Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot Chili is made with ingredients like ground beef, aromatics, tomatoes, beans, and delicious spices. It’s all cooked in one pot which makes this EASY Instant Pot Chili a cinch to clean up!

This recipe takes your typical low and slow-cooked chili and turns it into a pressure-cooked version with much faster results! It’s just as flavorful as any classic recipe and is the perfect meal for cozy weekends and easy weeknight dinners.

As much as I love this recipe as it’s listed, there is definitely room to be flexible with the ingredients. A different protein, added veggies, or play around with the spice level, it’s all up to you!

Keep it warm all day and allow it to sit and allow the flavors to infuse over time. When you and your family are ready to eat, set out all your favorite toppings, like shredded cheese, avocado, and sour cream, and enjoy a hearty bowl with a side of tortilla chips or cornbread!

Making a big batch of pressure cooker chili comes in handy for leftovers throughout the week. It’s also freezer-friendly, so you can portion it out and keep some for later on.

Why I Love This Family-Friendly Chili

• It’s super simple to throw together a hearty, wholesome, and satisfying dinner quickly with ingredients you’ve probably already got in your kitchen.
• The pressure cooker eliminates the need for a low and slow simmer for hours but still maintains the awesome flavor.
• A one-pot meal makes for easy clean-up!
• Tons of leftovers for the week or freezing. Reheat a bowl for lunch or dinner the next day or use it on other things like breakfast nachos or hot dogs.

Ingredients Needed

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card to see the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Olive oil – Used to sauté the onion and green peppers to bring out their flavor and soften them a bit before browning the beef. Also used to keep the ingredients from sticking to the pot.
• Aromatics – Onion and garlic add an incredible amount of flavor to create the base of flavors for the chili flavors to build on. Layers of flavors which each ingredient is what makes chili so good.
• Ground beef – Use as lean as you’d like. I use anywhere from 90-95% lean but you can use what you like. You may want to drain the excess grease if there is a lot.
• Green pepper – A vegetable element with added crunch and great flavor. You can use red bell pepper if you’d prefer.
• Beef stock – If you have any homemade stock lying around, use it! Otherwise, any storebought beef broth will do. Low sodium is great if you’re worried about salt levels.
• Can of diced tomatoes and juices – Don’t drain the juices, you want to add them to the chili as well.
• Tomato sauce – The delicious tomato base of the chili is made up of tomato sauce along with canned tomatoes and broth. Look for a tomato sauce with little to no sugar, if preferred.
• Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne for a little heat.
• Beans – Chili is pretty flexible in what kind of beans you use. This recipe calls for pinto and kidney beans which are a classic combination.

How to Make Chili in the Instant Pot

Prep: Gather the ingredients. Dice the onions and green peppers. Mince the garlic.

Step 1: Press [Sauté] on the Instant Pot and select more. Heat olive oil and add onions and green peppers and cook until soft.

Step 2: Brown the ground beef by breaking it up into small crumbles, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon as you stir. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Press [Cancel].

Step 3: Add beef broth to the pot and deglaze the pot by scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with your spoon.

Step 4: Toss in your diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, ground cayenne pepper, and beans.

Step 5: Place the lid on the pot, set the valve to sealing. Press the [Pressure Cook] (or manual) button and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Release the pressure manually or allow it to naturally release.

Serve hot with everyone’s favorite toppings and a basket of fresh crusty bread or a slice of cornbread!

Fun Tip: If you’re serving guests, keep the chili on the warm function in the Instant Pot and layout the toppings. Have everyone serve themselves and decide how they want to garnish theirs!

Favorite Toppings

• Shredded cheese like cheddar, Colby jack, or Monterrey Jack.
• Sour cream/Plain yogurt for a cool creamy topping.
• Avocado (or guacamole!) – Sliced, diced, or made into delicious guacamole!
• Sliced jalapenos for added heat.
• Red or green onions add a mildly pungent flavor.
• Crushed tortilla chips or strips for a salty crunchy garnish.
• Lime juice straight from fresh lime wedges is the perfect way to finish it off!
• Cilantro adds a vibrant fresh finish.
• Bacon is always a good idea! Whether it’s made within the chili along with ground beef or crumbled on top, it’s delish.

Tips

• Make this family-friendly meal even more kid-friendly by skipping the cayenne for a mild version.
• Swap the protein for a lighter version and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
• If you can’t find smoked paprika, regular paprika will work just fine. You can also replace the smoked paprika with a couple of drops of liquid smoke if you have some.
• Easily make this recipe in a slow cooker using the low and slow method. Brown the meat, then dump in remaining ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

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