An easy white chicken chili Instant Pot recipe that has a special trick to add creaminess without tons of added fat. Using ground chicken, it’s loaded with veggies for a soup that’s packed with nutrients and protein! Included are directions for making the soup on the stovetop as well!
If you’ve been looking for the perfect white chicken chili recipe, look no further cause I’ve gotcha covered. The whole family loves this recipe because it’s got a smooth and mild flavor, creamy broth and simple minimal ingredients even my picky eaters don’t grimace at. We love to make it our own by sprinkling on our favorite toppings, and clean up is a breeze!
Read on for how to make this good ol’ fashioned white bean chicken chili. And take a peak at some other soup recipe favorites, including vegetarian chili and beef and potato soup!
“First time making white bean chili and my family loved it . They preferred it over the regular chili.”
– Debbie, from Pinterest
Jump to:
- Why this Instant Pot Chicken Chili works
- Ingredients for instant pot white chicken chili
- How to make White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot)
- Ground Chicken Chili variations
- Want a FREE Protein Guide?
- How to serve this Chicken Chili Instant Pot recipe
- Storing leftover Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- I’d love to hear!
- More high protein soup inspiration
- More Favorites from Howe We Live
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
Why this Instant Pot Chicken Chili works
- Great flavor and a variety of yummy textures; between the crunchy corn, creamy white beans, and ground chicken, it’s a flavor party for the senses!
- Super easy prep and clean up. I use ground chicken (or turkey) instead of chicken breasts to make this dish even easier. No shredding chicken, just pop in the ground meat and you’re good to go. And because it’s all made in one pot, clean up is a breeze.
- Well balanced healthy meal. You hit all the important macro nutrients with this dish; lean protein, fiber filled carbs, and just a bit of healthy fat for a tasty and nutritious dinner that will be a new family favorite!
- No cream cheese! Many white chicken chili recipes call for cream cheese, but in this recipe we use sour cream and a neat trick with the beans to create creaminess without tons of added fat.
Ingredients for instant pot white chicken chili
- Ground chicken or ground turkey – I used ground poultry here instead of the typical skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs because I didn’t want to mess with shredding. Also, I personally find it hit and miss cooking chicken perfectly in the instant pot. Sometimes it turns out too dry and tough.
- Poblano peppers and canned green chilis – a mix of both adds flavor and texture, but feel free to use all one or the other depending on what is available.
- Sweet corn – either frozen corn or fresh corn works. I used cooked corn on the cob because I had leftovers from a bbq, but frozen works just as well.
- White beans – feel free to use either cannellini beans or great northern beans. Make sure they are rinsed and drained.
- Diced yellow onions and diced garlic – gotta pack this white chili with tons of flavor!
- Herbs and spices – cumin, oregano, a touch of cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper
- Chicken stock and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) – to make a creamy and flavorful broth
- Favorite toppings – whether it’s a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips or shredded cheddar cheese, offer a variety of toppings so the whole family can have fun dressing up their easy white chicken chili.
How to make White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot)
Putting together this instant pot white chicken chili is so simple, it will free up your time to do other important things! Like catching up on a good book or helping a kiddo with homework.
Begin by setting the instant pot on the sauté function, and add about 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the ground chicken or turkey till brown on all sides, about 7-9 minutes. Make sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper to heighten its flavor. Don’t worry about it being thoroughly cooked through. Press cancel, transfer chicken to a plate or bowl, and drain out the inner pot.
Saute the ground chicken
Set the instant pot on the sauté function, and add about 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground chicken along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté the ground chicken or turkey till brown on all sides, about 7-9 minutes. No need for it to be cooked thoroughly. Press cancel, transfer chicken to a plate or bowl, and drain out the inner pot.
Add 1 can of Beans
Add 1 can of the drained beans to the inner pot, and with a potato masher or wooden spoon, smash up till mostly smooth. This is the cool trick that will help thicken the broth and make it a bit creamier, without having to add a ton of extra sour cream or cream cheese.
Add veggies & beans
Add all the veggie ingredients including 2 more cans of beans, onions, corn, peppers and dried herbs & spices. Pour in chicken broth to the instant pot pressure cooker.
Add chicken & cook
Lastly, add in the cooked chicken, and give it all a good stir. Close the lid and make sure it’s set to seal, and cook on manual mode high pressure, for 12 minutes. Allow for a natural release for about 10 minutes, then vent any remaining pressure and open lid.
Stir in sour cream
When the lid of the Instant Pot has been removed after the 10 minute natural release, vigorously stir in sour cream or Greek yogurt, and serve immediately. Garnish
Ground Chicken Chili variations
Stovetop Directions:
Follow all the directions as above, but just cook on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or stock pot, and cook on medium low heat for about 30-45 minutes.
Slow Cooker Directions:
Sauté meat on the stove top, then add all ingredients to the crock pot, minus the sour cream, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
How to make White Chicken Chili with Shredded Chicken
Simply season and sauté the chicken breasts till golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pot, allow to cool to handle, then shred and follow remaining directions. To decrease cook time, I recommend using smaller breasts that aren’t super thick. The Instant Pot sauté function doesn’t work as well as a stove top, so it will take quite a while to cook through a very thick breast.
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How to serve this Chicken Chili Instant Pot recipe
As with any type of chili, toppings are a must! Here are a few of my favorite toppings:
- Light sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Jalapeno slices and fresh cilantro
- Fresh avocado slices and lime wedges
And if you’d like a nice salad with your hearty soup, try our nourishing fiesta salad.
Storing leftover Instant Pot Chicken Chili
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and reheat on the stovetop or microwave till warmed through.
All varieties of chili are also a dish that freezes and stores very well. Store in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3-4 months without any loss in flavor.
Before freezing, make sure to cool completely and then portion out into single serve or bulk servings. We recommend using freezer bags, making sure to remove any excess air. Make sure to label with the date to ensure freshness.
Thaw the chili in the refrigerator overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a slow cooker.
I hope you love this recipe! Please check out my other Instant Pot recipes via this link, and if you ever make one of my recipes and enjoy it, please consider leaving a rating and review. They make all the difference and I read every one! Thanks so much and happy cooking!
Did you try this recipe?
I’d love to hear!
If you gave this recipe a try, I’d love your feedback! Any tips or recipe additions you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it! Let’s connect down in the comments below.
More high protein soup inspiration
More Favorites from Howe We Live
Instant Pot Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cans great northern beans or cannellini beans; drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1 cup onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 poblano pepper can use 2 if you wish, cut into large chunks
- 1 can green chilis
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Toppings
Instructions
- Begin by setting the instant pot on the sauté function, and add about 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the ground chicken or turkey till brown on all sides, about 7-9 minutes. Make sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper to heighten its flavor. Press cancel, transfer chicken to a plate or bowl, and drain out the inner pot.1 lb ground turkey or chicken, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add 1 can of the drained beans to the inner pot, and smash up till mostly smooth. Using a potato masher here makes it quick and easy.
- Now add all remaining ingredients (minus the sour cream) including the 2 remaining cans of beans. Pour in chicken broth to the instant pot pressure cooker, then add in the cooked chicken, and give it all a good stir.3 cups chicken broth, 2 cups corn kernels, 1 cup onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 poblano pepper, 1 can green chilis, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- Close the lid and make sure it’s set to seal, and cook on manual mode high pressure, for 12 minutes.
- Allow for a natural release for about 10-12 minutes, then vent any remaining pressure and open lid.
- Vigorously stir in sour cream or Greek yogurt, and serve.1 cup Greek yogurt
Charles N says
I had posted this question once before, but it doesn’t seem to have made it to the comments section, so I wanted to try again. I hope you can respond! The ingredients list calls for 3 cans of beans. But in the step-by-step instructions with photos, Step 2 calls for mashing one can of beans, while Step 3 calls for adding one more can, but that’s it–no mention of the third can. Then in the text instructions that follow later, #2 calls again for mashing one can of beans, while #3 calls for adding all remaining ingredients, but beans aren’t on the list of what’s to be added. Could you please clarify how many cans of beans get added and when? Thank you!
Andrea Howe says
Hi Charles,
thanks so much for alerting me of this typo – in the step by step photos it should definitely say add 2 more cans of beans, not 1 cans of beans. So 3 cans in total – 1 that you mash first, then 2 more cans that you add whole. I will make that fix right now. Thanks again for letting me know!
Janie says
I shared this on my blog a few days ago (talking about the benefits of fiber). Hope it brings you some followers! Awesome recipe! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576242834310
Andrea Howe says
Thank you so much for sharing Janie! I really appreciate it 🙂
Elena says
Just made it – no corn, so used peas; no poblano, so used a bell pepper. It was very good – spices were just right – wait I used 1/2 the oregano – as I am not a big fan. But so often chilis are flat – this one was really delicious! Thanks !
Laurel g says
I’m excited to try this! Do you think unflavored non-dairy yogurt will work as a substitute for the sour cream? (we’re all lactose-intolerant).
Andrea Howe says
yes, it absolutely would work! It may not result in as “creamy” of a texture but it will still do the trick and add extra protein/reduce calories a bit
Erin says
We love this recipe! The flavor is great and it’s so quick for a weeknight meal.