This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Homemade White Chili (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)–Make white chicken chili from scratch using dried beans and tender chicken breasts. It’s thick and creamy and comforting. Although this recipe is homemade it’s made quickly in your Instant Pot or your slow cooker.
Homemade White Chili (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
This white chicken chili screams fall to me! I picked up a bag of white beans at the store. I knew that I wanted to make a big pot of something delicious and this homemade white chili came to be. I love making a large pot of soup or chili because of the leftovers for lunch the next day. In my experience chili is always better the next day. There are very few things that taste better as leftovers but this chili is one of them.
Better Than Bouillon
This homemade white chili has lots of great flavor thanks to the use of Better Than Bouillon. If you follow along with my website you know that I love using Better Than Bouillon in recipes that call for chicken broth. I use the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base the most often. I just stir a teaspoon of the chicken base in with each cup of water.
I love how I can keep Better Than Bouillon products in my fridge and just use them as I need them. They last a lot longer than an opened carton of chicken broth and they are so smooth and dissolve completely.
Better Than Bouillon offers four categories:
- Premium Flavors: Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Roasted Garlic, Chili, Clam, Fish, Ham, Lobster, Mushroom and Turkey
- Organic: Roasted Chicken, Mushroom, Turkey, Beef and Vegetable
- Vegetarian: Vegetable, Roasted Garlic, Organic Vegetable, Vegetarian No Beef Base, Vegetarian No Chicken Base
- Reduced Sodium: Reduced Sodium Beef, Reduced Sodium Chicken, Reduced Sodium Vegetable
My favorite ways to use Better Than Bouillon products are in soups, stews and chilis. The flavors taste like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen but really you’ve just spent a few minutes. You can also use Better Than Bouillon in recipes like Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Tuscan Chicken Ravioli and Brown Butter Pumpkin Risotto.
I like to buy my Better Than Bouillon in the big jars at Costco. But if you can’t find Better Than Bouillon at your grocery store use the product locator on the Better Than Bouillon site or use the online ordering site to purchase those hard to find flavors!
Enter to win:
Better Than Bouillon Sweepstakes
I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes 9 winners.
More recipe inspiration
Follow Better Than Bouillon on their social media channels for lots of great recipe inspiration!
Better Than Bouillon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterThanBouillon/
Better Than Bouillon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterthanbouillon/
Better Than Bouillon Twitter: https://twitter.com/btbouillon
Better Than Bouillon Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/BTBouillon/
Homemade White Chili (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Description
Make white chicken chili from scratch using dried beans and tender chicken breasts. It’s thick and creamy and comforting. Although this recipe is homemade it’s made quickly in your Instant Pot or your slow cooker.
Ingredients
For soaking:
- 1 (16 oz) bag dried great northern beans
- 1 tsp salt
- Water
For the chili:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cups water
- 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (frozen is fine)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (I use mild)
- 2 cups half and half
- 6 Tbsp all purpose flour
- Optional: cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
To make in the Instant Pot:
- Soak the beans. You can soak your dried beans overnight or you can soak them using the quick soak method. To soak overnight place beans in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt. Completely cover the beans with water. Soak for at least 8 hours. Pour the beans into a colander and rinse them completely. To quick soak place the beans in the Instant Pot and cover completely with water. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of salt. Bring the water to a boil using the saute setting (lid off). Once the water boils turn off the saute setting and put the lid on the pot. Make sure valve is on sealing. Set the manual or pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When the 2 minutes is up perform a quick release. Use a colander to drain the beans and rinse them off. You can now use your “soaked” beans.
- Saute: Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. While the pot is heating up, chop up your onion. When the display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Then add in the onion and stir it for 3-4 minutes. It should become soft and translucent.
- Add in ingredients: Add in the water and the Better Than Bouillon. Stir until the chicken base is dissolved. Add in the soaked beans. Stir in the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Nestle the chicken into the pot. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken.
- Pressure cook: Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 22 minutes on high pressure. When the time is up let the pot sit there for an another 10 minutes (display will read L0:10) and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces. Add it back into the pot.
- Thicken the chili: Turn the pot to the saute setting. Add in the cream cheese and stir it in so it can start melting. Stir in the diced tomatoes with green chiles. In a glass bowl warm up the half and half in the microwave for 2 minutes (you can also warm on the stove in a saucepan). Once the half and half is warmed up whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time. It should be completely smooth. Then scoop a cup of the hot soup into the half and half mixture. Stir. Stir the mixture into the Instant Pot. Let the mixture thicken the chili. Stir every minute or so for about 5 minutes, or until chili is thickened and the cream cheese is melted.
- Season to taste. Taste the chili and add in additional salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder if it is needed.
- Serve. Ladle the chili into bowls and top with snipped cilantro, if desired.
To make in the Slow Cooker:
- Soak the beans. Place beans in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt. Completely cover the beans with water. Soak for at least 8 hours. Pour the beans into a colander and rinse them completely. You can now use your “soaked” beans.
- Saute: Heat a pan over medium high heat on the stove. While the pan is heating up, chop up your onion. When the pan is hot add in the oil and swirl it around. Then add in the onion and stir it for 3-4 minutes. It should become soft and translucent.
- Add in ingredients: Add the onion into the slow cooker. Then add in the water, Better Than Bouillon, soaked beans, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Nestle the chicken into the pot. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken.
- Slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or until beans are tender.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces. Add it back into the slow cooker.
- Thicken the chili: Add in the cream cheese and stir it in so it can start melting. Stir in the diced tomatoes with green chiles. In a glass bowl warm up the half and half in the microwave for 2 minutes (you can also warm on the stove in a saucepan). Once the half and half is warmed up whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time. It should be completely smooth. Then scoop a cup of the hot soup into the half and half mixture. Stir. Then stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Let the mixture thicken the chili by cooking on high for about 20 minutes.
- Season to taste. Once the chili is thickened and the cream cheese is melted taste the chili and add in additional salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder if it is needed.
- Serve. Ladle the chili into bowls and top with snipped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
To make gluten free: Omit the flour and mix 6 TBS. cornstarch with water. Stir until completely combined then add to chili mixture.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Send Me Free Recipes
Like this recipe for Homemade White Chili (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)? Get all my new recipes delivered to your email inbox by signing up below.
I’m in Love with your choice of recipes! Easy to fix, no wild ingredients that take several trips to store to locate. Nor are they particularly requiring blood, sweat and tears of the cook! Lol
Presentation is a must with my kids and grandkids. If it doesn’t look good then it must not taste good.
Thanks for easy to follow guides ending up with fabulous food.
★★★★★
Thank you thank you Kim!
Looks great! Will Fat-free half and half work? Or whole milk? Thanks!
Yes it will!
Just made this for dinner and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!! We will definitely be having this again! Thank you, Karen, for another great recipe!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it. You’re very welcome!
I would love to try this recipe. Can it be made dairy free? What would be a good substitution?
You could leave the cream cheese and half and half out. Use an almond or coconut milk in the place of half and half.
Made this for my very very VERY picky 10, 8 and 3 year old children and they loved it!
👏👏👏 Awesome to hear this Danielle!
!y Husband of 55 Years, come August 14th, has been on HOSPICE CARE AT HOME, for 4 Years; and, I have been His SOLE CAREGIVER.
My I P has been a GOD-SEND, to keep Him eating.
My goal is to cook the meals , I refer to,
as ‘STICK TO YOUR RIBS’ food.
I can’t wait, to try this recipe.
As soon as Our S. S. check comes in, I will be purchasing the chicken, soaking beans, and whatever other ingredients, We need, to make this meal right away.
THANK YOU!
Sincerely, Maggie Stalhut
Maggie I’m so glad that you are cooking with the Instant Pot. I hope your husband will be happy with the recipes. God bless you both.
I made this in my instant pot and absolutely loved it. So darn good. This will be a regular dish for my family now. . I already sent this recipe to two of my friends to share also. Thanks for sharing!
Wow this is so nice to hear, Kellie! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I only used half the ingredients in this recipe for the two of us (except for the onions and garlic – used the full amount), added a couple chopped serranos, mushrooms and at the end, spinach. We both thought it was delicious and will definitely make it again! Maybe even add some corn. Substituted the stock with Better Than Bouillon and loved it.
★★★★★
Nice! I like all your changes. They sound great!
Made this in my new ip exactly as written but used chicken tenders that were frozen and needed to be used. And I used the original style diced tomatoes with green chiles. My hubby and I thought it was perfect. Just the right amount of heat. I love thick soups and chowders. Served with tortilla chips instead of crackers. A keeper for sure. Thank you for all your awesome recipes.
★★★★★
So glad you and your hubby enjoyed it!