Instant Pot chili has all the ingredients of a traditional chili and lots of flavor from chili seasoning! Lots of it. This easy homemade chili recipe turns out excellent every single time!
If you are a big fan of chili, you might also love beef loaded Chili Con Carne (with Dark Chocolate and Secret Spice) and Beef And Butternut Squash Chili.
To make this Instant Pot Chili, make sure to have your pressure cooker ready to go!
You simply simmer beef, beans, tomatoes and spices together in your instant pot until tender and flavorful. Classic chili perfect for the weeknight dinner!
New to pressure cooking? Start with my Ultimate Guide to Instant Pot to get comfortable with the basics, then come back to nail these ribs.
How do you make homemade chili?
You make it with canned beans and tomatoes in the instant pot. Of course! It's the easiest and the most delicious way to turn boring ground beef into the traditional chili recipe that's packed with flavor! Did you know that you can produce a perfect chili recipe if you pressure cook it for a total of only 30 minutes? That's it! It doesn't get easier than this!
This easy pan homemade chili recipe produces a lovely spice flavor. But thankfully, it's not too overwhelming. What you really taste is the nice beef flavor, not the spice. And that's how it should be. The chili seasoning is just barely there to complement the beef.
Step by step photos of Instant Pot Chili Recipe
- First things first, you will turn your instant pot to sauté and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, you will add the ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic.
- Now cook them together on sauté until meat is no longer pink.
- Once you sautéed the beef, you will add all the spices, Worcestershire sauce, cocoa, canned beans, and liquids into the pot.
- Next you will set the instant pot to manual, high pressure for 10 minutes. It should take about 10 minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure.
- Finally, I recommend to wait 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure. And the total cooking time should not exceed 30 minutes.
I cooked this recipe on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Curious about what that means for your food? Read my Core Instant Pot Cook Times to find out.
Instant Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup chicken stock sodium free
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons chili powder (I used ancho chili powder)
- 2 tablespoons cumin seed ground
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 19 oz. cans red kidney beans drained
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- Sour cream and cheddar cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Turn instant pot to saute and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until meat is no longer pink.
- Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above.
- Set the instant pot to manual, high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Serve in deep dishes or bowls, with sour cream and cheddar cheese on top.
What's in the chili seasoning?
A good homemade chili requires a great homemade blend of chili seasoning! So, what's in the seasoning then?
- First and foremost, we have chili powder. Yes! There is no Instant Pot chili without some chili powder.
- Then I also used Worcestershire sauce to give the chili sauce an extra kick! Do not skip on this important ingredient! You can thank me later.
- You may not be aware, but cocoa powder is often used in chili recipes. Just a bit though.
- With its peppery flavor and aroma, cumin seed provides a nice touch of flavor here as well. I didn't taste cumin at all, but it surely contributed to the flavor. No owner that cumin is such an essential ingredient that many of you may recognize from its use in Mediterranean and Indian cuisines. It works very well in chili, by the way.
- Finally dried oregano is the perfect spice because it has such a strong flavor and a pungent smell.
What do you top chili with?
- If you are a traditionalist, top off your chili with some sour cream.
- However, if you like a healthier alternative to sour cream, go with Greek yogurt. Both provide a creamy, tangy taste to your favorite dishes, but sour cream is higher in fat and calories while Greek yogurt provides more protein and, for the most part, fewer calories.
- There is no better way to enjoy feasting on the bowl of hot chili that cover it with shredded cheddar cheese! So good!
- But, if you don't have cheddar on hand, you can easily replace it with shredded mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella is extremely tame in flavor, so it makes a quick, clean, and creamy hit to your bowl of instant pot chili1
- In my opinion, diced avocado topping makes a cool contrast to the thick, spicy chili.
- You can also add diced tomato or sliced green onions as your topping choice.
- Finally, I find that chopped parsley goes well with everything! And instant pot chili is no exception.
What goes well with Instant Pot chili for dinner?
I prefer to eat my chili with a slice of the homemade bread. For this reason, my top choice is the amazing Homemade Cornbread that is sweet and tender. I also enjoy a slice of easy to make Buttermilk Quick Bread. And finally, if you really want an easy bread recipe, how about this delicious Irish Soda Bread?
For more pressure‑cooking basics and troubleshooting, see my Instant Pot tips and tricks guide.
MAria says
So delicious!