There is nothing quite like a hot bowl of Instant Pot Chili with some corn bread. That’s some comfort food right there, as Grandpa would have said! Once you try my Instant Pot Chili, I think you’ll agree! When you make pressure cooker chili, it makes the flavors more rich, for lack of a better word. It cooks in less time than on the stovetop, and you can set the Instant Pot and go do other things while it cooks.
Instant Pot Chili
Chili is a dish I make often in our house. I’m known for it in our circle of friends and family. This chili has been to almost every party and gathering we’ve had in the past 12 years!
This is a recipe that I make on the stovetop, and it recently occurred to me that I had never tried converting it to an Instant Pot Chili. I don’t know why, I guess I revert to autopilot when I make this recipe and drag out the big cast iron pot! Well, I have to say, my chili made in the Instant Pot is amazing! I’m so happy I converted it. Now I’m sharing it with you!
Usually, I make this chili recipe with 93% lean ground turkey, and sometimes with 90% to 93% lean ground beef. This chili is delicious with either meat. It’s probably good without meat, too, though I have never tried that. The guys would picket the kitchen!
I find that using a trio of beans enhances the overall enjoyment of the chili for me. I started doing this with my baked beans, and we all really liked the variety, so I started doing this with my chili recipe, too!
My chosen trio of beans are black, red kidney, and garbanzo. I like pinto beans, and cook with them a lot, but I just thought they were a bit too strong for this chili. Personal preference. You can add them and see what you think, if pintos are one of your favorite beans, or that’s what you happen to have.
So get ready for some comfort food in the form of Instant Pot Chili! Serve this up on Game Day and feed a crowd! Bring this to your next pot luck and you will be asked for the recipe!
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My original recipe for my famous chili adapted for the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. This is a thick, delicious chili. I'm known for it! I hope you enjoy it!
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef (or 93% Lean Ground Turkey. Use a little olive oil to brown the turkey)
- 1 large Onion, chopped
- 1 cup Celery, diced
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tsp Mexican Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 3 Tbsp Chili Powder, mild
- 1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder (this adds the heat, and some extra flavor. Use more for a spicier chili)
- (1) 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes (with juice)
- (1) 7 oz Can Diced Green Chilis (with juice)
- (2) 15 oz Cans Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup Roasted Red Bell Peppers, chopped
- (2) 15.25 oz Cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- (1) 15 oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- (1) 15.5 oz Can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups Chicken Broth or Water
Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté mode. When the display reads “Hot” add the meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost done (if you use 93% lean or higher, you won't need to drain the fat. You'll need a little to cook the onions).
If you use ground turkey, you might need a little oil.
- Add onion, celery garlic, and oregano. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to turn translucent. Add Bay leaves, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, and broth/water. Stir well.
Add beans. Stir.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it into place. Set the steam release knob to Sealing.
- Cancel the Sauté mode.
- Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and then the + or - button to choose 10 minutes.
Stay by the pot until it comes to pressure. I wanted to make this as close to my original recipe as possible, which is a thick chili. If the time starts to count down and the pot has NOT come to pressure (the pin in the lid is still down), open the pot, stir in 1/2 cup of water, and reset the lid and cook time. You shouldn’t have to as I make it this way and it always comes to pressure, but just in case. It will take several minutes to come to pressure, but after it does, the time will appear on the display and start counting down.***
- When the cook cycle is finished, let the pot sit and naturally release pressure for 20 minutes minimum. This is a big full pot, so it will take time. Then manually release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release knob to Venting.
- Serve with your favorite chili fixings and some cornbread!
I hear from people who have trouble getting a thicker pot of food, such as this chili, to pressure. They get the dreaded BURN message, and it never comes to pressure. ***Once the pin pops up it is at pressure, and the time will start to count down after a minute or so. At that point I always feel like I'm home free and nothing will burn! I always hang around my pot while cooking a thicker dish, just in case. If I see that the timer has started to count down and the pin is not popped up, I open it and give it a stir, scraping the bottom, and add just a bit more water. Usually 1/2 cup, stir, put lid back on and reset time. It happens, but if you are there to catch it it won't burn.***
RESOURCES TO MAKE This Recipe and More
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Love the recipe NOTE …. I never realized you could open the pot and stir prior to the pin popping up — that is great info as I have had a few things stick and burn on the bottom. Thank you 😉
As long as the pin is still down, and there is no steam hissing out of the pin or knob, it is safe to open it as there is no pressure built up yet. I think this is important to save thicker foods from burning. That and making sure to deglaze the pot after browning meat, etc.
How do you deglaze the IP?
Deglazing is when you scrape up all of the browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pot when you are browning meat, etc. To deglaze it you keep the heat going and add some kind of liquid like broth, wine, etc. That helps loosen that stuff up. That browned stuff is called FOND, and add a lot of flavor to the recipe. Getting it off of the bottom of the pot helps you avoid the BURN error that the pot will give you when the contents are too thick or something is burned to the bottom of the pot.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! It is on my make again and again list of recipes. I have the Fagor 8qt Multicooker and it worked beautifully!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I have the Fagor 8qt Multicooker and it worked beautifully in it! I served this with some tortilla chips and it was a big hit! This one is on my make again and again list of recipes!
I’m so happy that you liked my chili recipe, Diane! Thank you so much for the great review!
We eat this about once a week. We skip the chilies and chipotle chili powder (and beans) for our 4 year old and she loves it. Frito pie!
That’s great! I’m so glad you like it!
I made this tonight in my Instant Pot mini (so I cut the recipe in half) and it was delicious! We sprinkled some grated cheese on top and tortilla chips on the side, or crunched up on top and loved it! I will keep this recipe to make again. Thanks for another hit recipe.
Thank you, Allison. I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for your review!
Sandy! I’m in heaven when I found you, I was searching for recipes for my new instant pot! Believe me you’re the only one chef that actually explain things better than any other sites…I can tell you do have experience enough and you do LOVE to cook! It shows on your recipes and the amazing taste for the right ingredients. I made this chili last night with all your ingredients, minus the garbanzo beans. We sprinkled some greater mild cheddar cheese, sweet onions and green onions,(mykids love onions)! Thank you for RECIPES !!! Delicious
That’s awesome! Thank you!
I agree. Sandy is my “go to” chef for Instapot recipes. I’m just learning – I have a 6-qt for our home (a stationary 5th wheel trailer) and a mini for our travel-van. I’m hoping to learn, convert, cook, minimize pots and water usage, relax, and enjoy!
Will be trying this for an upcoming church potluck… it sounds great!
I love this chili! I used ground turkey and extra Chipotle!
I’ve had the BURN code come up each of the last three times I’ve made chili. Are you saying that I should stick around the pot and, if it looks like it’s not coming to pressure, open it and deglaze & scrape up the bottom?
Hi Scott, yes I am. I believe different models of pots have different sensitivities. My first IPs never burn. The new one can with certain recipes. You don’t always need to deglaze when you reopen, just scrape it and add a bit of liquid. There is no thick chili that works perfectly in every model of pressure cooker.