400 people at one of my sister’s Halloween parties!

Instant Pot White Chicken chili in bowls overhead

But boy do I wish I had my pressure cooker back then. It would have made my life a whole lot easier! But now you can have this classic comfort food with almost no effort thanks to Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.

Also thanks to the Instant Pot, this recipe is about as close to a “dump and go” recipe as you can get. And it’s pretty much foolproof.

How to Make Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Press the saute function to heat up the pot and saute shallots, jalapeños and garlic. Add classic chili spices – cumin, coriander, and chili powder to veggie mixture. Pour in broth, chicken, cannellini beans, diced green chilies, corn, and salt and pepper. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes then release the pressure. Remove chicken and shred. Return shredded chicken back to the pot and turn the pot onto saute. Add cream and slurry to thicken. Simmer 2 minutes. Serve hot, topped with sour cream and cheese. (See full recipe below.)

Pouring cream into Instant Pot White Chicken chili

Can I use pre-cooked chicken for white chicken chili?

Yes! If you already have pre-cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken, just follow the recipe as is, but reduce the pressure cooking time by 5 minutes. I love to make a huge batch of this pressure cooker shredded chicken and use it in all kinds of recipes.

Watch me make it on my YouTube Cooking Show here!

What is the best kind of bean to use for Instant Pot White Chicken Chili?

My favorite bean for this dish is cannellini beans because they are large and meaty. I’ve also used great northern and navy. Here’s a great article on types of beans that can be used in white chicken chili. This white chicken chili recipe calls for canned, but I actually prefer to make a batch of beans from scratch using my pressure cooker. Then use the cooked beans instead of caned. It’s awesome!

How do you make white chili thicker?

There are several ways to make white chili thicker, but the easiest it to add a slurry at the end and simmer for 2 minutes.

A slurry is a mixture of even parts corn starch and water that is added to the Instant Pot White Chicken Chili after the cooking cycle, then simmered until thickened. You can also use flour or potato flakes in place of the corn starch.

White Chicken Chili overhead in Instant Pot

Give this one a shot! I think this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili will quickly become a quick and easy weeknight meal that you will put in your permanent dinner rotation.

And if you’re looking for more Instant Pot Recipes, try these:

Equipment used in this recipe:

P.S. I have learned over time that it really pays to get high-quality meats. I use the free-range chicken from Butcher Box in this recipe. I love all their meats! It’s worth trying out to see if you like it better.

White Chicken Chili vertial in bowls

P.P.S This post may contain affiliate links for certain products. This means I will get a very small percentage of the sale if you purchase the time through this link, but you will never be charged more. Thank you for supporting The Spicy Apron!

Instant Pot White Chicken chili in bowls overhead

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Passive Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 large Shallots, minced
  • 2 Jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave seeds in for more heat)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1-2 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 2 cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 4 ounce cans Diced Green Chiles
  • 1 can white corn, drained
  • 1/2 tablespoon Lime Juice
  • 3 tablespoons slurry, 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 bunch cliantro, chopped for garnish
  • 1 cup sour cream, dollop for topping
  • 1 Jalapeno, sliced for topping, optional
  • 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, for topping

Instructions

  1. Turn pressure cooker onto saute and let pot get hot. Add butter, shallots, jalapenos, and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes then add cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Saute for one more minute.
  2. Add broth and mix well. Add beans, chiles and corn and stir. Season chicken with salt and pepper then add to the chicken broth mixture in pot. Secure lid, ensuring the valve is turned toward sealing and pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.
  3. When pressure cooking cycle is complete, turn the valve to venting to release pressure. Open lid and remove chicken to a separate plate using tongs. Shred chicken with two forks and place shredded chicken back into pot.
  4. Turn the pot to saute and bring to a simmer. Add slurry, stir well and bring back to a simmer until thick. Turn off saute function, add cream and stir until well combined. Serve in bowls and top with desired toppings.

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2 Comments

  1. Paul Heaton says:

    calories per serving on your recipes would be very nice…

    1. Yes! I actually just signed up to have that added to the blog so you should start seeing that soon! Thanks for your comment!