Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is one of the best pressure cooker chicken recipes with juicy diced or shredded chicken in a spicy green chili broth with tender white beans and onion.
White Chicken Chili is my favorite soup recipe for cooler weather. And with a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, your chili tastes like it’s been simmering all day, but it cooks in just 5 minutes at High Pressure!
You can make this soup as spicy or as mild as you like, which means that this is a great recipe for families. I think your family will love it as much as mine, and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Update: I’ve updated this long-time favorite recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Chili with new tips and photos that make it even easier to pull together on a busy night.
Making White Chicken Chili in an Instant Pot
This White Chicken Chili recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
You can make this chili with raw or cooked chicken. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken. I like to make a big batch of Instant Pot Chicken over the weekend, shred or dice it, and store it in the freezer.
Tip: Before freezing, I usually divide the chicken into convenient 1-cup servings. Then I can reach for a container or two and pop it into the Instant Pot just before dinner.
The other option is to make Instant Pot chili with raw chicken. To do this, simply add diced chicken breasts or thighs to the cooking pot after you’ve sauteed the onions and garlic. Cook the chicken on the Sauté function until it’s no longer pink. Then proceed with the recipe as directed.
Dump and Go White Chicken Chili
If you’re short on time, you can skip the saute step to turn this recipe into an even faster dump-and-go recipe. Add everything to the pressure cooker and follow the cooking instructions as written.
Which Salsa Verde Brand Is Best?
The salsa verde brand you use can make a BIG difference in the level of spice in your chili. The Herdez brand is much spicier than the La Victoria and Pace brands. Use your favorite.
In a pinch, you can also use green taco sauce instead of salsa verde. However, this will give your chili a much smoother texture.
Five Best Instant Pot Chili Recipes
If you’re in the mood for chili after enjoying this easy White Chicken Chili, you’ll love these other quick and flavorful recipes:
- Beef and Bean Chili is thick, hearty, and satisfying, thanks to juicy pieces of beef and beans in a rich tomato sauce.
- Black Bean Quinoa Chicken Chili is a lighter recipe with juicy chicken, protein-packed quinoa and beans, and sweet potato for a bit of sweetness.
- Black Bean and Chicken Sausage Chili is full of flavor from smoky, spicy sausage.
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili from Tidbits is the perfect warming, hearty chili recipe for the spice lover.
- Instant Pot Frito Pie Chili from 365 Days of Slow Cooking transforms your favorite crunchy, salty snack food into a comforting bowl of meaty stew.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3 cups cooked or uncooked diced chicken
- 2 cans 14 oz, each chicken broth
- 1 jar 16 oz salsa verde
- 1 can 4 oz diced green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cans 15 oz, each cannellini beans or another white bean, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Select Sauté. When hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, cumin, red pepper flakes, and beans to the pressure cooking pot. Add the salsa verde and green chilies, but DO NOT STIR. Lock the lid in place, select High Pressure and 5 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Select Sauté and add the cornstarch mixture to the pot, stirring constantly, until chili thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Served topped with sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese.
Nutrition
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Liked that this was a fast chili that tasted like it had simmered for hours. ( I used homemade salsa verde about 10.5 ounces. It is a recipe from Skinny Taste.) Great way to use up some left over chicken.I I didn’t have as much chicken as recipe called for so I made some cauliflower rice for a low carb addition, to add to each bowl per as desired to help bulk it up a bit more. Could have just as easily added more beans but wanted to keep calorie count lower. The cornstarch helped make it thicken. Alternately maybe could add less chicken broth next time and skip the cornstarch, but it was very nice broth the way it is written here. Really liked the recipe and will make it again. Pressure cooker makes it so easy.
Glad it was a hit – thanks for sharing your tweaks Frances!
DELICIOUS!! I made this today on the stovetop since my pressure cooker is only a 4 Qt. size. The only thing I did differently was I added 1/2 a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen Roasted Corn since I had it on hand. After thickening with cornstarch, the chili is a nice, almost thick consistency, This recipe is a KEEPER!! 😀
Thanks Anne! Sounds like a great addition.
I want tos make a rump roast but not fall off the bone tender. I want to slice it. how long do I cook it . about 3-4 lbs. thanks
Hi Brunella – I would cook it similarly to this pork roast https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pork-sirloin-tip-roast-pressure-cooker/
What setting is the equivalent of simmer on the Instant Pot? I’m making this today – my first dish in the IP – and I have no idea which option to use for summer, since it is not on my Duo Plus.
Hi Amy – to simmer on the Instant Pot you use saute adjusted to low. So press the saute button until the light is above low. Enjoy!
Why the corn starch? Can potatoe flakes be substituted?
The cornstarch thickens the broth. I haven’t tried potato flakes, but others have used them in other recipes.
I am making this recipe in large roasters for a group of 64. Are there any suggestions you can give me to help make it a success?
Hi Paula – a great, easy choice for a crowd. Since all the ingredients except the onions are already cooked, I would saute the onions and garlic first then combined all the ingredients in the roasters and just heat it on a low heat 275° for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
If you only have dry beans (not canned) is there a way to adjust the recipe? Do I still have to soak the beans overnight? I am very new to pressure cooking, having just received an instant pot as a Christmas gift, so I am still learning a ton.
Hi Sue – you can use dry beans in this recipe if you do a quick soak. I explain the the quick soak in the notes in this recipe. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-baked-beans/ Make sure your beans are tender before adding them to the recipe. You can saute the beans after the soak if needed. Enjoy!
Do you have any suggestions on how to convert this to crock pot? Love my IP, but with working Full Time and a 3 year old, I need recipes that I can prep before we leave in the morning and are literally ready to eat when we walk in the door. Any advice appreciated. (Like i’m wondering about the corn starch step, would i wait and see if needs thickening or add with everything else.) TIA
Hi Leslie – I wouldn’t suggest cooking this recipe in the slow cooker all day. I think your chicken would be very overcooked. Could you make it the night before and just reheat in when you get home from work?
My son doesn’t care for tomatoes so this is just the meal for those cold weather days like we had today. I followed the recipe to the letter but used Bush’s white chili beans in chili sauce without the usual drain and rinse. Good hearty meal that warms you up on the in and outside.
Thanks for sharing
So glad you enjoyed it. Perfect for cold winter days. I like your change. I’ll have to look for those beans.
This chili looks wonderful. Just wondered what brand of salsa verde you use? I love the Trader Joes brand and think it would work great here. Thoughts?
Hi Paula – I think I just picked up a bottle of Herdez. I’ll have to try the Trader Joes brand. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Ok just wanted you to know I just made this and it is very tasty. Used the Trader Joes salsa verde (12 oz jar) and it has great flavor! I think the TJ’s brand is a little on the salty side so 12 oz seems just right as it is pretty flavor packed. Also thickened with half the cornstarch and a little less than 2 Tablespoons cornmeal. I love your recipes and use them often–thank you very much!!
Thanks for the update! So nice to hear you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂
This recipe is terrific on several counts; first and foremost, it’s delicious. Second, it’s healthy. Third, it’s easy to prepare. I think it would appeal to a wide variety of tastes since it’s not too spicy, but still interesting. Bravo! I’ve already had requests to make it for some special events.
Thanks Bruce! I’m a little bit jealous of the in Hawaii portion of your name 🙂
Have you tried making this with raw chicken? I never seem to have precooked chicken on hand…
Hi Alyssa – you could definitely use raw chicken. I’d just cut it in to small bite size pieces and not change the cook time at all. Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe….I followed it to the letter except I added 1/2 diced jalapeño. I think next time I will add 1 more cup of chicken and 1 more can of beans to make it less soupy and more like a chili.
This is soon ooh good. Every time I make it several people are asking for the recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks Sylvia for letting me know it’s become a favorite!
Barbara,
This is a GREAT recipe. So simple and the flavor was great. I only modified a little by adding some extra cumin and a larger can of green chiles. Served with Mexican Sour Cream and Oaxaca cheese. This recipe was a big hit with the whole family.
Thanks Aaron – so glad you loved it. Those sound like wonderful additions.
Barbara , My friend makes her own version of white chicken chili and I have to get her recipe and try it as well. I ‘ve been dying to makes this all month and I hope to do that this month. Also, your recipe here sounds wonderful too!
I loved it! My family did to
Is this a very hot soup? I’m thinking with the chilis, salsa verde & chilli flakes – it might be too much for me – I LOVE heat, but often have “burning mouth syndrome” so, I’m limited. What do you think?
Hi Joy – No the chili isn’t very hot. The salsa verde was mild and the chilies were mild green chilies. If you were worried about it you could leave out the green chilies and just use half of the salsa verde and chili flakes.
You know what you need to try next!
Pork Posole… a mexican pork and hominy stew,
with flavors your are already working with I know you can turn a 3 hour stew into a quick flavor rich meal.
Pork, onion, hominy, oreango…Maybe some green chilies and or tomatillos. I know this would work great in the pressure cooker.
Hi Becky – I actually have a pork shoulder in the fridge right now that I plan to cook tomorrow to make a Pork and Hominy Stew. Not quite Posole but close. Look for it next week. Thanks!
The calendar says October but today the outdoor thermometer is saying 82 degrees-whaaat? I know it’s short lived, so will be saving this recipe for the cool down that will be coming soon enough. I always seem to think red when I think chili-time to step outside that box and GO GREEN! That looks delicious. You have the prettiest dishes and bowls too…….I have dish envy!
Thanks Barbara-and you’re not the only one who needs a second freezer….I can’t believe how full ours is with just 2 people in the house. I’d be lost without it, that’s for sure.
I sort of think 82° is the perfect temperature. 🙂 Thanks for the compliment on the dishes. I picked up this cute little bowl at Kohls. Definitely need to go Green.
This soup is a go-to recipe for us, always a winner, winner chicken dinner! But wouldn’t you want to use the pressure cooker to make the beans? so much cheaper and less sodium too.
Hi Melissa – you’re right. It would be a great idea to make a big batch of beans, use what you need for this chili and then freeze the rest to use later. Just like I do with the chicken. I really need to get a second freezer.