The Best Instant Pot Chili
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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!
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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.
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This recipe is an awesome starting point. “Salt to taste” was a little ambiguous and I screwed up the first batch I made, however, I think I have it dialed in and it is amazing. I followed the above, but swapped canola for olive oil, and only .5lbs of beef goes in the instantpot, the other is browned in a bigger skilled. 2lbs is too much for the instant pot unless you do it in 3-4 batches. At Step 3 Add 2 serano chilies plus add one tablespoon “Shichimi” which is a japanese spice blend. You can get this on amazon look for the red can with gold top about $12. For step 4 I used a lager. At Step 5 add 1 table spoon kosher salt and half tablespoon ground black pepper before pressure cooking. Step 6 add 1-2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and taste for salt add if needed mine typically needs 1-2 teaspoons more. I usually cook this down between saute and slow cook until it thickens up a bit typically 30 minutes plus.
Man, I was so looking forward to this recipe after reading all the great reviews. But I made it last night and something was “off”. Wound up with a strange bitter taste. It was still totally edible but just had an odd bitterness to it. I followed the recipe as written with no substitutions. Only thing I might have done wrong is when I put in the tomato paste and spices, I might have let it cook too long before pouring in the beer and broth. Maybe it kind of burned? Also, I know peppers can sometimes give a weird tinge to a dish.
Anyone else have this happen? Or have any advice to help troubleshoot it? I really think it’s a great recipe but the flavor with just off. Based on a comment from someone else, I did try putting some sugar in my individual bowl and that helped tremendously. And once adding sour cream and such, it did improve. But the base flavor was unfortunately off for me and my family this time.
Without a small amount of sugar to cut through the acidity it tends to come across as bitter. I use about a tablespoon but even a tsp may be enough so just stir it in a tsp at a time and taste until it tastes right 🙂
This chili was so good, added a can of corn in too. I added the beans in once it was all done because I thought it would turn into mush. I love all the bursting flavors in this recipe!
amazing
For some reason I cant get the recipe to show up anymore…Any help??? Was planning to make this for dinner tonight!! HELP! 🙂
Made this as written and I wasn’t a fan but when I added 1T of sugar it was perfect. It was the acidity that made me not love it.
Also added a little cinnamon to the chili when I added the cocoa powder. Made enough to fill my 8qt pot to feed my family of 5 and my kids were all sad that there wasn’t any left. Delicious with the sugar to even it out.
I just read and saved your chili recipe I am going to use
it tomorrow night. 3/1/2020
Hoping it tastes as good as it sounds
This chili was sooo delicious! My husband loved it! It’s definitely a keeper.
This chili was amazing – full of flavor and tasted like it cooked all day! We are definitely adding this to our rotation!
I may also change it up sometime by using 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb of spicy Italian turkey sausage and substituting red wine for the beer, just for a different taste (a spin off from my pre-instant pot chili recipe). Overall though this recipe is fantastic!
I gave this a 4, although i would love to give it a 5. Whether it’s Instant Pot or a soup pot, this is some darn good chili. Like the texture and the sweet heat with just a little more cayenne. Now if you’d leave those beans out, you’d have some great chili. Beans aren’t necessary anymore, they were used a long time ago to take up space when they couldn’t afford prices of meat. They just don’t belong there. But as I said, the ingredients here are right on !!! good stuff. Thank you.
This was a very easy to follow recipe and it was delicious. I highly recommend this chili
Very good, here were my modifications:
1) veggie broth instead of beef stock
2) beyond meat instead of ground beef
3) half red pepper instead of a whole
Overall it turned out great. Very pleased!
This is the only chili recipe I make anymore. Exactly as is. No substitutions. I love it. My partner loves it.
This is my go to recipe and I make it exactly as stated. If you want even more specific, I use Fosters lager 🙂
Made half the recipe in the mini pot. Worked out very well. I agree with everyone else though, could be spicier.
I have a mini IP too. Did you have to adjust pressured cook time? Everything I have cooked in mini seems to do fine with the ‘stew’ or ‘soup’ setting, but I think those are far less than the 18 minutes called for in this recipe.
This chili was good but not great. It needed more spice, and was more watery than I was expecting. Since there is a ton leftover, I added some more chili powder and put the rest in the freezer. That may do the trick, we’ll see!
Made this today and mixed it up slightly by adding diced tomatoes two cans of kidney beans with the black beans. Tastes great! Thanks!
Just made this recipe, thanks very much for it. It turned out well, but I thought the beer came through a little too much (and I am a beer drinker). I soaked my beans overnight and cooked them under pressure for 15 minutes and used natural release. I’ll make this again sans beer.
Great chili. Never thought to put cocoa in a chili before. The ingredients are a bit off though. Says you’ll only need one beer. I found that to be insufficient. I went through three or four before all was said and done. Only one went in the chili though.
Love this!!!
Sounds like my kinda review!
Hahahaha! You cook like me
Hahaha
This was delicious. I used EVOO instead of canola, bone broth instead of beef broth, and added diced tomatoes. The coco powder gave it an amazing depth of flavor.
I wasn’t sure about the cocoa powder. Tasted the concoction before serving and something was just off. Added the cocoa powder and dang…delicious!