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Instant Pot Chili

Published: January 10, 2020 | Last updated: February 21, 2020 16 Comments

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Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili
Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili
Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili
Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili
Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili
Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating | imagelicious.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchili

Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It’s a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating.

Closeup of a bowl of Instant Pot Chili.

This post contains amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I will receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Chili is one of my husband’s absolutely favourite meals. He can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am not exaggerating as I have seen him do just that.

I tried making chili the old-fashion way on the stove a few times but I lacked the patience, so it was my husband’s recipe to make for years. He spent days making it, soaking beans, cooking everything from scratch.

Once I got my Instant Pot, I knew that I had to come up with an easy way to make chili in Instant Pot. And I’m so glad I did. I’ve been making this Instant Pot Chili for two winters now and it comes out perfect and delicious every time. It is also super easy to make and great for those days when you don’t have time to go to a grocery store.

This Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and very affordable. Made with a few good quality canned goods and a little bit of ground meat, it tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove for hours!

All the ingredients to make Chili in Instant Pot.

Ingredients to make easy Instant Pot Chili

  • Onion
  • Extra lean ground beef (or other lean ground meat of choice)
  • Canned black beans
  • Canned red beans
  • Canned mixed beans
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Chili Seasoning (I use homemade chili seasoning, if I don’t have homemade, this is the kind I like)
  • Water

Collage of process shots showing how to make Instant Pot Chili.

How to make Chili in Instant Pot

  1. Add all the ingredients to Instant Pot, no need to mix, just layer everything.
  2. Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes then do a natural pressure release.
  3. Mix and enjoy!

Serve with: sour cream or yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onion, and crusty bread.

Yes, it is that easy!

Bowl of Chili.

Tips for making Instant Pot Chili

  • To speed up the time it takes for Instant Pot to come to pressure, turn saute mode one while you are getting all the ingredients ready. Add the onion and let it cook while you are getting the meat from the fridge. Add the meat and let everything cook while you are draining and rinsing the beans and getting everything into the electric pressure cooker. Make sure to scrape everything really well if there are any burnt onion bits in the pot, should you choose to saute.

 

  • You can use fresh ground meat or frozen ground meat without defrosting. There’s no need to adjust the cooking time. If you use frozen ground meat, you’ll just need to break it into bite-size pieces with a spatula once everything is cooked.

Chili in Instant Pot.

  • You can use any ground meat as long as it’s lean, so extra lean ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. If you use regular ground beef then chili might be a bit too greasy.

 

  • If you are using fresh ground meat, you can mix it with the onion if you’d like. It’ll help the meat separate into smaller pieces. However, you don’t have to mix at all. If you do not mix, then you will just need to break the meat with a spatula once everything is cooked. 

 

  • Please dice the onion as finely as possible. There’s nothing worse than big chunks of stewed onion!

 

  • If you are using my Homemade Chili Seasoning mix then note that it uses a fair bit of cumin, which is absolutely delicious in this recipe, however it will leave the smell on your Instant Pot sealing ring!! 
    • I highly recommend having a few extra sealing rings for just such an occasion. This way you can use one for all the savoury foods that have strong smells.
    • Note, you can actually wash the lid in a dishwasher. Check your manual for the specific directions.
    • It usually takes about 3-4 washes in a dishwasher to remove the smell. However, the smell does not transfer to the food.

Hand holding a sponful of chili.

  • If you are using store-bought chili seasoning packets, then I suggest adding a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder just to bring it to the next level. 
    • You’ll need one packet of store-bought chili seasoning. It’s usually 35g, or about 3 tablespoons.
    • This is the the kind I like seasoning packet that I like and use when I don’t have homemade seasoning available.

 

  • You can use any combination of canned beans you like but I prefer black beans, red beans, and then a can of mixed beans.

 

  • Fun tip: you can leave this chili in Instant Pot on keep warm for the whole day. I’ve done it a few times on snowy winter days. Made it in the morning for lunch and we just kept getting small servings of chili throughout the day.

 

  • IMPORTANT: I have made this Instant Pot Chili at least a dozen times and I use my Duo usually with no problems. My Smart Wifi Instant Pot model is a bit iffy and it works half of the time and gives burn notice the other half time. If you are worried that 1/2 cup liquid is not enough and you know that your Instant Pot easily gives out burn notice, then add 1 cup liquid. Once everything is cooked and Instant Pot is open, then use saute function for another 10-15 minutes to cook out some of the extra liquid.
    • 1/2 cup cooking liquid should be enough for most some Instant Pot 6 quart models as there’s liquid in vegetables, tomatoes, and juices in the meat also. But some models may require more liquid.

Bowl of chili with all the fixings and instant pot in the background.

More warming instant pot recipes

  • Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs (instant pot or oven)
  • The Ultimate Guide for Making Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Instant Pot Creamy Salmon Pasta
  • Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie
  • Instant Pot Beet Risotto Recipe

DO YOU WANT MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES?

Join my Real Ingredients Instant Pot Recipes Facebook Group!!! It’s a fun and safe place to share your own Instant Pot recipes made with Real Ingredients.

Hands holding a bowl of chili.

Closeup of a bowl of Instant Pot Chili.
Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot Chili is delicious, easy, and healthy meal. It's a perfect dump & start recipe and great for weeknight dinners. Use for meal prepping as leftovers are great for reheating.
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, instant pot
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Time to build and release pressure 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 249kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef (fresh or frozen)
  • 3.5 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (540 ml)
  • 1 can red beans, drained and rinsed (540 ml)
  • 1 can bean medley, drained and rinsed (540 ml)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (796 ml)
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to your Instant Pot in the order they are listed. No need to mix.
  • Close the lid of your Instant Pot and turn the valve to Sealing.
  • Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and use the arrows to select 20 minutes. Use default High Pressure. It will take about 15-18 minutes to come to pressure.
  • Once the Instant Pot beeps that the 20 minutes of cooking are done, do a natural pressure release. This will take about 30 minutes. You could do a natural pressure of 15-20 minutes and then finish with a quick release if you'd like to speed the things up a bit.
  • Carefully open the lid and mix everything up with a spatula, making sure to break up the cooked ground meat into small bite-sized pieces.
  • Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and green onion.

Video

Equipment
Instant Pot.
Instant Pot

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 841mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1569IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment with a star rating!
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Filed Under: Gluten-free, Healthy, Instant Pot, Recipe Tagged With: Beans

« Homemade Chili Seasoning
Instant Pot Beet Risotto Recipe »

Comments

  1. Amy says

    December 5, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    I made this tonight! I was delicious and would be super easy for a quick weeknight meal!!

    Reply
  2. Nancy says

    December 5, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    Mass this tonight with unfrozen beef, black beans, dark kidneys, great northern beans, and diced fire roasted tomatoes. I used your spice mix and after cooking stirred in a can of corn. It was so easy and very tasty! My 4 year old gobbled it up with shredded cheese. I will definitely make it again!

    Reply
  3. Carly says

    April 5, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    It was quite liquidy…overall great flavour though!

    Reply
  4. Sharon Kelly says

    April 2, 2020 at 10:43 am

    If I increase the ingredients do I need to increase the water amount as well?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      April 2, 2020 at 2:20 pm

      I usually keep the same amount if I only double the meat. But if you increase the rest of the ingredients then I would increase the water also

      Reply
  5. Cha says

    April 1, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    Hi, did you drain the tomatoes befoe putting them in?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      April 1, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      No, no draining

      Reply
  6. Deanna says

    March 26, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    Just made this and the fam loved it! Just added a little bit of bbq sauce at the end and everyone went to town! This is my 4th recipe from Imagelicious and everything is superb! I mean my husband who used to be a cook and is very critical gave all things thumbs up! Excited to try other IP dishes! Five stars in my book! Thank yuh so much!

    Reply
  7. SharonK says

    March 13, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    What beans are in the canned mixed bean medley?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 15, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      I use different brands of cans so they are usually different. There’s a mixture of chickpeas, white beans, navy beans etc. You can use any beans you like

      Reply
  8. Adria says

    February 27, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Delicious! Love the spice mix recipe too.
    The only issue was it wasn’t clear if i was supposed to saute the beef and onion first or if that was optional. I chose sauted them (browned the beef).
    Definitely a keeper recipe and the homemade chili spice mix as well.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      February 28, 2020 at 7:19 am

      I’m so glad you loved the chili recipe AND the chili spice mix. I love it also 🙂

      Yes, I don’t usually saute the beef and onion, so that’s why it’s not in the recipe. It’s an optional step but definitely it’s not a bad step. It adds more flavour to the meat. You just need to remember to scrape the pot after sauteing.

      Reply
  9. Marge says

    February 22, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    Hi! I made your chili!! We liked it but wonder what would happen if we didn’t rinse the beans? It was kind of bland and somewhat dry Thank you!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      February 24, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      Everyone has different flavour preferences. I personally find that there’s a lot of flavour in this chili. If it feels bland to you, you can definitely add more seasoning to your taste. I don’t like using unrinsed beans but you can try using them unrinsed if you’d like

      Reply
  10. Karen says

    February 21, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    Just made this recipe in my Instant Pot and it is heavenly! Used my 8qt IP. All instructions followed except I used 2lbs of meat ( I recommend it ) instead of 1lb. Used ground moose meat. I made the homemade chilli spice linked inside too. Very tasty! 25 minutes to pressure up. My ground moose meat was already cooked but frozen and I put it in the IP frozen. 20 minutes cook time, 30 minutes Natural Release time, stir it all up and done. Did a taste test and it’s fabulous! The house smells amazing too. We like adding diced celery, diced rainbow sweet bell peppers, sliced jalepeno’s , diced onions and sour cream as chilli toppers. Served with crusty buns. It’s currently sitting on warn as my husband is still out in the shop stoking the wood stove. Chilli is positively his favorite meal on the planet and he’s going to be mighty surprised when he walks in the door. Thank you very much for sharing your IP chilli recipe. I’ll definitely be making it again! Can’t possibly get any easier!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      February 27, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m really glad you loved the recipe. I also now make it with 2 pounds of meat as my daughter likes it meaty lately!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Julia and I love cooking simple, easy, and healthy meals. My favourite meal of the day is breakfast so you'll see many pancakes. Cooking and baking shouldn't be complicated, let me show you how.

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