Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Chili

Name: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: PT-481540H9M28S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast; 1 tbs olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 2 cloves minced garlic; 3 tsp chili powder; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp oregano, dried; 1/2 tsp ground black pepepr; 1 tsp kosher salt; 4oz can green chiles; 14 oz can crushed tomatoes; 14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes; 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed; 14 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 14 oz can kernel corn, drained; 1 cup chicken broth; 4 oz cream cheese

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This easy Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Chili uses fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast, simple canned ingredients, and everyday herbs and spices to make a delicious chili in about 40 minutes. it’s the perfect choice for a hearty, homemade meal any night of the week.

What is creamy chicken chili?

Creamy chicken chili features chicken breast, which is cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot, right along with all the other ingredients, then shredded to become the foundation of our chili. Chicken broth, canned tomatoes, beans and simple, pantry-friendly herbs and spices will give us that chili flavor we know and love. At the end of cooking, we add some cream cheese, which melts into the whole dish, creating a silky smooth texture that is so savory and delicious.

This dish is also milder than standard chili recipes, so no need to worry about extra spiciness. However, if you want to give it a little extra kick, you certainly can do so! It’s a very versatile dish that can easily be customized to your own preferences.

Why I love this recipe?

This is another perfect recipe for taking advantage of the awesomeness of the Instant Pot. After we sauté our onions and garlic, it’s a dump-and-go recipe. The ingredients spend about a half hour in the Instant Pot, after which time the chicken will shred perfectly, and all the ingredients will mingle together before welcoming the silky, creamy goodness of cream cheese to bring it all together. Very little prep and very big results!

Ingredients

As mentioned, we’ll start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts – about 1.5lbs. This is usually 2-3 chicken breasts – depending on size.

Then we’ll make things easy with a few cans of ingredients, including:

Crushed Tomatoes
Fire roasted diced tomatoes
Black beans
Red kidney beans
Green chiles
Kernel corn

Our herbs and spices will be chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

The liquid base will be a cup of chicken broth, as well as the liquid from both cans of tomatoes.

All the ingredients needed to make Instant Pot chicken chili.

For the corn, if you can find fire-roasted corn, that’s even better. The cans of beans and tomatoes will all be 14-15oz. Different brands will be slightly different amounts, but all around 14-15oz.

The green chiles come in a small 4oz can.

Preparation

The very first thing I like to do is get those chicken breasts tenderized and brined for a bit. We do this by giving the breasts a few whacks with a meat mallet. We don’t need to pound them thin, but a few hits to the thicker parts will go a long way to achieving more tender results. Then, we’ll add a generous helping of kosher salt to the outside of the breasts before letting them sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes. These simple steps will make the chicken so much more flavorful and tender.

Now add a tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and set it to the sauté mode. While it’s warming up, we’ll chop up a medium onion and a couple of gloves of garlic. Once its hot, add the chopped onions and saute for 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. This quick sautéing will bring out so many wonderful flavors of both ingredients.

Next, we add all the other ingredients, except the cream cheese. Pour the broth in first, then the drained and rinsed beans, both cans of tomatoes (not drained), the green chiles, and the seasonings. Give it a quick stir, and then place the chicken breasts on top. The cream cheese will go in after the pressure cooking process.

Adding chicken breast to the Instant Pot to make creamy chicken chili.

Cooking

Now that everything is loaded up, secure the lid, make sure the vent is set to the sealed position, and pressure cook (high pressure) for 12 minutes. It will take about 15-20 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. At that time, the 12-minute countdown timer will begin. After the 12 minutes, let the pressure naturally release (do nothing) for 5 minutes, then open the valve and quick release the remaining pressure.

Once the pin drops, remove the lid and remove the chicken breasts to a plate or bowl and shred them with 2 forks. Add the chicken back into the pot, and stir it in along with the cream cheese.

Serving

Your chili is now ready to serve! A dollop of sour cream is a wonderful addition to this dish. Tortilla chips are another great add-in to provide some crunch and lime wedges add an extra vibrance to the whole dish! I also love a nice piece of buttered bread with mine. There’s just something so satisfying about enjoying a bowl of warm chili and then taking a bite of bread with cool butter smeared on it.

A spoonful of Instant Pot chicken chili ready to be served.

Storage and reheating

Store the chili in airtight containers in the fridge and use within 3-4 days.

Freezing

Freezing can be tricky as the dairy component, the cream cheese, can separate and change texture. If you’re planning on freezing some of the chili for use later, leave the cream cheese out when making it. Then add, as needed, when ready to enjoy.

One of the things you can do is remove half and let it cool when the chili is done cooking. Don’t add cream cheese to that half. Add 2oz of cream cheese to the remaining chili in the pot and enjoy today, tomorrow, etc.

Freeze the other half that was set aside in freezer-safe, airtight containers. When you reheat it, you can add a couple of spoonfuls of cream cheese at that time.

Reheating

Microwave: Place chili in a microwave-safe container and cover loosely to prevent any splatter. Heat on high for 2 minutes, then in 1-minute intervals until heated through.

Stovetop: Place in a pot over medium-low heat until heated through. Stir frequently. It usually takes about 10 minutes or so.

Two bowl of Instant Pot chicken chili served with sour cream, parsley and lime wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the cream cheese?

While the cream cheese is a delicious part of this recipe, you can most certainly enjoy a non-dairy version by simply omitting the cream cheese altogether.

Can chicken thighs be used?

They sure can. Everything will remain the same.

Can different beans be used?

If you’re missing a particular can of beans, you can absolutely substitute another one. White beans are great! Pinto beans, great northern beans, etc., all work well.

Is this spicy?

This is a very mild chili. Some chili powders can have a little kick so if you’re sensitive to heat, make sure you’re using a mild chili powder. The green chiles are mild and will not cause any heat.

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