White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers (Instant Pot)

If you’re looking for a comforting and flavorful soup then you have come to the right place. This White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers is the most delicious soup to enjoy during the fall and winter. It’s healthy and hearty, has a kick and it’s so good! The fact that it’s an Instant Pot recipe makes it that much better.

White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers (Instant Pot)

I have the perfect way to fight back those chilly winter temperatures with this White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers recipe. This chili will warm you right up with its cozy broth and spicy kick. The roasted poblano peppers give it such a distinct taste and some spiciness. The whole chili is made in the Instant Pot and is ready in no time. It’s the perfect comforting and tasty dinner.

Ingredients needed to make White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers:

• Chicken Breasts– You can also use chicken thighs if that’s what you have. 
• Poblano Peppers– Can be substituted for Serrano peppers or Anaheim peppers. 
• Beans– Northern Beans and Navy Beans. Can use cannellini beans too. 
• Corn Kernels– Canned or frozen will work. You can omit if you’d like but corn really gives a good hint of sweetness which is a great contrast in flavor to the heat.
• Jalapeños– Remove seeds unless you like a lot of heat. 
• Spices and Herbs– Yellow onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, dried parsley, chili powder, cayenne pepper, pink sea salt, fresh cilantro. 
• Limes– Elevates the overall flavor of this chili. 
• Avocado Oil– For sauteing aromatics. 
• Chicken Broth– I like to use low-sodium or homemade broth to control the saltiness in the chili. 
• Coconut Milk– Gives the chili a creamy consistency while still making the chili light. 
• Avocado for serving– You don’t want to skip this part.

Equipment needed to make White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers:

• Instant Pot– At least a 6 quart IP. 
• Baking Sheet Pan–  Small sheet pan to roast your poblano peppers. 
• Parchment Paper– To line sheet pan. 
• Tongs– To remove chicken from IP once it’s done.

How to make White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers:

• Step 1– Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. 
• Step 2– Rub 1 tablespoon avocado oil throughout poblano peppers. Place on prepped baking sheet pan and place in preheated oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip over and roast for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes then dice. Set aside. 
• Step 3– While poblano peppers roast, Dice onion and jalapeños, mince garlic. 
• Step 4– Grease bottom of instant pot with 1 tablespoon avocado oil and place IP on sauté setting. Toss in onions, garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for 2 minutes until onions start to translucent. Sprinkle in all spices and dried herbs and continue to sauté for another minute. 
• Step 5– Pat chicken dry and place in instant pot over sautéed aromatics. Rub chicken breasts over seasoned aromatics on both sides. Toss in beans, corn, diced roasted poblano peppers, and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice from two limes over everything. Pour chicken broth and coconut milk. 
• Step 6– Secure IP lid and set pressure valve to sealing. Select pressure cook on high setting and set timer for 9 minutes. It will take some time for pressure to build up. Once it does, it will start counting down from 9 minutes. Once countdown is done and IP beeps, allow NRP for 10 minutes. Then release the rest of the pressure manually.
• Step 7– Remove lid from Instant Pot. Using tongs, remove chicken breasts from pot and place on a cutting board or bowl. Shred chicken using two forks or any preferred method you use for shredding chicken. Add shrededed chicken back to IP. Give chili a good stir combining shredded chicken with the rest of ingredients.
• Step 8– Serve chili and garnish with lime, cilantro, avocado slices, and slices of jalapeño peppers. Enjoy!

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- This will prevent poblano peppers from sticking to the sheet pan and will make cleaning after easier.
2. Substitute for coconut milk- You can use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened cashew milk.
3. Want chili spicier?- Once chili is done, add about 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper at a time until desired spiciness has been reached.
4. Try making it in the crockpot- Roast poblano peppers as per recipe instructions. Add all of the ingredients to crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken breasts and place back in crockpot.
5. Use electric hand mixer to shred chicken- Place cooked chicken breasts in a deep mixing bowl and use hand mixer to shred.

What should I serve with white chicken chili?

White Chicken Chili is all about the toppings. The more toppings the better. Serve your White Chicken Chili with these toppings:

• Avocado Slices
• Lime Wedges
• Cilantro
• Sour Cream
• Tortilla Chips
• Jalapeño Slices

Can I Make White Chicken Chili in a Slow Cooker?

Yes. You can adapt this recipe to be made in the slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot. 

1. To make this White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers in the slow cooker, follow directions as to how to roast the peppers in the oven. 
2. You can then sauté aromatics, jalapeños, and the rest of spices and herbs on a pan on the stovetop. This optimizes flavor, however, you can skip this step and just add the ingredients in the slow cooker without sautéing. 
3. Add all pre-prepped ingredients in the slow-cooker along with chicken, beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, chicken broth, and coconut milk. 
4. Set slow cooker on low setting and slow cook for 6-7 hours. Or on High for 4-5 hours. 
5. Once White Chicken Chili is done slow cooking, remove chicken and shred. Place chicken back in the slow cooker and give chili a good stir. 
6. Serve White Chicken Chili, garnish with preferred topping and enjoy. 

White Chicken Chili FAQ’s:

What are Poblano Peppers?

Poblano Peppers are a mild chili pepper that originates in Puebla, Mexico. They are shaped like a chili pepper and have a vibrant green color. However, they are much larger and almost the size of a bell pepper. They’re typically stuffed and roasted.

Are Poblano Peppers hot?

Poblano peppers are mild and have a kick to them. They are less spicy than chili peppers. They are very tasty and add so much flavor to foods. Particularly soups.

Why Are Canned Beans Rinsed and Drained in Chili Recipes?

Canned beans tend to be pressure cooked while inside the can. This makes them saturated in salt, starch and sugars. Giving the beans a slimy and shiny coating. This gives beans a not so pleasant taste while also interfering with the beans ability to absorb the flavors from other ingredients while cooking. This foam can also make beans harder to digest. Which is why draining and rinsing canned beans is important. 

What’s the Difference Between White Chili and Regular Chili?

There are a few differences between white chili and regular chili that makes them very distinct from each other. The main and most obvious difference between the two is that regular chili is made with beef while white chili is made with chicken. Regular chili usually calls for red beans such as kidney or pinto. While white chicken chili calls for white beans such as navy or northern. Another difference between the two types of chili is the use of tomatoes. Regular chili uses tomatoes while white chicken doesn’t. 

The Trick For A Creamy White  Chicken Chili:

The trick to a creamy White Chicken Chili is the coconut cream. Coconut cream is great at making this white chicken chili creamy and rich while still keeping it light and dairy-free. 

How long does white chicken chili last in the fridge?

White Chicken Chili can last 3-4 days in the fridge. Keep in an airtight container to maximize the freshness of the chili.

Can I Make White Chicken Chili with Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?

Yes. If you have chicken thighs available you can use those to make this White Chicken Chili. 

Meal Prepping it:

This White Chicken Chili is great for meal prep as it makes a large batch. It comes together very easily and the Instant Pot does most of the work for you. Make it as part of your meal prep and keep in the fridge to have dinner and/or lunch for a couple of days. Keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

Can you freeze White Chicken Chili?

You can certainly freeze any chili and this White Chicken Chili is no exception. It’s actually a great idea to freeze and stash for a busy weeknight dinner. I highly suggest to freeze it in portions. This way, once thawed out you won’t waste any of it. Keep chili frozen for up to 3 months.

Like this White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers recipe? You may also like these other chili recipes:

• Sriracha Turkey Chili (Crockpot)
• Pumpkin Chili

5 from 2 votes

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White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers (Instant Pot)

If you're looking for a comforting and flavorful soup then you have come to the right place. This White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers is the most delicious soup to enjoy during the fall and winter. It's healthy and hearty, has a kick and is so good! The fact that it's an Instant Pot recipe makes it that much better.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword White Chicken Chili

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

NRP 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 511 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Chicken Breasts
• 15 oz northern beans
• 15 oz navy beans
• 1.5 cups corn kernels
• 3 poblano peppers
• 1 yellow onion
• 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 jalapeños (plus more for serving)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for serving)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp pink salt (more or less to taste)
• 2 limes (plus more for serving)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (divided)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• avocado slices for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Rub 1 tablespoon avocado oil throughout poblano peppers. Place on prepped baking sheet pan and place in preheated oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Flip over and roast for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes then dice. Set aside.

3. While poblano peppers roast, Dice onion and jalapeños, mince garlic.

4. Grease bottom of instant pot with 1 tablespoon avocado oil and place IP on sauté setting. Toss in onions, garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for 2 minutes until onions start to translucent. Sprinkle in all spices and dried herbs and continue to sauté for another minute.

5. Pat chicken dry and place in instant pot over sautéed aromatics. Rub chicken breasts over seasoned aromatics on both sides. Toss in beans, corn, diced roasted poblano peppers, and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice from two limes over everything. Pour chicken broth and coconut milk. 

6. Secure IP lid and set pressure valve to sealing. Select pressure cook on high setting and set timer for 9 minutes. It will take some time for pressure to build up. Once it does, it will start counting down from 9 minutes. Once countdown is done and IP beeps, allow NRP for 10 minutes. Then release the rest of the pressure manually.

7. Remove lid from Instant Pot. Using tongs, remove chicken breasts from pot and place on a cutting board or bowl. Shred chicken using two forks or any preferred method you use for shredding chicken. Add shrededed chicken back to IP. Give chili a good stir combining shredded chicken with the rest of ingredients.

8. Serve chili and garnish with lime, cilantro, avocado slices, and slices of jalapeño peppers. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- This will prevent poblano peppers from sticking to the sheet pan and will make cleaning after easier.
2. Substitute for coconut milk- You can use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened cashew milk.
3. Want chili spicier?- Once chili is done, add about 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper at a time until desired spiciness has been reached.
4. Try making it in the crockpot- Roast poblano peppers as per recipe instructions. Add all of the ingredients to crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken breasts and place back in crockpot.
5. Use electric hand mixer to shred chicken- Place cooked chicken breasts in a deep mixing bowl and use hand mixer to shred.

Nutrition Facts

White Chicken Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers (Instant Pot)

Amount per Serving

Calories

511

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

19

g

29

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Trans Fat

 

0.01

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Cholesterol

 

74

mg

25

%

Sodium

 

911

mg

40

%

Potassium

 

1325

mg

38

%

Carbohydrates

 

51

g

17

%

Fiber

 

15

g

63

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

39

g

78

%

Vitamin A

 

627

IU

13

%

Vitamin C

 

67

mg

81

%

Calcium

 

139

mg

14

%

Iron

 

5

mg

28

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

***Post published originally posted on December 26, 2018.