Description
This comforting and creamy Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is a flavorful, easy-to-make dish perfect for chilly evenings. Featuring tender chicken breasts, white beans, mild green chilies, and a cheesy cream cheese base, it’s enhanced with aromatic spices and topped with fresh lime juice, avocado, cilantro, cheese, and crunchy tortilla strips. Ready in just 20 minutes of active time, this chili is ideal for a quick weeknight meal with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Base
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (14 ounce) cans white beans, drained
- 2 (4 ounce) cans mild green chilies
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Addition
- 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block, softened)
Toppings
- Lime juice, to taste
- Chopped avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Mexican cheese blend
- Tortilla strips
Instructions
- Sauté Onion: Turn on the Instant Pot and add olive oil. Add chopped onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add chicken breasts, white beans, mild green chilies, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine all ingredients well.
- Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to ‘sealing’. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to reach pressure during which you can prepare toppings.
- Release Pressure: Once cooking is complete, perform a quick pressure release by carefully turning the valve to ‘venting’. Wait until all steam is released and the lid can be opened safely.
- Incorporate Cream Cheese and Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set aside. Add softened cream cheese to the chili and press the ‘sauté’ button to melt and incorporate it into the sauce, stirring frequently. While the cream cheese melts, shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the chili. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with fresh lime juice, chopped avocado, cilantro, shredded Mexican cheese, and crunchy tortilla strips as desired.
Notes
- For extra heat, substitute mild green chilies with medium or hot green chilies or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- If you prefer a thinner chili, add extra chicken broth to reach your desired consistency.
- Make sure cream cheese is softened to ensure it blends smoothly into the chili.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave.
- To make this recipe gluten free, verify that all canned ingredients and tortilla strips are certified gluten free.
