This Instant Pot white chicken chili is a super easy recipe that requires only about 10 minutes of prep time. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner because you can just throw everything in your Instant Pot (or slow cooker) and sit back and wait for a healthy dinner. Top it with your favorite Whole30 and Keto toppings and dig in!
The recipe inspiration
This recipe is kind of personal to me, because it is loosely based on a recipe from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (aka the BIG RED cookbook). This is the oldest cookbook I own (circa the year 2000) and it was given to me by my Mom. I remember when she gave a copy to my brother, sister and I for Christmas, it must have been 2000 or 2001. For me, this was when I was just starting out in college and really cooking a lot on my own for the first time. This cookbook was the basis for many meals and cooking tips over the years.
Thank you Mom for passing the joy of cooking down to each of us, you’ve inspired us all in so many ways.
My version of white chicken chili
I know I liked the Betty Crocker recipe because I remember making it a lot back in the day. It was my go-to for a flavorful chili I could load up with toppings. In fact, when I pulled the cookbook off the shelf there it was, bookmarked so I could flip right to it. For this version, I omitted the beans and corn but kept the lime juice to give the chili a tart flavor profile. For the rest, just add some bell pepper, onion, garlic, broth and simple seasonings and it’s good to go!
The toppings are where it’s at
While this instant pot white chicken chili has excellent flavor on its own, I love to load it up with toppings to really finish it off. Some fresh chopped cilantro, jalapeño and avocado slices are my go to for this recipe. I also like to add sour cream or cheese (if you eat dairy). A dairy-free alternative to sour cream is plain coconut yogurt. We use the Coyo brand plain yogurt, it has the thick, creamy texture of sour cream and goes well with savory dishes.
Some other cozy Instant Pot recipes
Your turn to try this instant pot white chicken chili
Got a busy week and need an easy meal with minimal prep? No worries. Make this white chicken chili for a quick and easy weeknight dinner! Leave a comment below and let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram. Tag us @realsimplegood, and give us a follow if you don’t already. We’d love to stay connected!
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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili (Paleo, Whole30 + Keto)
Ingredients
For the chili:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, divided
For topping/serving:
- Chopped green onion
- Sliced jalapeño
- Chopped tomato
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese, (omit for Whole30 or strict Paleo)
- Coconut yogurt or sour cream, (coconut yogurt only for Whole30 or strict Paleo)
Instructions
For the Instant Pot:
- Prepare all of the chili ingredients as noted above. Add all of the chili ingredients to the Instant Pot, reserving 1/2 of the chopped cilantro for topping.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and close the pressure valve. Press the “manual” button (or “pressure cook” button) and set the time to cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Once the time is up, quick release the pressure.
- While the chili is cooking, prepare your desired toppings.
- When the pressure has released in the Instant Pot, remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.
For the slow cooker:
- Follow step 1 above, placing all the chili ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Easy and delicious- great flavor. Definitely on the make-again list!
Happy to hear that Andrea!
Really easy to make and so tasty! Even my kids love it.
I love this recipe and have made it several times! It’s so easy and flavorful.
I like to add in a can of diced green chilies and some diced jalapeño for some extra heat. My husband likes to add cheese 😊
That’s amazing! Thanks so much for coming back to share and also for sharing on IG, too! We appreciate your support so much! 🙂
This is amaaaazing and the best thing for winter. I make it every second week.
I used Adobe Chili Pepper instead of chili powder. So delicious!! I doubled the recipe because of cold weather all week. My tummy is very happy right now. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This turned out really well with a great flavour. Definitely more of a soup, but equally as delicious. I served it with a side of guacamole for some added fat for Whole30. We’re going to try this as well with some corn and black beans when we do our reintroduction and I can imagine it’s going to be good! Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re very welcome, the addition of black beans and corn sound like they’ll be delicious!
It tasted amazing! The seasoning was spot on with not one single item overpowering the whole dish. The flavors reminded me of our favorite salsa verde. I added broccolini.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for giving our recipe a try. And thanks for returning to leave your review! We really appreciate your support! 🙂
Excellent! Super easy to throw together. Doubled for extra servings.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review! We’re so grateful!
This was definitely more like a soup but we loved it. I served it over some cauliflower rice and topped it with chopped avocado and some lime chips. Super easy and delicious!
We’re glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review! 🙂
Turned out very bland? Maybe our family just likes more spices – not sure
Sorry to hear that. Maybe the broth we use has more flavor or feel free to increase the seasonings if you try it again, we hope you do!
This is a go-to family favorite in the instant pot! We use chicken breasts instead and the flavors are infused and amazing, even right out of the pot.
Thought it was very flavorful, my son liked it too!
That’s great!
Delish!!
This White Chicken Chili is officially my go-to for a healthy and flavorful meal prep. I used the slow cooker method and the chicken turned out perfect. My fiancé loves chili powder so I doubled the amount and added in some smoked paprika for a more “smokey” flavor (which I love). I have shared this recipe with friends and family and can’t wait to see them become as obsessed with it as I am. Thank you Justin and Erica for this awesome recipe!
You’re so welcome! We are thrilled to hear it’s a hit for you guys and that it’s a new go-to! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a try and for coming back to share your feedback. We really appreciate it! 🙂
I followed the recipe carefully but my chili is too thin and has a fabulous chicken soup flavor — you can’t guess it’s chili. We added a can of rinsed red beans at the end and it made it closer to chili. Maybe adding some veggies to thick it up? I’ll try it again for sure.
This is a great easy recipe but I have made some tweaks. I agree with others that it can come out more of a soup than chili. First tweak which may not make a difference is I sauté all my chicken (I use thighs and breast) in the Instapot. Make extra of the chili powder, cumin, oregano and rub on the meat. Sauté in a little EVOO and coconut oil. Next tweak is I shred the chicken as the recipe says but then cross cut the shred so you don’t end up with long strands of chicken (especially if using whole breasts). Add a little arrow root mixed with water to thicken after adding shredded chicken and makes the whole dish come together as “chili”. This has become a standard to jump start our clean eating ways after a tumble off the wagon. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds great Tom, thanks for sharing.