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.
I needed a hearty chili the kids would love and substituted the beef for black bean burgers ground up and the meat lovers couldn’t tell the difference!
Wow, pretty good! Just added cheese n salsa and Greek yogurt. Wife really likes it!!
First instant pot recipe that I made and I was able to do this with my 14 year old daughter. It was such a fun and easy and straightforward recipe to follow. I recommend following it to the letter. It is absolutely delicious. The flavors are perfect and the consistency is on point. Many thanks for posting this and sharing. This will be a fam favorite for sure.
When it comes to the nutrition information, is that for a cup of chili or is that more? I wasn’t sure.
A serving is 1 1/2 cups.
This is my go to chili recipe for at least two years. I don’t even bother with the cumbersome stovetop version anymore, that’s how good this is. I rave to everyone about this recipe. Only thing I do different is that I add about a cup of beer, either what we have in the house or chocolate beer if I’m feeling fancy
I made this for the family tonight and everyone loved it – from my parents to my kiddos. This irwcipe is a keeper. 🙏❤️
I am going to make this for a chili contest at work. I have a 6 quart instant pot. Is this the correct recipe for that size, or do I need to cut it down a bit?
6 quart is plenty big!
We love this recipe. We have made it over a dozen times now. My FIL will ask for chili, looking for this flavor. This has become a household favorite 😍
Hello. If I double the recipe, does the cooking time change?
It should stay the same assuming it stays within the maximum fill line!
This recipe was honestly one of the best chili recipes I’ve made. I was skeptical about the cocoa and sugar but it didn’t taste sweet at all. It was thick and full or flavor. We made it for guests and they asked to take some home! Easy and really good.
I’ve added cocoa to my chili for years, definitely elevates the flavors
Thank You for this wonderful, easy recipe! Just came across this looking for a good recipe to follow. ( I never follow recipes – just use them as suggestions and inspiration) since I would not be tasting the process like I usually do. It was perfect and company loved it!
is it 3 8oz cans of tomato sauce?
Yes that is correct.
This recipe has been my favorite chili recipe for several years. Occasionally I will ditch the ground meat and use High end beef cut And a little liquid smoke to make it an Smokey steakhouse chili.
So delicious. Both my husband and I loved it. Will become a go to meal in our house
Just made this Chille for dinner tonight and it was the best Chille I’ve made to date! First time using my instapot too but your directions made it simple. Only change I made was adding some diced bell & jalapeño pepper. I think it could use a little more beans but that’s only because I love beans. But it’s a simple yet delicious recipe and my go to from now on
This was the first recipe I made in my instant pot and it was delicious! Thank you!
Me too, this was my first recipe in the instapot as well! It turned out perfect!
Delicious! Easy to prep and nice depth to the chili flavor!
This has become our go-to chili recipe. My husband loves a Cincinnati chili and this comes close with the addition of the cocoa powder. The balance of flavors are good and thank goodness this doesn’t take all day to taste like it cooked all day!
Super easy and quick recipe. My husband is typically the only one who eats leftovers but the next day my kids will ask for more chili. Good flavor! This is one of my favorites!
I’ve been making chili as more of a hodge lodge of recipes without measurements forever. With a six year old, consistency matters so off to google to find recipes. So glad to have found this! We’ve made it twice with a few extra ingredients…my daughter asked for seconds both times. She just said she loved it. I could add this to our weekly rotation!