Instant Pot Tomatillo Chicken Chili

By greens & chocolate

November 27, 2023

It’s soup, stew and chili season, and Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate is ready. Her Instant Pot Tomatillo Chicken chili is a gorgeous twist on a classic: heaps of beans and spices swirled with a bright, spicy tomatillo sauce and incredibly tender shredded chicken. The Instant Pot means it cooks in minutes, so you can get back outside and soak in the last shimmery days of fall.



A chill in the air and sweaters in my closet signal one thing: It’s soup season! I love pretty much any and every soup, stew and chili — and each one gets bonus points if it’s filling but still healthy.


This Instant Pot Tomatillo Chicken Chili checks all the boxes for me. It’s easy to make, full of flavor and comforting, yet light and healthy. Adding salsa verde gives this chili a ton of flavor without all the work of making tomatillo verde sauce. I’m all about maximum flavor and minimal work, and that is exactly what the deli sauce does in this chili.


Along with the salsa verde sauce, this chili recipe has onion, garlic, a few cans of beans, chili powder and cumin, then I topped it off with chicken broth and a couple chicken breasts. It cooks in the Instant Pot in a quick 15 minutes and, after shredding the chicken, it’s chili time!


This chicken chili can be served with cornbread or tortilla chips and topped with your favorite toppings. I opted for chopped fresh cilantro and jalapeño peppers, but it would also be great with shredded cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt or chopped green onions.

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

25 min

Ingredients

  • 2
    tablespoons olive oil
  • 1
    white onion, diced
  • 2
    cloves garlic, minced
  • 1
    16-ounce jar Herdez mild salsa verde
  • 1
    15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1
    15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1
    15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1
    tablespoon chili powder
  • 1
    tablespoon cumin
  • ½
    teaspoon salt
  • 1
    pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 4
    cups chicken broth
  • Chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. 1

    Select the brown/sauté setting on the Instant Pot

  2. 2

    Add olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

  3. 3

    Add diced onion and cook with the lid off, about 5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add salsa verde, cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, chicken and chicken broth; stir well to combine.

  5. 5

    Shut the lid of the Instant Pot and close the steam valve.

  6. 6

    Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.

  7. 7

    Follow the Instant Pot directions for Natural Release, allowing the pressure in the pot to release slowly for about 10 minutes. Then follow the instructions for Quick Release, allowing the pressure to release completely.

  8. 8

    Remove the chicken breasts, shred with two forks, and return to the pot, stirring to combine.

  9. 9

    Top with cilantro or other favorite toppings, like jalapeño, shredded cheese, chopped green onion, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Enjoy!

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