This delicious Instant Pot pressure cooker chili is a comforting meal made quick and easy in the Instant Pot. Your family is sure to love it!
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My mom’s chili was one of my favorite meals as a kid, and it’s one that I remember well.
The electric can opener would busily hum as she prepared cans of beans and tomatoes while ground beef sizzled with onions. A hefty sprinkling of chili powder and some bubbling and simmering later, the flavors were melded together into a pot of goodness that matched my burnt sienna crayon. It was warmly hearty and delicious, and a favorite in our family.
As I’ve grown older, my love for chili has grown to include a variety of different types. In fact, I have an entire list of the best Instant Pot chili recipes, which is all of my favorites in one place!
Whether it’s the smoky-sweet flavors in pressure cooker BBQ chicken chili, the simplicity of pressure cooker white chicken chili, the seasonal favorite Instant Pot pumpkin chili, or my more recent discovery of sweet potato chili, I find them all dreamy in their own way.
One of my favorite things about chili is the versatility–it’s so easy to make it your own by adjusting spices, types of beans, swapping out the meats, and so on.
But none of those variations are quite as comforting as a bowl of classic chili, similar to the ones I enjoyed as a child.
Over the years, I’ve adapted my mom’s recipe a bit, and more recently, I decided to adapt it to be made in my Instant Pot, because I love the option to prepare it much more quickly!
Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite Instant Pot ground beef recipes.
I love to top it with a sprinkling of cheese and some diced avocado, but you can dress it up however you like. Serve it with some tortilla chips. a grilled cheese sandwich, or skillet cornbread and you’re good to go!
Although chili is often thought of as a fall and winter meal (and for good reason!), I definitely eat it year-round.
In fact, this delicious pressure cooker chili also makes for an amazing taco salad–simply top a bed of greens with the chili, then layer some cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top.
5 Quick and Easy Instant Pot Dinners that Will Save You Time and Wow Your Family
How to Make Delicious Pressure Cooker Chili
You start by browning some ground beef with onion in the Instant Pot, using the Saute setting.
Once the meat is browned, you’ll add in some diced bell pepper, garlic, beans, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce.
Give it a good stir, then put the lid on and pressure cook it at high pressure for 15 minutes. Even though it cooks fast, it tastes like it’s been simmering for much longer.
Really, it’s so, so simple. A hearty bowl of chili in a flash–what’s not to love?
Whether you’re using a Farberware pressure cooker, a Nuwave pressure cooker, a Power Pressure Cooker XL, Ninja Foodi, or Instant Pot, you can make completely delicious chili!
Give it a try–maybe making a yummy pot of delicious pressure cooker chili will bring back some fond memories for you, too! 🙂
Notes and Adaptations for Pressure Cooker Chili:
- You can use whatever type of beans you prefer. I usually use dark red kidney beans and light red kidney beans. Sometimes I’ll use pinto beans or black beans if that’s what I have on hand.
- Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef if desired.
- I like to use beef broth, but chicken broth or vegetable broth will work. Heck, even just plain water will work, but the broth adds a bit more flavor. You may need more salt if you just use water. If you prefer a thicker chili, you can cut back on the liquid a little.
- The tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce add depth of flavor to the chili, but if you’re in a pinch and don’t have any, you can leave them out. Again, you may need some extra salt if you leave out the Worcestershire sauce.
- I like to use diced fire roasted tomatoes if possible, but I’ve also made it with plain diced tomatoes. Feel free to use what you have on hand!
- Leftovers can be frozen.
- You can double the recipe as long as it doesn’t exceed your particular pressure cooker model’s maximum fill limit!
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot (I have the DUO60 model)
The Most Delicious Pressure Cooker Chili
This delicious pressure cooker chili is a comforting meal made quick and easy in the Instant Pot. Your family is sure to love it!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 of a large onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 Tbs chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 2 15-oz cans beans, UNDRAINED (kidney, pinto, or black beans--whatever you prefer!)
- 2 14.5-oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In the insert pot of an Instant Pot, add ground beef and onion. Using the Saute function, cook until the beef is browned and onions are becoming translucent, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat apart as it cooks.
- Once beef is browned, drain grease if necessary and return to insert pot.
- Add bell pepper and garlic, stirring to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add all remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Turn off the Saute function and secure the lid to the Instant Pot.
- Turn the vent to the sealed position.
- Use the Manual setting to select a 15 minute cook time on high pressure.
- After the cook time is complete, turn off the Instant Pot by pressing Cancel. Allow a natural pressure release.
- Once the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Stir contents and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve!
Recipe adapted from my mom's chili recipe.
Notes
- I leave the beans and tomatoes undrained, but some readers find this makes the chili thinner than they'd prefer. If you prefer thicker chili, you can drain the beans and tomatoes to have less liquid.
- You can use whatever type of beans you prefer. I usually use dark red kidney beans and light red kidney beans. Sometimes I'll use pinto beans or black beans if that's what I have on hand.
- Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef if desired.
- I like to use beef broth, but chicken broth or vegetable broth will work. Heck, even just plain water will work, but the broth adds a bit more flavor. You may need more salt if you just use water.
- The tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce add depth of flavor to the chili, but if you're in a pinch and don't have any, you can leave them out. Again, you may need some extra salt if you leave out the Worcestershire sauce.
- I like to use diced fire roasted tomatoes if possible, but I've also made it with plain diced tomatoes. Feel free to use what you have on hand!
- Leftovers can be frozen.
- You can double the recipe as long as it doesn't exceed your particular pressure cooker model's maximum fill limit!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 895mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 8gSugar: 15gProtein: 29g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
so i made this in my new instant pot and it was my first time using it. it started beeping at me a few minutes after coming to pressure and saying “burn”. When I opened it up the bottom was totally burnt. So I would say high pressure is not the right setting. I will use the chili button or low pressure next time.
Hi Melissa! Congrats on your new IP! I’m so sorry you got the dreaded Burn message–I’ve made this chili more times than I can count and that has never happened. It’s worth noting that newer IP models are more prone to displaying the Burn message, especially the 8-qt models. I’m not sure what model you have, but it shouldn’t be an issue of high pressure not being the right setting, but just performing a bit of troubleshooting to figure out what’s causing the Burn message to display (it’s worth noting that the Chili button cooks at high pressure, it’s just a pre-set time). Here are a few reasons why Burn is typically displayed: If the silicone sealing ring isn’t fitted snugly in the lid, that can prevent a good seal, which means the IP can’t achieve pressure. But the IP isn’t smart enough to know that, so it keeps heating in an attempt to build pressure. Because it keeps heating, it ends up burning or scorching whatever is on the bottom of the pan. The same thing can happen if the vent is left open, instead of in the sealed position. The IP won’t be able to build pressure with the vent open, yet the pot will continue to heat in an attempt to do so, resulting in the Burn message. Or, it could be that the pot wasn’t deglazed well enough after browning the beef. If the beef sticks to the bottom of the pan and leaves a bunch of little brown bits stuck to the bottom, that can cause the burn message. I try to scrape the bottom well after adding the liquid, just to lift any of those bits up off the bottom. Not having enough liquid in the pot can cause the burn message as well, but that doesn’t really apply in this instance, since there is plenty of liquid in the chili. I’d recommend double-checking the sealing ring and vent, then making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot of any browned bits when mixing in the broth and other ingredients. I hope that helps! 🙂
Made this recipe tonight. It’s my 2nd time using the instant pot. It tasted delicious. I followed everything except at the end I did the immediate unpressurize option for time. The chili turned out watery. I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t let it depressurize on it’s own, because it needed more time, or it’s watery. Thoughts?
Hi Claire! I’m sorry the chili turned out watery! This recipe isn’t a super thick chili, but it shouldn’t be watery. Letting the pressure out quickly shouldn’t affect the consistency in this case, so I’m not totally sure what happened. I normally don’t drain the beans, but you could always try that next time to see if the resulting consistency is better for you. And congratulations on using your Instant Pot twice already–that’s a big step! 🙂
I doubled the recipe,I had to remove 1 can of tomato and half a cup of beans.Because it was over the line.i have a 6 quarter.it was watery rather like a soup.But the taste was good
Hi Helene! I’m sorry the chili was a little watery! Perhaps it was a little less chunky due to having to leave out some of the tomatoes and beans (I’m glad you were aware of the fill line when doubling!). If you want to double it next time, you could try draining some (or all) of the cans of beans to see if that yields a better consistency for you. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! 🙂
Can I make this with dry beans? What would I need to change if I want to stay away from canned beans?
Hi Wemi! I haven’t personally made this with dried beans, so I can’t say for sure which adjustments would work best. If you want to try it, I’d recommend using pre-soaked beans and increasing the cook time to 20 minutes at high pressure. You may need to add more broth as well–probably 3 or 4 cups. Good luck! 🙂
I too found this to be too watery, but it was a very easy fix. I used the saute setting again on medium high to boil off the excess liquid for about 20 minutes and then I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up the rest of the way!
Hi Bree! Thanks for your tips for getting it to a thicker consistency! 🙂
I used ground turkey and mild Italian sausage instead of beef. A little too soupy, but the cornstarch slurry worked great. Doubled up on the chili powder and the cumin. We loved it!
I love the idea of adding some Italian sausage, Maria! Sounds delicious–I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I’m this chili recipe’s no. 1 fan. I just follow the ingredients/instructions and bam. SO EASY and SO GOOD. This is THE chili recipe. The only one I ever use. The only one I’ll ever need! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Kelli! I’m thrilled to hear that you love the recipe as much as we do! 🙂
Way too watery! I should have read the comments first as a few people had the same complaint.
Hi John! This isn’t a super thick chili (because there’s very little evaporation during cooking, compared to stove top chili), but it shouldn’t be watery. You could try draining the beans and tomatoes to see if that helps the consistency be more to your liking.
Can you list the nutritional information fir this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Debra! Sorry about that–it wasn’t displaying previously but should be now. Hope that helps! 🙂
I just want to thank you for your Recipe. I read it and it cooking now with about 8 minutes left!
I liked your recipe because it’s similar to my Mom’s! There’s nothing like Mom’s you know. I know this is going to be great so thanks. I also will try some of your other recipes! If you want to send me some that would be great!
I’m looking for 1) Shepherds Pie,
2) Cheese Enchiladas,
3) Meatloaf, 4) Beef Stew, 5) Vegetable Stew, 6) Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegies and Curry so it’s hot (for health and getting rid of a bug when I get one….
There’s more but this will really help me I There’s one you don’t have don’t worry, and thank you so much!!
Respectfully,
William
Hi William! I hope you enjoyed the chili–you’re right, there’s nothing quite like mom’s! 🙂
Here is my recipe for shepherd’s pie: https://marginmakingmom.com/instant-pot-shepherds-pie/ and this is my recipe for beef stew: https://marginmakingmom.com/pressure-cooker-beef-stew/
I don’t have recipes yet for the others you mentioned. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this for my sister-in-law’s baby shower and it was a big hit! I had some left over so my husband had some when he got home, and he said it was phenomenal. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks so much, Jenna! I love hearing that it was a hit with both the shower guests and your husband! 🙂