The Best Instant Pot Chili
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
This Instant Pot chili is an award-winning chili! Made in less than 1 hour with zero babysitting in one single pot. So tender, so flavorful!
Featured Comment
Why you’ll love instant pot chili
- Not your average bowl of chili. This is the best instant pot chili recipe you can find (loaded statement, I know). The texture of the chili comes out so perfectly with the lean, tender, crumbled ground beef and the blend of all the spices. Not to mention, a secret ingredient that sets this apart from any other chili recipe (more on that below).
- 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 convenient.
- Perfect with cornbread. The chili is chunky and hearty, perfect to dunk your buttery, crumbly buttermilk cornbread right in.
- Freezer-friendly. Not only do the leftovers taste even better but homemade chili can keep in the freezer for at least 3 months, providing instant lunches or dinners on busy nights (reheating so quickly once thawed).
How to make instant pot chili
- Sauté. Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the sauté mode. Add the ground beef and crumble until the meat is fully browned, draining off any excess fat and grease. Set aside.
- Stir in aromatics. Stir in the garlic, onion, bell pepper, and poblano chili until tender, then stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cocoa powder, and cumin until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pot. Stir in the beer, lifting up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Combine. Stir in the beef stock, tomato puree, black beans, crumbled ground beef, salt, and pepper.
- Pressure cook. Close and seal the lid, cooking on high pressure for 18 minutes, quick releasing when finished and carefully opening the lid.
- Finish. Stir in the cilantro and adjust the seasonings, to taste.
- Serve. Serve warm with desired toppings.
Chili Toppings
- Cheese: shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Mexican cheese blend
- Onions: diced red, yellow, or white onions
- Cream: sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or Mexican crema
- Chips: corn chips or tortilla chips
- Crackers: Saltines or oyster crackers
- Peppers: pickled jalapeños
- Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro leaves, parsley leaves, or lime wedges
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium low heat with a splash of water or stock until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freezing
Let cool completely; portion the chili into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, gently reheating over medium low heat with a splash of water or stock until heated through.
what to serve with instant pot chili
Tools For This Recipe
The Best Instant Pot Chili: Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
The beer will add sweetness and acidity to the chili but additional beef stock can also be used as a non-alcoholic substitute.
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté mode, simmering for 5-10 minutes, or until the desired consistency is reached.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or stock until warmed through.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thawing overnight and gently reheating on the stovetop.
Yes, you absolutely can! Here is an easy slow cooker version – also one of my personal favorites.
The Best Instant Pot Chili
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- Lean ground beef is ideal. The ground beef should have some fat. For example, 80/20 or 85/15 are both excellent 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.
- Deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom to prevent the dreaded burn notice.
- 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.
- Make it thicker. For a thicker consistency, simmer the chili using the sauté function for 5-10 minutes.
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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!
Delicious! I made this chili with Yuengling and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and they kept going back for seconds!
Yummy! I really loved this recipe. Just about tripled the amount of beans and used a mix of black, kidney and northern. I will use this recipe for Chili from now on!
Didn’t have cumin, the plabano, or beer & used rotel chili and peppers but other than that – did it exactly as written and it was amazing! Added some jalapeño cornbread for a little pizazz and *chefs kiss* thank you!
I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out! I just wanted a good chili, but one with some more pep in the step that just 4 ingredients. I stumbled across this one and it stood out. Some notes: Although I bought the red pepper and poblano, i decide to leave them out, since I originally wanted something more traditional. Totally fine to do so! I also only did one can of beans. I am the picky one in the house and the one can was just fine to get the beans of chili, but not too overwhelming. I did add some sugar and a little bit of cinnamon which I think was perfect. Everything else I pretty much stuck to the recipe! Would definitely make again!
The oil here really isn’t necessary especially since you’re draining off the fat – if you’re going to do this you might as well walk straight from your pantry to the sink and pour some oil down the drain. 85/15 beef has plenty of natural fat for sautéing. Just let that render while you’re cooking the beef and skip the oil or use a lot less. I didn’t bother draining the beef or even removing it from the pot. When the beef was well broken down and a little over halfway done I added the veg and that all cooked right along with the beef in the beef fat.
One great thing about chili is that it is a great equalizer. Use up whatever you have that you enjoy. I didn’t have tomato paste, and only had 8 oz cans of tomato sauce. But I did have about half a cup of leftover marinara, and some leftover roasted sweet potatoes that would take the place of a thickener and counter the bitterness all in one. So in they went! I substituted my favorite chili powder (Penzey’s Chili 3000) for all of the spices combined. And no beer on hand so I increased the beef stock.
Wow some folks here have strong opinions about beans in chili. You do you, man. I like beans. I added extra. Delicious!
I don’t understand why people make so many alterations to a recipe then give it a rating…..someone enlighten me.
Same. And they write “other than (lists 19 changes) I follow the recipe exactly.
AMEN!!
My husband always said he doesn’t like chili. I grew up with my dad making chili that took all day. I decided to give this a shot and I have to say out of this world amazing! Super quick and easy with the instapot…. cooked to perfection, no fuss and my husband love it so much we keep making! Our definitely go to during chili days qhe hunkering down! You won’t be disappointed!
This was a crowd pleaser. Made it for my picky family (four kids plus grandparents) and everyone loved it. Will be part of the regular rotation!
Best damn chili I’ve made in the IP:)
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. We had family in and served the chili w/cornbread and as a side potato pierogi. Everyone loved it!!
I made this tonight, it was delicious. Didn’t have any beer on hand, just subbed extra beef stock for the beer and it worked out fine. Also, per a recommendation in one of the reviews I added one teaspoon of sugar and that helped to cut the acidity a bit. Overall wonderful recipe and I have a ton left over for lunch/dinner tomorrow.
Everyone loved it!!
This chilli is great ive made it 4 times perfect every time
I’ve been making this recipe for years (in a wok on the stove though, i don’t have an instant pot!). If it turns out bitter you’ve mostly likely burnt the spices, if it’s too watery then cook it longer, and if it’s not spicy enough then add more chili powder – the complaints below are so silly! I recently made this with jackfruit instead of beef, and it was still amazing 🙂