The Best Instant Pot Chili
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Hands down THE BEST chili ever. Done in less than 1 hour with no babysitting, no fuss! So easy and so flavorful!
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This is one of our go-to dinner recipes. We have served it for others too and always get great compliments and people asking for the recipe. It’s a pretty giving recipe too but always turns out soooo good. And leftovers are delicious!
I know, It’s not exactly chili season just yet. But, we’ve had the tiniest drizzle of rain with a bit of cold weather these last few days. So we’re staying in with a cozy bowl of chili under the thickest blanket we can find.
reasons to make instant pot chili
- Not your average bowl of chili. Nope, not at all. This is the best instant pot chili recipe you can find (loaded statement, I know). The texture of the chili comes out oh-so-perfectly with the lean, tender, crumbled ground beef with the blend of all the spices (chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, cocoa powder, and cumin) alongside the black bean goodness.
- One pot convenience. With the help of the pressure cooker, the chili tastes as if it has been simmering for hours on end, but it really just needs 18 minutes in the Instant Pot. And you can brown the ground beef right in that same pot. It’s fast, it’s quick, and it’s so darn easy.
- Perfect with cornbread. The chili is chunky, it’s hearty, it’s cozy and it’s perfect to dunk your buttery, crumbly buttermilk cornbread right in. Yes to all the cornbread, please.
tips and tricks for success
- Lean ground beef is ideal. The best ground beef has some fat – 80/20 or 85/15 are both great options. Extra lean meats can be drier (and blander).
- Cocoa powder is key here. Cocoa powder is a common secret ingredient used in chili, adding a layer of depth and richness. Always use unsweetened cocoa powder to avoid adding unnecessary sweetness.
- Use beer. The lager or pilsner beer here will add so much more flavor, acidity, texture and tenderness to the chili.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your chili. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of cilantro or some shredded cheese will certainly take your chili to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
what to serve with instant pot chili
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
The Best Instant Pot Chili: Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use ground beef?
Not at all! Ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
Do I have to use beer?
The beer will add sweetness and acidity to the chili but additional beef stock can also be used as a non-alcoholic substitute.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Is this freezer-friendly?
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop.
I don’t have an instant pot. Can I make chili in the slow cooker?
Yes, you absolutely can! Here is our easy slow cooker chili recipe – also one of our favorites.
The Best Instant Pot Chili
Hands down THE BEST chili ever. Done in less than 1 hour with no babysitting, no fuss! So easy and so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 poblano chili, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 12 ounces lager or pilsner beer
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 2 (10.75-ounce) cans tomato puree
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting.
- Heat canola oil; add beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add garlic, onion, bell pepper and chili to the Instant Pot®. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cocoa powder and cumin.
- Stir in beer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in beef stock, tomato puree, black beans and ground beef; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 18 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sour cream and cheese, if desired.
Video
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Hey! Was wondering if there was a sub for the beer? Sorry if this was asked I read the comments and didn’t see. Thanks !
Our favorite chili recipe! We adjust according to what we have on hand, but you can’t go wrong with the seasoning. We add more beans, another can of black beans, and a can of kidney beans all drained. We’ve even added a can of Navy beans. I use canned petite cut up tomatoes instead of the puree, because that is what we have. My family LOVE it!
Only thing I wish was that the original recipe gave the calories per serving. Can you please post that to your recipes?
Does this chili freeze well?
It freezes so well. I make individual servings for lunch. Amazing
I have probably made this chili 10 times now and my husband absolutely LOVES it. (And so do I.) The flavor is amazing and it has just the right amount of heat. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Delicious! Doubled the recipe for a large group and it turned out perfectly (followed the recipe exactly). It was even better as leftovers!
Did you double everything including the beer? And did you keep the same cook time?
This chili recipe is a keeper! I followed it *almost* exactly. The one substitution I made was that I used navy beans instead of black beans because my black beans had gone bad. It was excellent!
Definitely a great chili. I used a little more tomato paste and a small jalapeño. It was spicy, but good. Easy recipe. Very delicious. I used beef bone broth.
I’ve been looking for a chili recipe for the last year and haven’t found one that I liked until now! The tomato puree is a game changer! I ended up using more beef stock in the place of beer to make it on the healthier side and it was still delicious! Also used black beans and pinto beans for a variety. Will definitely be making this again and again and again!
During the 18 minutes cooking, is it set to venting or sealing position?
Sealing
Yep this really is the best chili. Most chili recipes call for tomato sauce or cans of tomato. I despise chunky tomatoes in my chili, so this recipe stood out to me because no chunks of tomato! It has such good flavor and so hearty. I did red onion as I prefer the flavor, and I did one can of black beans and one chili beans. Can’t go wrong with some minor substitutions.
I made this the other night and it is pretty tasty! I’m just curious if the chili powder ratio is correct. I used much less (1/2 tbsp) and it was so spicy! I cannot imagine what 3 tbsps would taste like
did you use american chili powder, which is not spicy and is a mix of a bunch of spices, or something like an indian chili powder which is pure chili? i made it with american chili powder at the full amount and it wasn’t spicy at all.
Having read all the incredible reviews, I will definitely be giving this recipe a try.
I’m thinking of increasing the ingredients enough to get 12 servings rather than 8. Has anyone tried making a larger batch? What changes did you make and how did it turn out?
Yep this is a good one. All the positive reviews made me want to try it. I added a light pilsner-didn’t have much red bell pepper left so added two ounces carrots too ( 1/2 cup) did’t have a poblano so added a jalapeno pepper. Used lower fat ground turkey. I started the whole thing in my pressure cooker–browning turkey then just added in the onion and veggies etc. I tried to get my pressure cooker to work but it wouldn’t go to pressure and I think my pot just wasn’t big enough for the volume. So I put in in a slow cooker on low. It was wonderful and a favorite. It has a much more “chili” like consistency and taste to us which is desirable. So many inventive chili recipes around with more veggies or added butternut or sweet potato etc etc and it makes for a very nice but not a “tradional” type chili. This one is one I will go to a lot.
She’s not kidding when she calls it the best Instant Pot chili. It is. It’s now my go-to chili recipe. The cocoa powder and the beer deglaze are everything. You won’t regret making this!
I make this time and time again. It is my go to chili.
I love making in and freezing it and taking it on river trips.
My go to Chile recipe…and my different, published Chile recipe (Our Latin Table Little Brown) won a state fair award in Colorado!
This is one of our go-to dinner recipes. We have served it for others too and always get great compliments and people asking for the recipe.
We make it with ground turkey instead, as well as replacing the beer with more beef stock, and half black beans, half kidney beans.
It’s a pretty giving recipe too but always turns out soooo good. And leftovers are delicious!
I’ve made this with beef and it the ultimate! But I’m hoping to make it with ground turkey this time (need a good recipe in a pinch and it’s all I have!) Anyone have success using it as a sub for beef with success?
We always do ground turkey instead and it’s awesome!
Can I make this in the IP using the slow cook option? Heading out for 5 hours and would love to have something hot and ready when we return!
I’ve cooked it with the pressure cook and left the “keep warm” setting on and it still turned out great.
I used this recipe as a basis for my first experiment with the instant pot, but I substituted elk (from my bro-in-law’s hunting success) and used more oil because the meat is so lean. And I added in a can of corn, because why not.
Anyway, the result was that my wife used some Boston-style language to exclaim how good it is! We figured any recipe that has beer AND cocoa can’t be bad, and we were right.
I’ve been making this for probably 2 years. It’s always a hit! I seldom get around to posting reviews for recipes but one of my New Year’s resolutions is to be better at giving credit where credit is due. This recipe definitely deserves it! Thank you!