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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili with white beans and corn is a quick and easy dinner that’s creamy, comforting and delicious! This recipe uses no cream cheese — just sour cream!

bowl of instant pot white chicken chili with white beans, corn and cheese and cilantro

If you want something different from your usual tomato beef chili recipe, you’ll love this creamy white chicken chili. It’s one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes out there, and it’s simple, delicious comfort food! Plus, you can never have too many easy chicken recipes, right?!

This white bean chili recipe is made with chicken breasts, white beans, chicken broth, corn, chiles and spices. It gets its creaminess from a touch of sour cream — no cream cheese. It’s lighter than most recipes for white chicken chili — but still crazy good!

I’ve made this pressure cooker chicken chili with and without corn, using either spicy or mild chiles, and either cannellini or great northern beans. It’s an extremely versatile chili recipe, and it’s super easy to customize.

You can even make it a dump and start recipe or saute the onions, chiles and corn first. And you know what? This Instant Pot white chicken chili is perfect every time!

How to Make Creamy White Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot

Like I said, you can spend time cooking the onions, corn and green chiles on the saute mode to deepen the flavor, but you don’t have to. For dump and start chicken chili, add your onions and chicken breasts to the inner Instant Pot.

Next, season the chicken with a mixture of sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and smoked paprika. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you could easily sub in chili powder.

seasoned chicken breasts and onions in the instant pot pressure cooker

You can also sub taco seasoning for the individual spices. And, to make it even easier, skip the chopped onions!

Then, just add your drained and rinsed green chiles, corn, white beans to the pot. Finally, pour in 2 cups of chicken broth, and you’re ready to pressure cook the chili!

white beans, corn and green chile peppers oven chicken in the instant pot pressure cooker

After cooking the chicken chili, take the chicken breasts out of the Instant Pot, and shred or slice them thinly. Usually, I love using my hand mixer to shred chicken, but that would turn the chili to mush — no bueno!

Finally, stir in some sour cream. You can use cream cheese for a richer chicken chili, but I really thought the sour cream was just enough.

How to Thicken Chili

  • Use the SAUTE setting to simmer reduce the liquid
  • Mash the beans lightly when you add the shredded chicken in
  • Stir in extra sour cream or use cream cheese
  • Make a cornstarch slurry and add it in after pressure cooking
chicken chili with white beans on a ladle in the instant pot

My family is crazy about this easy white chicken chili! Even my picky eaters loved it — major win for this mama!

Add Toppings

  • Shredded cheese — Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Cheddar blend
  • Diced avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped Bacon
Instant Pot white chicken chili with white beans, corn and cheese in a white bowl with cilantro

How to Make with Frozen Chicken

To make chicken chili with frozen chicken, leave the beans out while pressure cooking. Place everything else except sour cream in the pot.

Cook the chicken for 15 minutes for thinner pieces and 20 minutes for larger, thicker chicken. Add the beans while you shred the chicken. Then, add the sour cream and chicken back into the pot.

bowl of instant pot white chicken chili with white beans, corn and cheese and cilantro

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Published by Dee
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili with white beans and corn is a quick and easy dinner that's creamy, comforting and delicious! This recipe uses no cream cheese — just sour cream!
5 from 18 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
pressure time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless about 2 pounds
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 10-ounce can white shoepeg corn or 15-ounce can of white corn rinsed and drained
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles 1 small can
  • 2 15-ounce cans white beans cannellini or great northern, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups chicken broth low sodium or homemade
  • ½ cup sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Add the chopped onion and chicken breasts to the Instant Pot
  • Season with sea salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin and pepper
  • Add the corn, green chiles and white beans, then pour in the chicken broth
  • Cover, make sure vent knob is set to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes
  • Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, then begin counting down and cook for 10 minutes. When pot beeps, allow a 10 minute natural release, then quick release remaining pressure
  • When pin drops, remove chicken breasts, shred, and add back to pot. Optional — hit CANCEL, then SAUTE to reduce and thicken chili. Lightly mashing the beans as you stir in the meat will also help thicken the chili
  • Stir in sour cream until well blended, then serve

Notes

For thicker, creamier chicken chili, use cream cheese instead of sour cream.  Or add a cornstarch slurry after pressure cooking.
To make from frozen, add everything except beans and sour cream, and cook for 15 minutes if chicken is thin or 20 minutes for thicker chicken. Add beans and sour cream while you shred the chicken.
Can sub taco seasoning for the spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 10gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 562mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 181IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword easy white chicken chili, instant pot white chicken chili
Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

Recipe first published in 2019 and updated in 2020.

close up of white chicken chili in a bowl for pinterest

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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. Karen says:

    LOVED this!! Super easy, really fast, and wonderfully delicious. I went the chili powder option instead of the smoked paprika (personally not a fan of anything smoked), and it was the best blend of flavors! If you’re a cilantro person, it definitely adds that freshness. We also added a little Frank’s Hot to our individual bowls. This was the perfect comfort food on a rainy, yucky day! Thank you for such clear directions!5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      You are very welcome. Thank you for the wonderful review!

  2. Stacy F. says:

    Wow, this recipe is simple and so delicious! Even my husband who has sometimes impossibly high standards with food said it was the best white chicken chili he’s ever had. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the chili!

  3. Jim says:

    Love this recipe. Have made it twice already and it heats up great for leftovers.5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      Thanks for letting me know! SO glad you like the chili!

  4. Erin says:

    This Chicken Chili is seriously good!5 stars

  5. B says:

    Such a hearty and delicious chili! My family loves it! Thank You!5 stars

  6. Mandy says:

    I love this white chicken chili! 5 stars

  7. Sandra says:

    I seriously love this meal! So easy to make and so good!5 stars

  8. Toni says:

    This recipe is SO delicious! It’s easy to make and everyone loved the flavors. I used your suggestion to add some cream cheese. WOW!5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      Thanks so much, Toni! I’m glad you liked the chili!