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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

By Erin · January 9, 2021 · Updated February 27, 2023 · 91 Comments

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bowl of soup with chicken and a pressure cooker with cooked chicken thighs

Easy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is a creamy and delicious soup recipe that's both gluten free and dairy free. It's made with beans, corn, chicken, and plenty of spices, and then topped with cilantro, avocado and tortilla strips, making it incredibly filling, too.

bowl of soup topped with avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips

I think I've just found my new favorite soup! White chicken chili is creamy and delicious, and even easier when prepped in the Instant Pot!

I know I've said in the past that I don't love my Instant Pot, but I think that's changing. The more I use it, the more I like it! Plus, the Instant Pot makes the chicken in this recipe both juicy and tender -- I know you're going to love it.

Speaking of chicken, my instant pot whole chicken recipe is a game-changer, along with my instant pot vegetable soup and my instant pot Spanish rice -- it makes prep work and clean up a breeze. And, if you have leftover turkey, you should absolutely make this paleo/whole30 homemade turkey soup!

Recipe features

  • Loaded with plenty of chicken, and flavored with garlic, green chile's and tons of spices
  • Besides chicken it's filled with great northern beans, meaning this soup is filled with protein and will keep you full all day long
  • It can easily be made dairy-free, and the toppings are customizable, too!
ingredients in bowls on a table

Ingredient notes:

Beans - The recipe calls for great northern beans, but you could also sub navy beans or even chickpeas if you prefer. I recommend using canned beans; just make sure you drain and rinse them first.

Corn - I try to always have a bag of frozen corn in the refrigerator; that way, I can enjoy it any time of year and easily use it in recipes like this one.

Hatch green chiles - You can find these in the Mexican food aisle in either a 4 oz. can, or you might be able to find a larger jar of them. They're not spicy (I mean, maybe a little), but they give this soup plenty of flavor and are a key ingredient in white chicken chili.

Chicken - You can just chicken breast, thighs or a combination of both, just make sure to use boneless + skinless.

Cream cheese - I only tested this recipe using dairy-free cream cheese, but I know regular cream cheese will work. I used Kite Hill brand the first time and Daiya the second, and both were delicious.

Lime juice - Optional. Make sure to add it as a "topping" once the soup is done, rather than adding to the Instant Pot with the other soup ingredients. And the "2 tbsp" measurement is a TOTAL, so divide the soup into bowls, then add a squirt of lime juice to each one.

Method

Like most Instant Pot recipes, this one is incredibly easy. But, let's walk through how to make it!

First: Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot in the following order:

  • Beans
  • Corn
  • Onion/garlic/chiles/spices
  • Chicken
  • Cream cheese
  • Chicken broth
pressure cooker filled with corn and chicken thighs

Second: Close the lid and make sure the valve on top is in the "seal" position. Pressure cook for 15 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, manually release the remaining pressure.

cooked chicken in broth in a pressure cooker

Third: Remove the chicken, place it on a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. At this point, you should also stir the chili so that the rest of the cream cheese melts (if it hasn't already).

Fourth: Add the shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot and stir everything together. Divide into bowls, add optional toppings and dig in!

cooked shredded chicken, corn and broth in a pressure cooker

Tips and tricks

-Make sure to add the cream cheese in chunks, (rather than just throwing the whole block in), which will allow it to melt better.

-Drizzle lime juice on top of the soup once it's been cooked; don't add it into the pressure cooker.

How should leftovers be stored?

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

NOTE: the beans WILL absorb a good bit of the broth in the refrigerator. So, when you go to reheat the soup, I recommend doing so over the stove, and also adding more broth (the amount you need will vary depending on how much soup you're heating up).

Can this be made in the Crockpot?

Yup! Follow the exact steps, but throw everything into your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

close up of a bowl of soup with shredded chicken, avocado slices and tortilla strips

More soup recipes

  • Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Vegan Tortilla Soup
  • Vegetable Quinoa Soup

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

bowl of soup topped with avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Easy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is a creamy and delicious soup recipe that's both gluten free and dairy free. It's made with beans, corn, chicken, and plenty of spices, and then topped with cilantro, avocado and tortilla strips, making it incredibly filling, too.
4.87 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 30 oz. great northern beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • ½ cup yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 oz. hatch green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
  • ½ cup plain cream cheese regular or dairy-free
  • 1 ¼ cup chicken broth

toppings:

  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Add the beans to your Instant Pot, then add the corn on top of them. Next, add the onion, garlic, green chilies, and spices, then lay the chicken on top of those. Add the cream cheese in small chunks (about 5-6 chunks), then pour the chicken broth on top.
  • Close the lid, making sure the valve on top is in the "seal" position. Pressure cook for 15 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes before manually releasing. NOTE: the Instant Pot takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
  • Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board, then use two forks to shred it. Meanwhile, give the soup a good stir, making sure the cream cheese has completely melted. Then, add the chicken back into the Instant Pot and stir everything together.
  • Add the optional toppings and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation 
*Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. NOTE: when you reheat the soup, you'll have to add extra broth, because most of it will get absorbed by the beans in the refrigerator. Reheat soup in a saucepan over the stove with extra broth until it's warmed to your liking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 1114mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 399IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shelbie says

    March 26, 2023 at 2:56 pm

    Do you have to double the cook time to double the recipe?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 26, 2023 at 4:35 pm

      Nope!

      Reply
  2. Susan says

    March 20, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious!! Great flavor and very easy to make!! Made grilled cheeses to go along with it! Perfect Soup and Sammy kind of meal!!

    Reply
  3. Lucinda says

    February 13, 2023 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Very good!! Yum

    Reply
  4. Ray says

    January 26, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    Do the beans have to be cooked? Or you can just rent the dry beans and place those in there?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      January 26, 2023 at 4:53 pm

      They have to be cooked! Otherwise, the beans will take much longer to cook than the chicken, so the cook time won't be correct.

      Reply
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