This Instant Pot White Chicken and Chickpea Chili is hearty, flavorful and filling. The Instant Pot makes a creamy and thick chicken chili without the need for heavy cream making it low carb and keto.

Tips for Using the Instant Pot to Cook White Chicken & Chickpea Chili
The highlight of this recipe isn’t actually an ingredient, it’s the Instant Pot. These have been around for a good while now, but I still receive questions and see comments about IP’s burning food or recipes not turning out as anticipated.
To prevent your white chicken and chickpea chili from turning out anything less than yummy, keep these things in mind:
- The recipe needs liquid to “work” (cook). This recipe calls for a cup of chicken broth but the general rule of thumb is 1 ½ cups of liquid for the 8-quart, 1 cup for the 6-quart, and ¾ cup for the 3-quart Instant Pot.
- No need to check on your food like you would if you were cooking it stovetop or in the oven.
- You can ignore the max fill line when using the pressure cooker setting. This line is actually applicable when you’re using the slow cooker setting.

How to Cook Instant Pot White Chicken & Chickpea Chili
While traditional white chicken chili recipes typically use great northern beans, we’re substituting them for chickpeas. This will add a similar meatiness to the recipe as white beans would. They’re also just as healthy.
Some of the health benefits of chickpeas include being a rich source of minerals and aiding in weight management. That’s what makes them an ideal choice for diet plans that call for low calories and high protein in things other than meat.
Chickpeas are especially prized in vegan and vegetarian-based meals.
Other Ingredients
So we know this recipe obviously calls for chicken and chickpeas, but you’ll need a few other things to make it complete. Onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, corn, cream cheese, and chicken broth are paired with a few key spices and herbs to deliver an amazing flavor.
The best part about using the Instant Pot is you don’t have to do any pre-cooking. All you’ll need to do is dice up the veggies and open a few cans!

Cooking the White Chicken Chili
When it comes to cooking this delicious meal, you’re literally going to just put everything in the Instant Pot. Make sure some of the broth gets underneath your chicken breasts so they do not burn.
Once you’ve added everything into the pot, close the lid and place the valve on sealing mode. Select manual high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Keep in mind that the timer is for the cooking time only. It will take about 20 minutes for the pressure to rise and actually start cooking.

Once the timer has beeped, indicating the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Carefully remove the top (it will be steamy) and remove the chicken breasts, placing them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken apart.
Place the shredded chicken back in the instant pot and stir to combine everything. And that’s it! Easy peasy!

Our Quick Tips for the Best Results:
- A pro tip to speed up the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure is to warm the liquid on the saute setting first. This could save you up to 10 minutes.
- Add a bit more broth to create more juice.
- If you want a thicker chili, you can do so with a cornstarch, flour, or arrowroot slurry. If necessary, you can use potato starch instead. Simply mix flour or cornstarch with cold water until there aren’t any lumps. Then, add it to the chili.
FAQ’s:
- What pairs well with white chicken chili? You can’t go wrong with serving the chili with a stack of (warmed) tortillas or even a few slices of cornbread. Crunchy tortilla chips are also ideal for scooping while a bed of rice provides a nice base.
- What are the best toppings? Shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, green chiles, sliced avocado and sliced jalapenos are good choices. You can also add crumbled corn chips or diced yellow onion.
MORE GREAT CHILI RECIPES:
If you’re looking for other simple chili options then you’ll want to check these out:
- Smoky Vegetarian Chili – just the right amount of heat, spice and sweetness.
- Healthy Turkey Chili – for a nice change from beef try turkey instead.
- Simple and Easy Ground Beef Chili – we really do mean simple!

Instant Pot White Chicken & Chickpea Chili
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
White chicken chili makes a healthy, filling lunch for an under-the-weather day. Learn how to make this nourishing and savory recipe here.
Ingredients
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- 2 Boneless Chicken breasts
- 2 Cans (15 oz) Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 1 Yellow Bell pepper, diced
- 1 Jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1 Cup Corn, organic frozen
- 1 Cup Chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 8 oz. Cream cheese, cut in half
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ Cup Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients, except the cilantro, into the instant pot bowl, placing the chicken first on the bottom and continuing with the remaining ingredients.
- Close the lid and place the valve on sealing mode. Select manual high pressure and cook for 12 minutes. (it will take about 20 minutes for the pressure to rinse and start cooking).
- Once the timer is out, let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place them on a cutting board and with the help of two forks, shred the chicken apart.
- Place the shredded chicken back in the instant pot and stir to combine everything.
- Serve garnished with cilantro if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 12 min + pressure time
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant pot
This recipe sounds so delicious. Could it be modified for a slow cooker? I don’t own an Instant Pot, no room in my kitchen. :/
Thanks!
Courtney