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The Very Best (and Easiest) Instant Pot Chili

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When it comes to go to family recipes this Instant Pot Chili is perfect. Not only does it make for a perfect weeknight dinner, but the leftovers are perfect served over tortilla chips, French fries or even on its own with some fresh crusty bread.   This recipe is one of those recipes that will stand the test of time.

chili in a white bowl topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions on a table next to a spoon and an instant pot

After all, delicious, meaty and rich chili is the perfect meal, especially after a long day. Perfect for busy weeknights, weekends, big family get togethers and even game day, this Instant Pot Chili is going to change the way you make chili for years to come.

A rich and delicious combination of flavours, everyone will rave about how yummy and filling this recipe is. From Instant Pot to table, this recipe is guaranteed to impress even the most discerning of Chili lovers. In fact, you will want to make this as often as possible.

chili in a white bowl topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions on a table next to a spoon and an instant pot

How to Make Instant Pot Chili

A variety of delicious ingredients and a little bit of time are what make this recipe the best one yet. Serve this at your next big game day, family get together or simply for a family dinner.

Ingredients Needed

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 white onion (diced)
  • 2 15-oz cans pinto beans
  • 1 15-oz can black beans
  • 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 1/2 Tbs chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

This recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey if you prefer.

You will want to use black beans and pinto beans in this chili. Just make sure that you drain them and rinse them before adding them to the Instant Pot.

I prefer black beans for their size and slightly better nutritional profile, but you can substitute kidney beans which work great in chili.

If you’re in a hurry and/or don’t have all of the seasonings called for above, you can substitute a chili seasoning packet. At a minimum, you need the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Step 1: Brown the Meat

To begin, turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Wait for the display to read “Hot,” then add in the ground beef and onion.

Sauté the ground beef and onions until the beef is browned and the onions are translucent.

ground beef and onions in an instant pot

Press “Cancel” to turn off saute mode.

Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients

Now, we just need to add everything else! Drain the beans and rinse them before adding them to the pot.

beans and ground beef in an instant pot

Next, add the diced tomatoes.

diced tomatoes, beans and ground beef in an instant pot

Add all of the seasonings (or a chili seasoning packet if you prefer).

seasonings, tomatoes, beans and ground beef in an instant pot

Finally, pour in the beef broth before securing the lid. Make sure you’ve turned the pressure valve to seal.

Step 3: Pressure Cook

We need to pressure cook on high. Press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” (depending on your Instant Pot model) button and set the time for 12 minutes.

When the cook time ends, carefully turn the pressure valve to venting to quick release the pressure. If you’re not in a hurry, you can let the pressure release naturally and the Instant Pot will keep the chili warm until you’re ready to serve.

Once the pressure has fully released and the pin drops, carefully remove the lid.

Stir to combine the ingredients.

chili in an instant pot

Your chili is ready to serve! Spoon into bowls and serve immediately.

You can garnish this chili with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.

chili in a white bowl topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onions on a table next to a spoon and an instant pot

Instant Pot Chili Recipe

📋 Recipe

Instant Pot Chili

Corinne Schmitt
This Instant Pot Chili is delicious, meaty and easy to make! It's the perfect one-pot family-friendly meal that's perfect for serving a crowd.






4.43 from 14 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Pressure Build and Release 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 286 kcal

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ white onion diced
  • 2 15 ounce cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Turn Instant Pot onto saute mode. When hot, add ground beef and onion to the pot. Cook until ground beef is browned. Press "Cancel" to turn off saute mode.
  • Add remaining ingredients to Instant Pot inner pot.
  • Secure the instant pot lid and turn pressure valve to seal. Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes.
  • When cook time ends, turn valve to vent for a quick pressure release.
  • Serve warm with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 1073mgPotassium: 803mgFiber: 9.5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1086IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 5mg
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Stacked images of bowl of chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and green onion slices on table next to Instant Pot

What Can I Serve with Instant Pot Chili?

There are many things that you can serve with this recipe to make it a well rounded and hearty meal.

  • Cornbread and biscuits
  • Garden Salad
  • Guacamole
  • Tortilla chips
  • French Fries
  • Fresh crusty bread
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Tangy coleslaw
  • Dinner rolls

You can also serve the chili over rice or macaroni if you want.

Common Questions

Every time I publish a recipe, I get several of the same questions so here are the answers to some of the things you might be wondering about after you read this recipe.

Can I use ground turkey instead?

Absolutely! If you prefer ground turkey to ground beef, it can easily be swapped in with no adjustments to the recipe.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

You sure can! You’ll just need to brown the beef and saute the onions in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. Then, add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

My pressure cooker is a different brand. Will this recipe work in it?

It should. I only own the Instant Pot brand but several members of my Facebook group have different brands and are able to make all of my recipes in them. The buttons may be labeled differently, but the overall functions are very similar.

10 thoughts on “The Very Best (and Easiest) Instant Pot Chili”

  1. 5 stars
    I only get to taste chili when I eat at restaurants. Glad that I can now make one at home. Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
  2. Do you suggest draining the ground beef after Browning it?

    Reply
    • I usually use the 93% lean ground beef so I leave the little bit of grease in (partly to save time and also for flavor), but if you use a fattier version then you probably will want to drain off some of the fat. A turkey baster works great to pull out some of the grease without having to empty the whole pot and strain. Because this dish is so liquidy, as long as you make sure to scrape up any ground beef stuck to the bottom as you’re browning it, you shouldn’t run into a burn error.

      Reply
    • We are a chili family and always looking for the “best” recipe! Can this recipe be doubled? Or will I need to do 2 batches? We love leftover chili! Some time we get the chance to freeze some for a later date! I have an 8 qt instant pot.

      Reply
  3. My husband and I are very picky about our chili. One of us is bound to not like it. I saw your recipe in my e-mail. I knew that I had all of the ingredients on hand and since I hadn’t planned supper yet we were going to have chili. It was easy to prepare and so tasty. We both had two bowls full. I certainly will be making this again Thank you for sharing..

    Reply
    • I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for taking the time to comment to let me know!

      Reply
  4. Good morning, Corinne! This looks yummy and easier than my recipe. If you do not mind, can you check the nutrition facts? Two grams of carbohydrate seems a bit small for chili. Sorry to be a stickler about this, but I cook for a Type 1 diabetic so I tend to notice these things!

    Reply
    • Hi Margaret! Never apologize for being a stickler. I appreciate the keen eyes of my readers which helps me improve recipes and posts for everyone. I ran the nutrition calculator in my recipe program again and got the same results, but when I ran it in a different calculator I got VERY different results. I agree that 2 g of carbs seems ridiculously low given all the beans. The other calculator shows 29 g of carbs! I’m updating the recipe with the numbers from the alternate calculator and writing to the developer of the calculator I’m using to let them know it’s not working properly. Thanks so much for calling my attention to this!

      Reply
      • Thanks, dear. That looks more like what I was expecting. I am enjoying poking around your site learning new things….

        Reply
4.43 from 14 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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