White Chicken Chili made quickly in the Instant Pot should be part of any busy week's arsenal. While very different from chicken tortilla soup, it's even further from traditional chili as we typically think of it. It's light but filling, spicy but not overbearing, and truly warms you up on a cold night.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
There's really only one difficult part of what's all involved in Instant Pot White Chicken Chili.
It's having the self-control of knowing when to stop eating it before your belly is so full it's uncomfortable. Because if you can't pinpoint that moment, I promise that discomfort won't stop you from doing it again once it subsides.
Ingredients
Chili Seasoning Mix: You'll need Chili Powder, Cumin, Mexican oregano, Coriander, Kosher Salt, White Pepper, and Cayenne. The mix provides a lot of flavor with a little spice and not too much red color.
Vegetables: You'll need fresh onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic while using canned cannelloni beans, tomatoes, and frozen corn.
Chicken: All this takes is two large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just like anything else, you can use whatever works best for you.
Stock/Broth: I always tend to use chicken stock instead of broth. I think it has more flavor. Now, regarding sodium levels, etc., you may want to opt for low-sodium chicken broth.
Extras: You'll also need freshly squeezed lime juice, cream cheese, and sour cream.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by dicing the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño, then turn the Instant Pot to sauté on high. Add the olive oil and allow it to heat up. Once the oil is heated, pour in the diced veggies and sauté for about 6-8 minutes or until they soften. Once the vegetables have softened and become aromatic, add your minced garlic, sautéing for about another 2-3 minutes.
Next, turn the Instant pot off and add the chili seasoning blend and a can of Rotel, stirring to combine fully.
Now that you have all that mixed up, add the beans, corn, and chicken stock. Stir a little bit more to get everything evenly distributed.
Lastly, press the two chicken breasts into the mixture, ensure half the breasts are covered, and then drop in the cubed cream cheese.
Place the lid in its locking position on your Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook, high, for 20 minutes. Once it's done cooking, allow for a 10-minute natural release, then turn the valve to a vent position.
As soon as all the pressure is released, you can safely remove the lid, shred the chicken right there in the pot using two forks, and stir in the sour cream.
There you have it...your Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is ready to be served!
Expert Tips
- If you prefer chicken thighs, that's perfectly fine. Frozen, raw, fresh. Use what you have or what makes the most sense for you.
- I like to have cilantro, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese when serving this dish. Other options might include sliced avocado, radishes, and your favorite hot sauce.
- If you prefer to make White Chicken Chili in the crockpot or any other slow cooker, follow the directions for sautéing the vegetables in a large skillet and transfer them to the Crockpot. Follow the remaining directions and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8; the results will be just as incredible.
Recipe FAQs
White chili is made of chicken, chicken stock, white beans, and an assortment of other vegetables, herbs, spices, and seasonings.
White chicken chili can be made thicker with a slurry of cornstarch and water. Flour can also be used if you prefer, but the slurry method will yield better results. Lastly, using a potato masher to mash the beans in the soup can also give it a thicker texture.
White chicken chili can be made less spicy using less cayenne, chili powder, and jalapeños. However, if the chili has already been made, adding sour cream to your white chicken chili can also reduce the overall spiciness.
No. Cannellini and Navy beans are not the same thing. Cannellini beans have a nutty flavor but are mild beans. They are the largest of the white bean family, and while becoming soft after cooking them, they hold their firmness, adding a great texture to dishes like white chicken chili.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
Ingredients
Chili Seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin - Ground
- 2 teaspoon Mexican Oregano - Dried
- 1 teaspoon Coriander - Ground
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon White Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
White Chicken Chili
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion - Diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper - Diced
- 2 Jalapeño - Diced
- 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
- Chili Seasoning from Above
- 1 ¾ Cups Chicken Stock
- 10 Oz Rotel - Canned
- 2 - 14.5 Oz Cannellini Beans - Canned - Drained and Rinsed
- 2 Cups Frozen Corn
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Juice of One Lime
- 8 Oz Cream Cheese - Cubed
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Begin by dicing the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté on high and add the olive oil allowing it to heat up.
- Add the veggies to the Instant Pot and sauté for about 6-8 minutes or until they've become aromatic and began to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for about another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the chili seasoning mix, chicken stock, and can of Rotel stirring to completely combine all ingredients.
- Next, add the beans and corn stirring to distribute evenly.
- Lastly, press the chicken breasts into the mixture being sure that about half the breasts are covered. Juice one lime over the top and scatter the cream cheese cubes over the top.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to pressure cook, high, for 20 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete allow for a 10 minute natural release then turn the valve to its vent position.
- Once all pressure is released, safely remove the lid, stir in the sour cream and serve!
Video
Notes
- If you prefer chicken thighs, that's perfectly fine. Frozen, raw, fresh. Use what you have or what makes the most sense for you.
- I like to have cilantro, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese when serving this dish. Other options might include sliced avocado, radishes, and your favorite hot sauce.
- If you prefer to make White Chicken Chili in the crockpot or any other slow cooker, follow the directions for sautéing the vegetables in a large skillet and transfer them to the Crockpot. Follow the remaining directions and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8; the results will be just as incredible.
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