30 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Chili

This Instant Pot Chicken Chili takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and requires only 5 minutes of active prep time! The best part is you leave this creamy southwest chili on the warm setting in the instant pot and your family can help themselves throughout the night in between soccer practice and volleyball games!

 

You Will Love This

• The instant pot does all the work which means just a few minutes of prep work is required! Literally, the only active prep time for this white chicken chili is sautéing the onion and garlic. Then you just add everything to the instant pot and sit back while dinner cooks! *You WILL need to shred the chicken breast after it’s cooked through, but it will be so juicy and tender that will only take a minute!*
• It’s loaded with protein and fiber BUT it’s also delicious! This soup is filled with REAL ingredients so you can feel good about feeding it to your family. Veggies, beans, and chicken breast are cooked up in a delicious, slightly spicy enchilada sauce base and finished with just a splash of heavy cream.
• If you liked this southwest chili recipe be sure to check out Short Rib Chili, these super easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos, or this amazing 30-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Black Beans – I love black beans in chili because their mild flavor blends so well but they’re still hearty enough to hold up (and they pack so much nutrition!). If you have another favorite, though, use whichever bean you prefer.
• Fire-Roasted Corn – Fire-roasted corn adds a little extra sweetness and smoke, but you can use regular canned corn too!
• Fire-Roasted Tomatoes – Similar to the corn, fire-roasted tomatoes add some natural “char” that’s so signature in good chili. You can use regular canned tomatoes, though, if you need to.
• Enchilada Sauce – Grab your favorite store-bought brand.
• Chicken Broth – Broth adds the liquid that a recipe needs without diluting flavors. If you’re out, though, you can use veggie broth instead of chicken. If you’re all out, you can use water (halved with some white wine if you have it), but kick up the spices a bit.
• Chiles in Adobo – Chiles in adobo adds a lot of smokiness. If you need a substitute, or if you want to cut down on the spice, use tomato (sauce or puree) and some smoked paprika instead.
• Spices – Cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder are quintessential Southwestern spices. If you’re out of cumin, try marjoram. If you’re out of chili powder, use paprika instead.
• Chicken Breast – Chicken breast is the perfect way to add protein to this chili and the best part is cooks up perfectly tender and juicy right in the instant pot!
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is commonly used in chicken, or white, chilis for a thicker base. You can skip it if you prefer, or use coconut milk if you don’t have cream. (I’m not the only one who keeps an extra can of coconut milk on hand for when I forget heavy cream, right?)

Instructions

Heat oil in the instant pot on the saute setting. Add onion and a couple pinches of salt and pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Add a splash of broth to the pot to delgaze and scrape all those yummy bits off the bottom.

Add pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, remaining broth, and chicken to the instant pot. 

Stir to combine and nestle the chicken into the chili. Seal IP and cook on the manual setting for 15 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then use the quick release button to remove the rest of the steam. Gently shred chicken with two forks. 

Stir in heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Instructions

• If you don’t have an instant pot, you can still enjoy this delicious creamy chicken chili recipe!
• Skip the sauté of the onion and garlic and just add all the ingredients, except the heavy cream, straight to the crock pot or slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours or until the chicken shreds easily with two works. Then stir in heavy cream, season to taste, and enjoy!

Use Rotisserie Chicken

• You can cut the cooking time down considerably if you’ll be adding leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to this soup (in place of raw chicken breast)! The majority of the cook time here is to ensure that the raw chicken breast gets cooked through and is juicy and tender.
• If you’ll be adding rotisserie/leftover chicken you can sauté the onion and garlic in the IP, then add remaining ingredients (including cooked chicken) to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for just 5 minutes. Then stir in heavy cream and season to taste!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

This instant pot chicken chili is the perfect make ahead meal! It’s great for meal prep so you don’t have to cook during the week and makes the perfect freezer meal as well!

• Store cooked creamy chicken chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. As with most chilis the flavor just gets better with time.
• Freeze this chicken chili for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Before reheating, I like to thaw the frozen chili in the fridge overnight so that it reheats more evenly.
• Reheat chicken chili in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently until warmed through. Season to taste and enjoy!

FAQ

The Best Slow Cooker Recipes

Print

This chicken chili was originally published in September 2019. It was updated in May of 2021 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions, and detailed tips to help you make the perfect chicken chili every single time!