BEST EVER easy peasy Instant Pot Chili recipe made with ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and all the toppings. Let your pressure cooker do the work on this one and enjoy a hearty no-fuss, easy cleanup meal the whole family will love!
Serve this Instant Pot Chili with my favorite Tossed Green Salad, Super Moist Cornbread, or these Buttermilk Biscuits!
Why This Recipe Works
- Bold Flavor: We are looking to build flavors in this chili to avoid bland, boring chili. Chili should have a bold and comforting flavor. You’ll want to brown your ground beef to intensify the flavor and lock in the juices. Plus, the combination of fire roasted tomatoes along with the seasoning make this instant pot chili extra flavorful! Using the instant pot means that more flavor is drawn out from the ingredients since they are pressure cooked together.
- Simple to Cook: If you are a fan of instant pot recipes, you probably appreciate a really delicious but easy meal. This instant pot chili recipe is no exception. Generally chili needs a lot of time to cook on the stove top to let all the flavors develop. But the instant pot will cut the cooking time down and it will still come out so flavorful!
- Filling and Satisfying: This easy instant pot chili is so comforting and satisfying. Especially in the colder months, make this recipe to warm you up and keep you full. The fiber in the beans and protein in the beef will keep you full and satisfied!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chili
- Ground Beef- Ground beef tastes great in this recipe, but if you prefer you can use ground turkey!
- Onion– Yellow or white onion, diced.
- Garlic– Freshly minced garlic.
- Seasonings: Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin and Salt & Pepper to taste.
- Sugar– Sugar is often added in recipes that contain a lot of tomatoes in order to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I have tried it with and without sugar and with a little bit of sugar is the most tasty!
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes– I highly recommend that you use fire roasted tomatoes in this recipe. It lends a bold and smoky flavor that you wouldn’t get otherwise!
- Tomato Sauce– A bit of regular tomato sauce is added as well.
- Beef Broth– Beef broth is used since we are using beef in the recipe, but chicken broth would also work well!
- Kidney Beans– You can use canned or dry kidney beans. If you are using dry, you will want to soak them overnight before using them.
Here’s How You Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Set your pressure cooker to SAUTE. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil, then sauté your garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer garlic and onions to a bowl and set aside. (photo 1)
- Add a little more oil to the pot along with the ground beef. (photo 2)
- Cook ground beef, breaking up with a rubber spatula or spoon into smaller pieces. Continue to sauté 6-8 minutes until browned. (photo 3)
- Add seasonings to the pot along with the cooked onions and garlic. (photo 4)
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth to the pot. (photo 5)
- Stir in beans, salt, and pepper. (photo 6)
- Cover with lid, switch vent to SEAL position, and set the cooker to MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on high for 15 minutes. (photo 7)
- Do a quick release by switching the vent to the VENTING position. Give it a stir, taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with your favorite toppings. (photo 8)
Expert Tips
- You can use kidney, pinto or black beans in this recipe or a combination of all! Use what you have on hand and what you like the best!
- Make this instant pot chili ahead of time and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze this chili for up to 2 months! Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- If you like your chili spicy, dice up a fresh jalapeño and sauté it along with your onion and garlic! Or add some hot sauce when you are ready to dish up.
The Best Toppings for Chili
One of the best things about instant pot chili is topping it with all the fixins! Here are some of my favorite chili toppings:
- tortilla strips or corn chips – tri-color tortilla strips add a pop of color and taste so yummy!
- shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese – I’ve even used pepperjack for a hint of heat!
- chopped fresh green onions, chives, or cilantro – I love this fresh element for flavor and color.
- avocado
- jalapeños – for those of us who like it spicy!
- lime – for a little acidic bite!
- sour cream – to balance out those jalapeños.
- crumbled bacon – when in doubt, add bacon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this recipe without an instant pot?
No Instant Pot? No problem! There are a lot of options to make this chili recipe without an instant pot. If you have a slow cooker, you can brown your beef and sauté your onion and garlic along with the beef in a pan. Then dump that into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook on slow for 5-6 hours. If you prefer to cook your chili on the stove, follow the same recipe and instructions but let your chili simmer on the stove for 1-2 hours.
How can I thicken my chili?
You can thicken your instant pot chili by whisking 1 tablespoons of flour into 1/4 cup cold water, then stirring that into your boiling chili. The chili will thicken up after a few minutes. Repeat if you want it even thicker!
Instant Pot Chili
BEST EVER easy peasy Instant Pot Chili recipe made with ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes, beans, seasonings, and all the toppings. Let your pressure cooker do the work on this one and enjoy a hearty no-fuss, easy cleanup meal the whole family will love!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 white or yellow onion - diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika - or smoked paprika
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 2 15-ounce cans Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cans kidney beans - drained and rinsed, light, dark, or both
- 2-3 teaspoons salt - to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, cilantro, green onions
Instructions
- Set pressure cooker to SAUTE. Drizzle the pot with a bit of oil and add onions and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes until fragrant and tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add ground beef to the pot and saute 6-8 minutes until browned (depending on the size of your pot you may want to brown the meat in batches to make sure it gets thoroughly browned throughout.) Return onions and garlic to the pot.
- Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, sugar, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, beans, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper.
- Cover, turn vent to the sealed position, set to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- When time is up, do a quick release by turning the vent to the venting position, remove the lid once the float valve drops.
- Give it a good stir, taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Some favorite toppings: toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, cilantro, green onions.
Nutrition
Calories: 419 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 12 g, Trans Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 107 mg, Sodium: 448 mg, Potassium: 562 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 859 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 58 mg, Iron: 4 mg
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If I wanted to double the recipe, just double everything and no problem?
Keep an eye on the fill line. The food shouldn’t go passed that line. Also keep in mind that the liquid doesn’t necessarily need to be doubled.The cook time does not need to be adjusted either. The instant pot will recognize how much food is in there and just take longer to reach pressure before the cook time starts.
Looks solid and super simple! Going to try and make this on a few days for sure!
Though, since you didn’t mention it, guessing we should be leaving the beef fat in the pot and not straining it?
Bonus question: Any recommendations as to the type of beef? IE- 80/20, 85/15, etc?
Yes, you don’t drain the grease, but you can if you prefer! As for the type of beef, it’s personal preference on how lean you want/like you beef but the most common type of ground beef is 85/15 🙂
Won a chili cook-off with a slightly-modified version (used less tomato sauce & broth, added Better Than Bouillon). Thanks!
Very simple and delicious recipe. While I cannot stand Cumin, I used it, very little of it. Everything else was similar to what I do when I “wing it” with my own home-made chili. I like mine spicy though so red hot chili flakes and a dash of cayenne pepper went into mine… perfect heat for a freezing cold Minnesota on December 1st!!
Slow cooking the chili in the Instant Pot is also an option.