Instant Pot Chili Recipe

With that being said, the chili ingredients are pretty similar. For example, there are still plenty of beans, onions, and tomatoes to go around.

One of the major differences is that we used a seasoning packet rather than a our own chili seasoning blend.

If you prefer using your favorite spices, go for it, Kim was focused more on simplicity than originality, this go around. All in all, I was pleased with this basic chili and look forward to enjoying it for the next few days.

The biggest question is, how long does it take to make chili in a pressure cooker? It took Kim about an hour from start to finish, which isn’t bad.

When I was kid, my Dad’s chili cooked on the stove all day, so in regards to time, this is a vast improvement. The flavor is what you would expect, savory, loaded with hints of Southwest flavors.

When it’s topped with cheese or sour cream, this hearty bowl of chili satisfies. Now, onward to the cooking process!

How to Make Instant Pot Chili:

First, go ahead and grab your chili ingredients. Now, dice up the bell peppers, garlic, and onions. Also, I like to open all my cans and drain and rinse the kidney beans.

Once all that is out of the way, set your pressure cooker to sauté and add the oil to the liner.

Afterward, toss in the ground beef, bell peppers, garlic, and onions. Make sure to break down the beef into bite-sized portions and cook it until the meat has browned.

You can drain any excess fat, if you desire.

Next, it’s time to pour in the following ingredients, kidney beans, seasonings, chili beans, canned tomatoes, and beef broth. It’s important to stir everything together so the liquids reach the bottom of the liner.

This action will help reduce the possibility of a burn notice. Looking back, we do this for a lot for our pressure cooker recipes and I don’t recall Kim or I ever getting a burn notification.

We’ve either been extremely lucky or there’s something about that step that ensures your meals don’t burn.

Then, close the lid of the cooker and set the valve to, “sealing.” Press the Manual/High Pressure button and set the cook time for 20-minutes.

Once the 20-minutes have passed, allow the Instant Pot to complete a “natural release,” for 10-minutes.

After that, carefully release the valve and let the rest of the steam escape.

Last, remove the lid and give the chili another stir. It’s basically done, except for some optional stuff.

If the chili is too thin for your liking, then make a corn starch slurry and add it to the pot. Use the keep warm setting as you stir in the slurry.

The dish will thicken in a few minutes. As for toppings, I like cheese, onions, and sour cream.

Something else I enjoy with my chili is cornbread. But, feel free to use whatever you like.

That’s it, serve and enjoy.

Tips for Our Instant Pot Chili Recipe:

• There are a lot of different pressure cooker recipes out there and I’ve noticed many of these call for the use of olive oil. Olive oil is great, it’s a healthier alternative to most of the oils on the market. However, we’ve found that when used in high heat situations, it tends to pop and smoke more often than canola or vegetable oils. For that reason, when it comes to our Instant Pot, we sauté with oils that can stand up to the fire. Reducing the fat in this dish is easier than you might think. Try using 90/10 ground beef or even substituting it out for ground chicken or turkey. Additionally, try topping it with Greek yogurt instead of cheese and sour cream.
• This simple chili recipe can be made on your stove-top. Simply use a large stockpot, follow the first two steps, then cover the pot with a lid, set it to low heat, and let it simmer for 35-45 minutes.
• Feel free to use any leftover chili as a topping for a hearty and filling chili dog.