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Easy Instant Pot Beef Chili is a nice game day chili packed with lean ground beef, rich, warm spices, beans and vegetables. Everything cooks in one pot and creates a nice freezer meal too!
When I recently asked you guys what you wanted more of I got a lot of requests for Instant Pot soups and chilis. This time of year we have a lot of soups and chilis on rotation at our house.
Whether it is a football Sunday or a meal during the week I love how easy chili is to make. Easy Instant Pot Beef Chili is a quick way to make chili in one pot, meaning less clean-up.
I have shared a few Instant Pot recipes recently and am excited to continue testing and creating new recipes in the pressure cooker for you guys.
The star of this chili is the beef that brings all that flavor and protein to this beef chili. When I cook with ground beef in chilis I stick to 80/20 because the fat helps create extra flavor.
If you like chili recipe you also might like this Sweet Potato Chili, Easy Pork Chili, Lentil Bean Chili or this Instant Pot Turkey Chili.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef: This recipe uses 80/20 ground beef. Make sure to drink the fat from the beef before you add the remaining ingredients.
- Vegetables: The vegetable combination in this chili are bell peppers and jalapeños. You can add other veggies like celery, carrots or poblanos.
- Spices: I love the warm spices in this chili. It mies together chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and cayenne pepper.
- Beans: The combination of beans in this chili are pinto beans and kidney beans. Make sure to drink and rinse the beans.
- Cocoa Powder: The cocoa powder is optional but adds a nice warmth and compliments the spices.
- Tomatoes: I like to use fire roasted tomatoes but you can use regular diced tomatoes.
Ways to Modify this Recipe
- Beans: Add a variety of beans. Some of my favorites in chili are white beans, pinto beans, chickpeas or navy beans.
- Hominy: If you have a can of hominy in the pantry throw that in. We love the texture it adds to chili.
- Spicy: For the spicy chili lovers, chop up a jalapeño and throw that in. You can also add hot sauce and extra cayenne pepper. If you have a chili seasoning that often will add extra heat.
- Poblanos: If you love the flavor of poblanos you can easily add a chopped poblano when you are cooking your bell pepper and onion.
- Garnishes: When it comes to toppings I love setting out a variety for people to pick from. Some ideas are green onions, red onion, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, salsa, hot sauce, pickled onions, pickled vegetables, guacamole and salsa verde.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Chili
Step 1: Cook Beef: Turn it to the high setting and let it heat up. Once it is heated add the olive oil. Once the pressure cooker heats the oil add beef and let it sit for a few minutes and brown on the bottom. From there you will break the meat apart and continue to sauté until the meat is browned. Drain the meat of any fat and set the meat aside.
Step 2: Add Vegetables: Add 1 additional Tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and jalapeño and all of the spices and continue to sauté until the bell pepper is tender.
Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the ground beef back in and 1/2 a cup of beef both. Use your spoon to deglaze the Instant Pot, making sure to scrape away all of the browned bits of food. This helps to ensure that your food doesn’t burn during the pressure cooking phase.
Add the broth, beans and the tomatoes and seal the lid. Make sure not to stir as you want the tomatoes and beans on the top.
Step 4: Pressure Cook: Set your Instant Pot to Manual High Setting for 5 minutes, doing a quick release once it is done. Carefully open the lid and give it a stir.
Open up the lid and give it a big stir. If you want it to thicken up more you can put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple of minutes. You can also use 1 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 Tablespoons water and mix those two together and then add it to the chili to thicken.
How to Thicken the Chili: If you want it to thicken the chili up more you can put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple of minutes. You can also use 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water and mix those two together and then add it to the chili to thicken or add additional tomato paste to the chili and stir.
Toppings to Add to your Chili:
- sour cream
- diced tomatoes
- shredded cheese
- diced red onion
- jalapeño
- cilantro
- green onion
- chips
Storage Tips
Store the leftover chili in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can heat up on the stove or you can microwave.
You also can freeze this chili. Let it cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container, freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
More Chili Recipes
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Easy Instant Pot Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound Ground Beef , Certified Angus Ground Beef {I use 80/20}
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup cilantro, {optional} fresh
Instructions
- Set a pressure cooker or Instant Pot to the normal sauté setting. Let it heat before adding the olive oil. Once heated add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and let the oil heat for about 20 seconds making sure the oil is covering the whole bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Add the ground beef to the Instant Pot along with a dash of salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes not stirring it {you want to create a layer of browning on the meat}. Use a large wooden spoon to break apart the beef and continue to sauté until the beef browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Drain the fat from the ground beef and set aside in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoons olive oil to the Insta Pot on the sauté mode still. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper and cocoa powder and continue to sauté until the bell pepper is tender, about 2 to 3 minutes and the spices start to release their fragrance.
- Add 1/2 of a cup of beef broth. Use your spoon to deglaze the pan by scraping away all of the browned bits of food.
- Add the ground beef, beans, remaining broth, fire roasted tomatoes and tomato paste in that order {DO NOT MIX} and seal the pot. Cancel the sauté function.
- Close lid and pressure cook on Manual at High Pressure for 5 minutes, followed by quick release when time is up. Open the lid carefully.
- Stir in fresh cilantro and a dash of salt and pepper. Serve warm with your favorite garnishes like sour cream, cheese, cilantro and crushed chips.
Notes
- You can leave the jalapeño out or you can even add more spice but using more jalapeño or adding crushed pepper.
- If the chili is not thick enough for your liking add more tomato paste or corn starch to thicken it up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is so easy to make!
This is such a great idea!! Chili in an instant pot is perfect for those flavors! 🙂
I just love how rich the color of this chili is! Now all I need is some cornbread to go on the side!
I didn’t cook this in an Instapot, just followed steps and cooked in regular pot. As Iwas adding the spices, I wondered if it was too much.
I then came to the chocolate and was determined to do it your way. After simmerring on low hear for 45 minutes, all I can say is WOW!
If you came up with this, Julia, you are one awesome cook!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I found it on Facebook!
Thanks Joyce!! I did a bit more of the spices for the Instant Pot because I find when things cook in the Insta Pot on that high pressure sometimes if there isn’t enough spice it looses some flavor. I am so glad it translated to stove top and worked out! I love a good chili this time of year. So glad you liked it!