The Best Instant Pot Beef Chili
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Chunky, hearty and saucy. I guarantee that this is the Best Instant Pot Beef Chili! This chilli so hard to resist, so tasty! Incredibly easy and all homemade with minimal effort.
Looking out my window earlier today, I knew it was the perfect day to make chilli. It is warm, hearty and nothing feels better than a cozy bowl of chilli on a damp, drizzly day. Today was also a busy day at work which worked out perfectly since I could whip out my Instant Pot.
This really is the Best Instant Pot Beef Chili recipe you’ll find! This chilli has got everything you could ask for! Hearty ground beef seeps its incredible flavour, and we have extra body with the combination of pinto beans and red kidney beans. You’ll get lots of heat from the California chilies, and everything is all topped up with sour cream and cheddar cheese. Whenever you’re feeling cold or you need to do some healthy meal prep, this is totally going to be the chilli recipe you’ll keep coming back to!
Literally until last week, I haven’t been much of a soup person! Funny enough despite it being summer time, I’ve been really loving making soups! I give more details about this in my Make Cooking Fun!! guide - my top 5 tips to get creative and motivated to explore your full potential in the kitchen - but having a theme surrounding your weekly cooking can help spark some creativity and you’ll explore tons of new dishes! Actually, I decided to make this because I had some leftover beans from my Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! For a vegan soup option, then be sure to check out that recipe, and if you’re looking for cooking motivation and to take your skills to the next level, then definitely check out my free guide, along with the one-month Live to Cook challenge!
Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post to see all the details of how to make this awesome Instant Pot Beef Chili! The video will show you how to make the recipe with canned beans, and the written recipe will show how to make it with canned and dried beans! If you’re not already, I’d really appreciate if you’d subscribe to my YouTube channel! Please also hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! The video recipes are excellent to give you all the tools for success, and I love to make them to give you a full picture of what’s going on! Let’s get cooking!
Canned or Fresh Beans?
Everything in this dish is made from scratch, well everything except the sour cream I guess, and nothing makes me happier. There’s a part of me that enjoys the satisfaction of know where my food comes from and what goes in it. Especially when I think about canned beans. While I do enjoy using them, as I did in my Power Bean Burger. They are convenient, ready to use - although a bit less flavourful than fresh beans.
Canned beans can easily be substituted for fresh beans, and hey if you’re in a hurry and have a can lying around, that can shave off 20 minutes! Trust me though, try it with fresh beans and you will thank me later.
A Thick & Rich Sauce
Simply looking at this sauce makes your stomach rumble. A rich red colour from tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and from fragrant spices. The onions, jalapeño and garlic literally melt into the sauce giving the sauce body. And the kidney beans help naturally thicken the sauce and add so much flavour.
I use lean ground beef which becomes so tender and absorbs all of the yummy flavours.
Top the chilli with dollops of sour cream, cheddar cheese, loads of scallions and cilantro and you are good! I quite enjoy this chili by itself, but it will be great with plain rice or a crusty bread.
Ingredients for instant pot beef chili
Time to see what ingredients we’ll need four our delicious Instant Pot Beef Chili! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card for all ingredient quantities and the recipe instructions. The recipe card will also help you scale the recipe depending on how much chilli you want to make. If you’re looking to make a giant batch to freeze up so you have it prepped throughout the winter or you just want this to serve for a crowd one night, then you can make as much of the recipe as you want, and all the ingredient quantities are automatically adjusted!
Bay leaf (if using dried beans)
Onions
Jalapeño
Ground beef
Garlic
Red kidney beans (dried or canned)
Pinto beans (dried or canned)
How to Prepare the Best Instant Pot Chili
If using Dried Beans
1. If using dried beans rinse the beans and add to the pot of the Instant Pot. Fill the pot with water such that the water covers the beans by 1 inch. Add 1 bay leaf and season with salt
2. Close the Instant Pot lid and set the Instant Pot to Sealing mode. Select Pressure Cook setting and cook for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally once done cooking.
3. Transfer the beans along with half of the cooking water into a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the Chili
Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode at High Setting and heat the olive oil. Add chopped onions, jalapeño pepper and garlic and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the minced meat and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break any chunks into smaller pieces. Select Cancel on the Instant Pot
Add diced tomatoes, all of the bean (add canned, rinsed beans if using), broth, sugar, tomato paste and all the spices. Season with salt, stir well and press cancel on the instant pot.
Place the lid on the instant pot, make sure it is in Sealing Mode and select Bean/Chilli or Pressure Cook mode and cook for 18 minutes. Let Pressure Release naturally for 10-15 minutes, manual release any remaining pressure.
Stir well and check for seasoning. Serve over warm rice with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and cilantro.
Toppings for the best Instant Pot Beef Chili
Feel free to top your chilli however you want! Whatever you do, a chili is a blank canvas to really load up your favourite goodies! Here, I’ll be topping with sour cream, chopped cilantro and scallions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Other options could be crushed tortilla chips, sliced avocado, chopped red onions, jalapeño, sliced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, or even Homemade Guacamole or Pico de Gallo!
Tips for a mouthwatering instant pot beef chili
Have fun with the beans, use your favourite kind and feel free to use any combination of beans.
Spice is nice to have, adjust to your personal preference by substituting jalepeno with serrano peppers for more heat, or with green peppers for less heat.
When it comes to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, the more you add, the more heat you get. Add less instead of not using any at all.
Adjust to your preferred consistency after the pressure has released by setting the Instant Pot to Saute mode and simmering gently.
Substitute the meat and the base of the broth to your liking and preferences.
How to store Instant Pot Beef Chili
To store any leftover chili, first let it cool completely. Then, transfer the chili into airtight containers in the refrigerator without any toppings. Because we have ground beef in our chili, it will last about three days in the fridge.
You can definitely freeze this Instant Pot Beef Chili too! Divide the chili into individual portions in airtight containers that are freezer-safe. You can freeze the chili for up to four months.
Ensure to allow your chili to thaw naturally in the refrigerator the night before serving. To reheat, I recommend that you add it to a pot on medium-low heat with the pot covered. If you’re in a rush, reheat your chili in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, occasionally stirring so that the chili is evenly warmed through.
Watch How to Make the Best Instant Pot Beef Chili Recipe:
The Best Instant Pot Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Dried Red Kidney Beans*
- 1 Bay leaf
- salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp - 1/2 Cup Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, chopped (adjust per spice preference)
- 8 oz ground beef
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 Cup beef broth or chicken broth
- 14 oz canned red kidney beans (if using canned beans)
- 7 oz canned pinto beans (if using canned beans)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- shredded cheddar
- 1/2 Cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 4-5 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- If using dried beans rinse the beans and add to the pot of the Instant Pot. Fill the pot with water such that the water covers the beans by 1 inch. Add 1 bay leaf and season with salt
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the Instant Pot to Sealing mode. Select Pressure Cook setting and cook for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally once done cooking.
- Drain the beans and set aside for later.
- Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode at High Setting and heat the olive oil. Add chopped onions, jalapeño pepper and garlic and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the minced meat and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break any chunks into smaller pieces. Select Cancel on the Instant Pot
- Add diced tomatoes, all of the bean (add canned, rinsed beans if using), broth, sugar, tomato paste and all the spices. Season with salt, stir well and press cancel on the instant pot.
- Place the lid on the instant pot, make sure it is in Sealing Mode and select Bean/Chilli or Pressure Cook mode and cook for 18 minutes. Let Pressure Release naturally for 10-15 minutes, manual release any remaining pressure.
- Stir well and check for seasoning. Serve over warm rice with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
386.51Fat (grams)
19.05Sat. Fat (grams)
6.97Carbs (grams)
34.87Fiber (grams)
10.91Net carbs
23.98Sugar (grams)
8.03Protein (grams)
21.72Sodium (milligrams)
1089.46Cholesterol (grams)
52.47Nutrition info is an estimate.
Follow me
Meet Anadi
Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
