Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Rich hearty Instant Pot chili, simmered with beef or turkey, beans, tomatoes, beans, spices, poblano pepper, and a secret ingredient!  Since it’s made in the Instant Pot, it tastes like it slow simmered for hours – yet it’s ready in less than 40 minutes!

Recipes like my Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa and Instant Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup are great for when you want an ultra-comforting family meal that’s ready incredibly fast.  This is one of my Pressure Cooker recipes you’ll definitely want in your recipe box!

INSTANT POT CHILI RECIPE

When you think of a classic winter meal, what do you think of?  For me, I think of chili.

A hot, steamy bowl of chili topped with cool sour cream, fresh cilantro, flavorful green onions, and of course, some gooey cheese.

It’s the kind of meal that you can eat while curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, watching a movie or some Netflix.  The perfect dinner in on a cold night!

HOW TO MAKE PRESSURE COOKER CHILI

1. Add oil to Instant Pot and brown beef or turkey on “saute” mode, crumbling as the meat cooks.  Drain excess grease if needed.
2. Add onion and peppers and cook about 4 minutes, until soft.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir.
4. Cancel “saute” mode, pressure cook for 15 minutes, then perform a quick pressure release.
5. Garnish if desired and serve.

HOW TO TOP CHILI

For me, chili is allllll about the toppings.  A couple of my favorites are sour cream, shredded cheese, minced cilantro, chopped green onions, diced avocado and either tortilla chips or corn chips.

But any of your favorites would be great!

COOKING TIPS FOR THIS CHILI RECIPE

• FAT CONTENT – If using ground beef, I like to use a beef with a lower fat content (90/10), to cut down on the grease.  If using ground turkey, I like to use (93/7).  You can use beef with a higher fat content, you just may have to drain the grease after you brown the meat.
• POBLANO – I love using poblanos for the mild smoky heat they have, but occasionally you’ll come across one that is hotter, so I like to use disposable gloves when cutting the peppers.  If you’ve ever had hot pepper oil on your skin, you’ll know why!
• CHOCOLATE – this recipe uses unsweetened baking chocolate to add some amazing depth of flavor.  Don’t worry, it won’t taste like chocolate at all.  If you can’t find unsweetened baking chocolate, you can substitute with 2 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • If you’re looking to use up the baking chocolate you have, check out my Cincinnati-Style Chili… it’ll knock your socks off

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

• BACON – for some extra added flavor try adding some cooked and crumbled bacon.
• HOTTER – this chili is somewhere between a mild and medium heat level (in my opinion), but if you’d like to make it spicier, increase the amount of cayenne pepper, add some hot sauce, or add a jalapeno/serrano pepper.
• MILDER – to make this more mild, omit the cayenne pepper.
• PROTEIN – this chili recipe is amazing with both ground beef and turkey, but would also be delicious with ground chicken.  You could also increase the amount of beans for added protein.
• TEXTURE – if you like your chili really thick, you can add slurry of cornstarch and water to the chili and cook a few minutes on “saute”.

MAKING INSTANT POT CHILI AHEAD OF TIME

As with most chili recipes, the leftovers are even better the next day, so you can absolutely make this chili ahead of time.

Make sure to cool it completely, then store in airtight containers.

STORAGE

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 5 days.

Leftovers can also be cooled completely and frozen for up to 3 months.

Enjoy alongside a slice of this skillet cornbread!

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE

• Instant Pot – I recently upgraded to this model and I love it!
• Slow Cooker – I’ve had this slow cooker for years and it still works perfectly.
• Dutch Oven – LeCreuset is my favorite brand, but they’re really pricey, so this Lodge version is a great alternative!
• ChopStir – I love this little tool – it breaks up the meat SO quickly!
• Chili Base – this stuff adds an amazingly deep flavor to the chili!

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.

AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!

Recipe originally published in February 2015 and has been updated in Feb. 2020 with additional information and photos.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Instant Pot Chili

4.92 from 23 votes

Author: The Chunky Chef

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes minutes

Calories: 593

Servings: 6 - 8 servings

(hover over # to adjust)

Print Rate Pin

Rich and hearty chili made with either ground beef or turkey.

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 lb ground beef or turkey
• ▢ 2 medium yellow onions diced
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced
• ▢ 1/4 cup tomato paste
• ▢ 3 Tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 Tbsp better than bouillon chili base (optional but highly recommended)
• ▢ 30 oz canned dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 28 oz canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes with liquid
• ▢ 1 to 1 1/2 cups beef broth reduced sodium
• ▢ 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 1/2 oz unsweetened 100% cacao Baker's Chocolate

Instructions

• Turn your Instant Pot to "Saute", then add vegetable oil to the pot. Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it cooks.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, and poblano peppers and cook for 4 more minutes, or until softened. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as the onions and peppers cook and give off liquid.
• Add garlic and cook, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain grease if needed, and return meat mixture to the pot.
• Add all remaining ingredients and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure no browned bits remain.
• Cancel the saute function, and secure Instant Pot lid, making sure the valve is set to "sealing". Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for 15 minutes.
• Once the timer beeps, let out the pressure by carefully moving the valve to “venting" to perform a quick release. When the pin drops, remove lid and set aside.
• If you prefer a thicker chili, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the chili and press the "saute" button again. Cook, stirring often, for several minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
• Serve hot, with desired toppings.

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Chef Tips

 

SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add beef or turkey and cook, crumbling as it browns, for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through.  Drain grease if needed.
3. Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano peppers and saute 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. 
4. Transfer meat and pepper mixture to slow cooker.  
5. Add all remaining ingredients, and stir well.
6. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3 hours.
    

ORIGINAL STOVETOP VERSION

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
• 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 15 oz canned dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup beef broth reduced sodium
• 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 oz unsweetened 100% cacao Baker's Chocolate

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Add vegetable oil to bottom of large heavy bottomed pot.  Heat over MED HIGH heat and add turkey.  Cook about 6 minutes, crumbling the meat as it cooks. 
2. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and tomatoes, and cook 3-4 minutes, until softened.
3. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so.
4. Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring mixture up to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to MED LOW and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes, until thickened to your liking.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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