Description
This Easy White Chicken Chili recipe is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. Featuring tender chicken breasts cooked in an Instant Pot with white beans, sweet corn, green chilies, and a blend of spices, this chili is creamy and delicious thanks to the addition of cream cheese. Garnish with shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado for a complete meal that’s both hearty and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Base
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 4-ounce can green chilies
- 3 (15-ounce) cans navy beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces frozen sweet corn
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Protein
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
Creamy Addition
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
Garnishes
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Avocado
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, heat olive oil and sauté the diced red onion and red bell pepper until they are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add ingredients: Place the chicken breasts into the Instant Pot along with the green chilies, drained beans, frozen corn, oregano, salt, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and chicken broth. Do not stir the mixture.
- Pressure cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to “sealing.” Select the high-pressure cooking mode and cook for 15 minutes. After cooking, allow a 15-minute natural pressure release followed by releasing any remaining pressure manually.
- Shred chicken and add cream cheese: Press the “cancel” button to stop the cooking process. Turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until completely melted and incorporated. Remove chicken breasts, shred them using two forks, then stir the shredded chicken back into the chili mixture.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and sliced avocado as desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breasts for a juicier chili.
- For a spicier chili, add more cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeños.
- If you prefer a thicker chili, mash some of the beans before adding the chicken back to the pot.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, omit cream cheese or use a dairy-free cream cheese alternative and skip the shredded cheese garnish.
