Instant Pot Turkey Chili

Recipe Ingredients

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below. 

• Turkey: I used lean ground turkey in this recipe but you can easily swap out ground beef, ground chicken or ground pork.
• Red Bell Pepper: When I make chili I love using red bell pepper because of the sweetness it adds. You can use green bell pepper or any color you have on hand. Poblanos would also be a great option.
• Jalapeño: Jalapeño isn’t necessary but it adds a spicy kick to the chili. You can leave it out if you want.
• Spices: Chili Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Oregano, Cayenne Red Pepper: This spice mixture is my favorite in chili. You can use more or less to your liking. If you don’t like spice leave out the cayenne red pepper.
• Beans: Black Beans, Kidney Beans: The beans I used are black beans and red kidney beans. You can swap those out for other beans like white beans, red beans, chickpeas or pinto beans.
• Tomato Paste and Diced Tomatoes: The tomato paste and diced tomatoes help bulk up the chili and add that tomato flavor to the chili.
• Corn: I added canned corn to the chili which you can leave out. You also could swap for hominy or leftover cooked sweet corn.

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 Do You Make Chili in the Instant Pot?

A couple of months ago I shared a recipe for Easy Instant Pot Beef Chili, which my family loved. I feel like I perfected that chili recipe in the pressure cooker which made this recipe easy to make following those instructions. You will start by using the sauté mode on your pressure cooker. Turn it to the high setting and let it heat up. Once it is heated add the olive oil.

Step 1. Cook Turkey: Once the pressure cooker heats the oil add turkey to the bottom of the pot 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 discard and set the meat aside.

Step 2. Saute the Vegetables: Put 1 additional Tablespoon of olive oil in the pressure cooker and add 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. Put the ground turkey back in and 1/2 a cup of the broth.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the deglaze step. This is the single most common cause of the Burn notice. Always scrape the bottom of the pot clean after sautéing, before sealing the lid.
• Stirring after layering. Once the turkey, beans, tomatoes and corn go in, leave them layered. Stirring can push food against the hot bottom of the pot and trigger a burn error.
• Using fatty ground turkey. Excess fat can interfere with pressure buildup. Drain the turkey well after browning.
• Overfilling the pot. Stay under the max fill line, chili with beans expands slightly under pressure.
• Releasing pressure too fast if you want deeper flavor. Quick release works fine, but a 5-minute natural release first lets the flavors meld a bit more before venting.

Storage Tips

• Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until warmed through.
• To freeze, let the chili cool completely, then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or reheat gently from frozen on the stove, stirring occasionally as it warms.