Instant Pot Chicken Chili

chicken chili in blue bowl topped with cheese

5 from 3 votes

This Instant Pot chicken chili is full of bold TexMex flavor, and fall-apart tender chicken. A hearty meal for a cold day, it's simple to prepare and cooks up quickly thanks to the pressure cooker!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Time to pressurize + natural pressure release25

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Servings: bowls

Calories: 272kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
6 cloves garlic minced
1.5 tablespoons chili powder note 1
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 cup stock
12 oz can corn drained
19 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
15 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices
15 oz tomato sauce note 2
2 chicken breasts roughly 1 lb; see note 3

Instructions

Sauté onions & garlic - Select the 'sauté' function of your Instant Pot. Into the stainless steel insert, add olive oil and onions. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until onions are soft and translucent, then make a space and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute.
Sauté spices - Add the spices (chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne; see note 4). Toss to coat, and cook for an additional minute, stirring frequently so the spices don't burn.
Add remaining ingredients - After a minute, add the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure nothing is stuck. Then add (in the following order) corn, kidney beans, chicken breasts, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Do not stir.
Cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
When the Instant Pot completes its cooking cycle, allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes (just let the pot sit without touching it). After 10 minutes, carefully transfer the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release any remaining pressure.
Shred chicken - Use tongs to carefully transfer chicken breasts to a clean bowl. Use two forks or an electric hand mixer to shred the chicken, then return to the chili and stir.
Serve - Enjoy chili topped with shredded cheese, avocado and sour cream.

Video

Notes

use a paprika-based chili powder blend for this recipe; find it in the spices aisle of your grocery store or make a homemade version using the recipe linked in the blog post
tomato sauce refers to a puréed tomato mixture; sometimes it’s called passata. Do not confuse with ketchup
chicken breasts may be swapped for boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the same cook time
it’s smart to have all the spices measured out in a small bowl before you begin cooking so that they don’t burn while you are measuring out the other spices.
tomato products are notorious for causing a burn warning; adding them last keeps them away from the bottom of pot.
note that the chili will be ‘soupy’ upon removal of the lid, but as it cools, it thickens up nicely.

Storage

Cool chili, then add to your favorite storage container (I like plastic freezer jars).

fridge- store in the fridge for up to 4 days
freezer- freeze for up to 6 months

Reheating

Heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot; heat larger portions in a pot over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until steaming hot.

Nutrition