This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is healthy, dairy-free, and family-friendly. It features bite-sized chicken, white beans, vegetables, and a mild blend of spices for a comforting, customizable bowl.
The chili itself contains no dairy, but mashing half of the beans adds a pleasant, creamy texture without cream or cheese.
This recipe comes together quickly and adapts well to toppings and variations. If you don’t use an electric pressure cooker, you can easily make it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker—stovetop and crockpot instructions are included in the notes below.
Notes on Using an Electric Pressure Cooker
If you’re new to pressure cooking, a few simple tips will help. First, it takes time for the cooker to come to pressure—expect about 10–15 minutes before the timer starts counting down. When releasing steam, stand back and avoid placing your hands directly over the valve. Before opening the lid, always confirm the floating valve has dropped. A “natural pressure release” means leaving the pot alone for the specified time. A “quick pressure release” means turning the valve to venting to release remaining steam.
Shorter Method
To save time, you can skip sautéing. Add all ingredients except the corn into the inner pot, set to Manual (or Pressure Cook) for 8 minutes, allow a 10‑minute natural release, then quick release the remaining pressure and stir in the corn. This shaves roughly 15 minutes off the active prep time.
How to Serve
This white chicken chili is mild and kid-friendly. For a creamier bowl, stir in about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese into a hot serving and mash lightly. Tortilla chips make a fun crunchy topping that kids often enjoy.
Although the base is dairy-free, common toppings include shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and a simple crema if you like. Adding a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro brightens the bowl.
Optional Toppings:
- Avocado slices
- Lime wedges
- Chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips
- Diced or sliced jalapeños
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
You can also drizzle a light crema or stir in extra soft cheese per bowl for richness.
If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comments—I’d love to know how it turned out!
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili — Easy, Healthy, Dairy-Free
This white chicken chili is packed with cubed chicken, white beans, vegetables, and a warm spice blend. It’s simple to make in a pressure cooker, but stovetop and slow cooker methods are provided in the notes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: about 1 hour | Servings: 6 | Calories: 386 kcal per serving
Equipment
- 6‑quart electric pressure cooker or similar
- Potato masher or fork
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1″ cubes
- 2 (15 oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained (Great Northern or similar)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 (7 oz) can mild green chiles
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup corn kernels (frozen, fresh, or canned)
- Additional salt & pepper to taste (the recipe author added an extra ½ tsp of each)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash half of the rinsed beans with a potato masher or fork and set aside.
- Set the pressure cooker to Sauté on high. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil and diced onion. Cook about 3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the cubed chicken and cook about 5 minutes, turning to brown slightly.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Pour in the chicken broth and use a spatula to deglaze the bottom, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the mashed beans, remaining whole beans, green chiles, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine. Close the lid and set the valve to sealing.
- Cancel Sauté and select Manual/Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. If needed, turn off any “keep warm” setting so the cook time runs normally.
- When the cooking time ends, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release to vent any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, stir in the corn, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with your preferred toppings.
Optional Topping Ideas
Avocado, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, sliced jalapeños, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of crema. For a creamier single-serving, stir in about 1 tablespoon cream cheese into the hot bowl.
Notes
Stovetop Instructions
Use a large stockpot on medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and chicken as above, then add the remaining ingredients (except the corn). Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered on medium-low for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the corn, and heat through.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Place uncut chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add all ingredients except the corn and cook on low for 5–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken with two forks, add the corn, and stir to heat through.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Serving: 1 | Calories: 386 kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.6 g | Protein: 40.5 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 1.3 g | Sodium: 1698.6 mg | Fiber: 10.3 g
Enjoy your bowl of white chicken chili!
