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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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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.
More soup recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
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
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Then, add the garlic and spices and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the beans, corn and chicken, then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and can easily be shred with a fork.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred it. Then, add in the cream cheese and whisk until it's mostly melted. Add the chicken back in, stir and enjoy with your toppings of choice!
Erin says
This recipe was super easy and really tasty, I made it dairy free by substituting the cream cheese for coconut milk and I still think it turned out great. I also wasnt sure if she used frozen or thawed chicken, but I used frozen tenderloins and put it in the instapot for 35 minutes, just to make sure they were cooked through and they were.
Erin says
Awesome -- thanks for the tip on using frozen chicken. I'm so glad you liked the recipe!
Sandra says
Is there a substitute for corn?
Erin says
You can just omit it!
Liz says
I thought this was such a good & refreshing recipe with the addition of the lime juice, Cilantro, & avocado slices. Thank you for sharing ☺️
Erin says
Thanks Liz, happy you enjoyed it!
Alicia says
How is this dairy free? The recipe calls for cream cheese 🤦🏻♀️
Erin says
The recipe says "cream cheese, regular or dairy-free" -- to make it dairy free, simply use dairy-free cream cheese (I like Kite Hill or Miyoko's brand).
Sarah says
A little bland for me everything else was perfect!!
alex says
So good, really good! My husband who strongly dislikes beans even loved it. I'm new to instant pot, but this was super easy to follow. Great recipe!
Erin says
Thanks for this positive review -- happy to hear you both enjoyed the chili!
Brenda Kreul says
This recipe is so easy and my whole family loved it!! I would recommend 100%!
Erin says
I'm so happy you all enjoyed it!
M says
This is DELICIOUS! I recently found out I was sensitive to dairy and had yet to find a recipe I liked. My mom made this for me and I like it better than my regular white chicken chili recipe. We accidentally bought the everything bagel DF cream cheese but decided to try it anyway. I think I will "accidentally" buy that again because it was so good. This recipe will be added to my rotation!
Erin says
Thank you for this kind comment -- so glad you found a white chicken chili recipe you can enjoy!
Natasha says
Can you make this with ground chicken or ground Turkey? Do you cook first or add in raw? Thank you
Erin says
I think that should work! I’d add it in raw and follow the recipe instructions. Let me know how it turns out!
Jeannette says
This was sooooooo good! I used salsa verde instead of the spices you wrote and used black beans instead (regular size). Thank you for the recipe and, as a first time instant pot person, thank you for your easy to follow step by step instructions. Looking forward to seeing more recipes by you! 😊
Erin says
Thanks for this positive review -- I'm so happy you liked the chili, and love that you used salsa verde and it worked well!
Cassie says
Hi! I have a couple of questions below:
1. Do you set you pressure cooker on low pressure, or high pressure?
2. Do you use canned or dried beans?
Erin says
1. high pressure 2. canned! Make sure you drain the liquid out of the can first though. I hope this helps!
Crystal says
I didn't realize it was supposed to be canned beans (maybe add that to the ingredient l!) so I have dried. What youthink the cook time would change to? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi! I'm honestly not sure because I've never made it with dried beans (sorry!) -- personally, I'd cook the beans first, then add them to the IP with the other recipe ingredients.
Rhonda says
Can you use frozen chicken
Erin says
yes you'll just have to cook it for a bit longer -- try 20 minutes. let me know how it turns out!
Kayla says
Would it be ok to use frozen chicken breasts for this recipe?
Erin says
Yes but I'd cook it for a few extra minutes -- maybe set the pressure cook time to 20 minutes just to be safe.
Pooja says
Hi! Do you know the approximate serving size?
Erin says
The whole recipe makes approx. 6 servings
Allison says
Does that mean 1 cup for serving?
Erin says
Approximately, yes
Cassie says
This was soooooo good!! Will make again, and again, and again!
Erin says
Thanks Cassie -- glad you enjoyed it!
Elizabeth says
Looks delicious!! Do you think this would freeze well?
Erin says
I think so! Wait for it to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Megan says
Holy F! This recipe was amazing! Did it in the crockpot on low for 6h, and used a normal size can of beans instead of 30oz. It came out perfectly! The lime and cilantro on top makes it! I had it with honey cornbread. My family was saying mmmmmmm the whole time while eating this chili. I love that you can use vegan almond cream cheese, lactose free, or regular! I immediately sent this recipe to everyone after we cleaned up. Thank you Erin. Def adding this into my list of staple recipes. I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow.
Erin says
BEST COMMENT EVER -- I'm so happy you enjoyed it and I appreciate you forwarding the recipe 🙂
Caroline close says
My daughter doesn’t like even the least bit of spice although I do! Do you think green chili’s could be mixed in after the fact?
Erin says
Yes I think that'd be fine!
Amanda W. says
Excellent quick easy recipe! I was a little concerned about it being too spicy for the kids but it was perfect - full of flavor but not overpowering. Will definitely be making this again!
Erin says
That's great to hear -- thanks Amanda!
Sabrina says
great chili! I love all kinds, chicken, beef, red, white, etc, etc, because I love the ingredients in all of them and the flavor that comes from all of them together
Allison says
Looks delicious! Do you think this could be made in a slow cooker? If so, How would you adapt it? Thanks!
Erin says
Yep! Follow the same instructions but put everything into your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.
Allison says
Can't wait to try it. Thank you!