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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!
Dustin says
This was really tasty. I added fire roasted chiles and an extra oz or 2 of them. Also replaced cream cheese with hummus. Thanks for the recipe!
Dee says
Can you freeze this? There are only two of us but I think it would make a great lunch.
Erin says
Yep! I'd wait to add the cream cheese though.. so cook it as normal without cream cheese, then wait for it to cool and freeze it. Then, when you're reheating it over the stove, stir in the cream cheese.
Katy Ladwig says
Hi, the written directions say pressure cook 20 minutes but the summary recipe says 15. Which should we follow? Thanks!
Erin says
Apologies for the confusion! 15 minutes is correct 🙂
Ann says
Love this! So easy. The only change I made was using hot Hatch Chile salsa- made it nice and spicy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Erin says
Thanks so much for the positive review -- I'm glad you liked the chili!
Vicki says
Loved this recipe! First time I made it we felt it needed spice, so just put a bunch of sriracha on it as it was served. Also first time, I doubled the onion and garlic because I'm a garlic girl. This time around I'll be adding about 1/2tsp cayanne pepper, and sweating the onions and garlic first.
Also I'll be freezing a few portions to see how they turn out (even though there's cream cheese involved) 😀
Thanks for this recipe!
Erin says
Love the modifications -- I'm glad you enjoyed the chili!
Jessie says
I just made this using Treeline Cashew Cream Cheese and it worked really well. I think next time I will add more chili powder. Have you tried freezing the leftovers?
Erin says
Great question! Generally speaking, this isn't the best soup to freeze because of the cream cheese. If you want to make this then freeze it, I'd wait to add the cream cheese until you're ready to heat it (when it's reheating), OR simply know that the texture of the chili will be slightly different. Hope this helps!
Lauren Coronado says
So good and so extremely easy!!! I had a hard time getting the dairy free cream cheese to blend so I used a potato masher in the end. Will try a different brand of DF cream cheese next time? (I used Kite Hill for reference)
Jamie says
Hi! What serving size are the nutrition facts based on?
Erin says
Hi! The recipe makes approximately 6 servings, and the nutrition info is per serving. Hope this helps!
Katie says
Would this recipe be the same in a 8qt instant pot?
Erin says
The cook time should be the same, but you'll want to add more liquid, ie chicken broth, to the pot so everything cooks properly. Increase the broth to 2 cups and I think that should do the trick.
Jen says
Can I use frozen chicken?
Erin says
Yes! You may just need to pressure cook for a few additional minutes.
Karen says
I’ve made other white chili recipes but this was the first in my Instapot. So easy and delicious. Made it as stated except corn (can’t have corn but I know it would’ve been a great addition). Thank you, this will be a regular addition.
Erin says
I really appreciate the comment and review, and I'm happy to hear this will be a regular in your household!
Sarah says
I've been loving this dinner! Great filling dinner while being dairy free! I love that I only have to use dairy free cream cheese and it's amazing. I've made this recipe many times in the crockpot since it's so easy and will continue to make this! Thanks!
Erin says
I'm so glad this has become a favorite, and I truly appreciate the 5-star rating!
Heather says
I made This on the stove top and it was delicious! I will Be making it weekly.
Erin says
I'm glad you liked it so much -- thanks for the review!
Rebecca says
Hi Erin,
Would you mind telling the kind of Instant Pot you use?
Erin says
Hi yes! I have the 6 qt Instant Pot brand pressure cooker.
Kaitlyn Leister says
Loved it so much we made it twice in the span of 2 weeks! Super easy and delicious recipe. Only added a bit of cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit
Erin says
I'm so glad this has become a favorite!
Brianna Torgler says
Will the cook times be the same or different if doubled?
Erin says
they should be the same I believe!
Missy says
I tried this tonight for the first time and it was delish. Thanks Erin
Erin says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Hannah says
Hello, I make this almost every week for my husband and family, but we are having extra family come visit, so I'm wondering if I could double the recipe and it would still work?
Erin says
GREAT question -- I've never doubled an Instant Pot recipe, but it sounds like it's doable. I found this article to be helpful: https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-doubling-instant-pot-recipes-23089108 -- basically, you can double the ingredients as long as they don't surpass the MAX fill line in the inside of your Instant Pot, but you should keep the cook time the same. I hope this helps!
Vinetta says
Hello!
Trying this for the first time today and I have the 8q instant pot should I pressure cook on high pressure or low pressure?
Erin says
high!
Misty says
How would I prepare on stove top? Thanks!
Erin says
I would saute the onions with some olive oil, then add in all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cream cheese to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Then, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until the chicken is cooked, 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken, stir in the cream cheese (make sure to cut it in small chunks so it melts), then shred the chicken and add it back to the pot. Hope this helps!
Cristen says
If I was to use cooked rotisserie chicken how would i prepare this dish?
Erin says
If you're using cooked chicken, wait to add the chicken in until the rest of the chili is done.