This Instant Pot chili is a blend of beef, beans, tomatoes and spices, all simmered together in a pressure cooker until tender and flavorful. The easiest way to make chili; everyone will think you spent all day on it!
There’s nothing better than a big bowl of chili on a cool day, and this Instant Pot version is full of bold flavors, but ready in no time at all. Serve your pressure cooker chili with honey cornbread or garlic knots for a complete meal.
Sometimes I crave a bowl of chili, but I just don’t have the time to let it simmer all day. Enter the Instant Pot; rich, flavorful chili ready in less than an hour! This recipe is so easy to make and is mild enough that the whole family can enjoy it.
How do you make Instant Pot chili?
To make Instant Pot chili, you’ll need to first saute your ground beef and onions in the pot. After the beef is browned and the onions have softened, an array of seasonings go into the pot along with two types of beans, tomatoes and beef broth. Seal the Instant Pot, turn it to the Chili/Bean setting, then wait for your dinner to be ready!
How long does it take to cook chili in an Instant Pot?
It takes 20 minutes to cook chili under pressure, in addition to the time it takes you to saute the ground beef and onions. You can either release the pressure manually, or wait for the pressure to naturally release depending on how quickly you want to eat.
How do you thicken chili in an Instant Pot?
This chili comes out quite thick because it only contains a small amount of broth. If you prefer your chili to be even thicker, you can simmer it on Saute mode for 5-10 minutes after it’s already been cooked under pressure.
Tips for Instant Pot Chili
- I like to use 90% lean ground beef, as it has plenty of flavor but isn’t overly greasy. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- I use a blend of beans, with one can of kidney beans and one can of pinto beans. Feel free to use other types of beans to suit your taste, such as black beans or red beans.
- This chili makes for great leftovers. You can store the chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 2 months.
- This is a mild chili, but if you prefer a spicy chili, you can add some hot sauce to taste.
- I like to serve my chili with a variety of toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, tortilla strips, avocado and green onions.
This recipe can easily be doubled to serve a crowd. Sometimes I make a double batch just for my own family, then freeze half for another night. You’ll find yourself making this recipe over and over again!
More soups and stews
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Hamburger Soup
Instant Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 3 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 15 ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- Assorted toppings such as shredded cheese, tomatoes, green onions and sour cream
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to Saute, then select More. Add the olive oil to the pot. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up the beef with a spatula as you stir.
- Add the onion and cook for 3 more minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, pepper and beans to the pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the Chili/Beans setting and place the lid on the pot. Cook for 20 minutes. Release the pressure either manually or allow it to release naturally.
- Serve with assorted toppings.
MarySC says
My family loves this! I have a few anti-spice kids so I only use one heaping tablespoon of chili powder. I usually use half beef and half turkey and black and pinto beans. I add all the spices with the onions and garlic to enhance their flavors, and I add the tomato products on top after mixing everything else together to prevent the dreaded burn notice. For convenience I use a 28 oz can of tomato sauce so I do need to reduce the chili for a bit after pressure cooking. This freezes great too!
Brittney says
This is the first chili I have made in my Instant Pot and I loved it! My husband and I prefer spicy foods so we added cayenne powder and red chili flakes with the other spices. We skipped the sugar due to not having any on hand and it still had a sweetness due to the tomato sauces. Once the chili was done in the Instant Pot, we removed some liquid with a ladle and simmered it down to thicken. Overall, great and quick recipe.
Vivian says
Thatnks for the recipe, it almost eactly the one I use for stove top chili. By the way those looking for a thicker sauce can add a small can of tomato paste. It boosts the tomato flavor and thickens the chili (if you do add surgar to your chili recipe I suggest you omit it if you use tomato paste as it is slightly sweet though you probably won’t notice this in this recipe. I usually add the tomato paste after the chili is cooked and before I put it on simmer. 1/2 teaspoon of coca powder and a 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnomom are great flavor enhancers
Susan says
Hi, since I didn’t have all the liquid ingredients, I substituted diced tomatoes with green chilis, red enchilada sauce, tomato paste and water. Also used some chocolate chips instead of sugar and cocoa. Also added cayenne pepper. Turned out great!
Luke says
Came out more like soup. Sauted it for about 40 minutes then let it sit out over night. In the morning it was perfect. Recipe itself Is pretty good just a classic chillie
Stephani says
This was so delicious! Of course I was missing an ingredient (the cocoa), but I substituted a cinnamon stick. The chili was so flavorful. I can’t believe it only cooked for 20 minutes!
One question – what is the size of a serving?
John Garner says
Hey there, chili recipe is the BOMB! Thanks for sharing. I followed it except I threw in a 12 oz can of beer, which I do with just about every stew-chili I make:) If I want it thicker I just make a little masa paste and add at end.
Claire says
As an English person now living in Canada, what do you mean by tomato sauce? Purée? Or liquidized tomatoes?
Sara says
It’s tomato puree!
Paula says
Can I slow cook this on the IP? Heading out for 5!hrs and would love to come back to chili already made hot and ready!
Sara says
That should be fine!
Dan says
Would a natural release not overcook the chili and make it even thicker?
Sara says
It wouldn’t necessarily thicken it since the lid is on, there’s nowhere for the liquid to evaporate to. If you want a thicker chili you’d be better off using saute mode and cooking it uncovered on saute until you reach your desired consistency.
Dayna says
This recipe is amazing! It says 6 servings- what is the serving size approximately?
Sara says
It’s 1 1/2 cups per serving!
Kristin Clifford says
What if my insta pot does not have a beans/chili button?
Sara says
Use manual high pressure!
hollcraft23 says
I got a “burn” warning. How do I avoid that?
Sara says
That typically happens when there’s no liquid on the bottom of the pot, give it a good stir and then resume cooking.
Maxwell Tidwell says
Even with the bottom of the pot coated with oil, I always get the burn message
Sara says
It has to do with the liquid, if there’s liquid touching the bottom it should be fine. Just give the chili a good stir before you seal and cook so the liquid is evenly distributed.
MarySC says
Add everything except the tomato products and mix, scraping the bottom really well. Then pour the tomatoes and tomato sauce in and do not stir.
Linda says
My favorite! Best chili yet and done so quickly.
Melissa says
OMG…so great!!! I added a can of shoe peg corn for beautiful color, crunch, and flavor. My family LOVED it. I served it with sour cream, cheese, and other toppings. Then I added tortilla chips on the side instead of crackers. It reminded us of chili cheese nachos. Thank you for sharing your recipe. 🤗
Arjeta says
How many cans of tomato sauce?
Sara says
3 cans, 8 ounces per can
Grace says
So 28 ounces of diced tomatoes. Not 2 cans with 8 ounces?
Sara says
It’s a single, 28 ounce can!
Jacki says
What do you mean by ground pepper? Black pepper or cayenne pepper?
Sara says
It’s black pepper!
susan kourim says
This is the ONLY chili recipe I use now! It is so good, fast, and easy to make!
Stephen says
What setting do you use if you don’t have chili/beans setting on the instant pot? Regular pressure cook setting ok?
Sara says
Manual high pressure will work fine!
Jonathan S says
Will this recipe work “as is” with the instant pot mini? i believe it is 3 quarts.
Sara says
I believe it would be too small and you’d want to halve the recipe!