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Instant Pot white chicken chili in white bowl with spoon and shredded cheese.

Instant Pot {or Slow Cooker} White Chicken Black Bean Chili

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth, I use low sodium
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can green chiles
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern/white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk, trust me on this one; see note below
  • 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 2 large or 3 medium)
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, light or regular, cut into 6-8 pieces
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
  • Toppings of choice, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, fresh limes

Instructions 

  • Instant Pot Directions: To the insert of a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot, add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, white beans, dry milk, chili powder, salt, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dill, and black pepper. Stir or whisk well to combine.
  • Nestle the chicken and cream cheese cubes into the chili (it's ok if it isn't fully submerged). Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, make sure the valve is set to seal, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes (select Manual or Pressure Cook and dial up or down to 15; the IP will start on its own).
  • Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure. Remove the chicken to a cutting board or plate and shred or cut into small pieces. Stir the chili to incorporate the softened, melty cream cheese.
  • Add the corn and shredded chicken back into the Instant Pot; stir to combine and let sit on warm to heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve the chili with toppings of choice!
  • Slow Cooker Directions: To the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, white beans, dry milk, chili powder, salt, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dill, and black pepper. Stir or whisk well to combine.
  • Nestle the chicken and cream cheese cubes into the chili (it's ok if it isn't fully submerged). Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
  • Remove the chicken to a cutting board or plate and shred or cut into small pieces. Stir the chili to incorporate the softened, melty cream cheese.
  • Add the corn and shredded chicken back into the slow cooker; stir to combine and let sit on low or high temp to heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve the chili with toppings of choice!

Notes

Chicken: if you don't want to mess with taking out the chicken and shredding, you can cut the chicken into small pieces before adding to the Instant Pot at the beginning (and probably take a few minutes off the cooking time).
Dry Milk: I know it seems odd to use dry milk in a chili recipe, but the dry milk (plus a bunch of the other seasonings like parsley, dill, etc) are meant to replicate packaged dry ranch dressing mix. I never have that on hand, so I wanted a quick homemade substitution.
Chili Powder: brands vary greatly in spicy heat, so reduce the amount in the recipe if the chili powder you use is spicy and/or you want a milder tasting chili.
Make-Ahead: once the corn and chicken is stirred into the chili, it can stay on warm (in the Instant Pot or slow cooker) for several hours before serving.