Instant Pot chili tastes like you've made a batch that's simmered all day long—and surprise!—it's ready in less than an hour.
45 Minutes or Less - Dinner - Food - Ground Beef - Instant Pot - Soup

Instant Pot Chili

Last updated on September 11, 2020 by Liza Hawkins

Instant Pot chili tastes like you’ve made a batch that’s simmered all day long — and surprise! — it’s ready in less than an hour. Yesterday I made my first batch of Instant Pot chili.

It was Sunday and FREEZING (actually, below freezing) and I was home all day long, so I could’ve had a simmering pot of chili on the stove for hours, or a batch in the slow cooker.

Instead, I thought it’d be a fine time to test out another recipe in the Instant Pot, because … why not?

Instant Pot chili tastes like you've made a batch that's simmered all day long—and surprise! —it's ready in less than an hour.

I can’t say enough about how much I love this gadget. It’s quite the multi-tasker, which is a requirement for any new appliance or tool that enters my kitchen these days.

I don’t have time or cabinet space for a “uni-tasker” (as Alton would say)!

Everything from sautéing the ground beef, to the set-it-and-forget-it cooking portion, is completed in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot chili tastes like you've made a batch that's simmered all day long—and surprise! —it's ready in less than an hour.

This also means fewer dishes to deal with afterwards and — BONUS! — the Instant Pot’s metal insert and lid are dishwasher-friendly. Yay!

Instant Pot chili tastes like you've made a batch that's simmered all day long—and surprise!—it's ready in less than an hour.
Yield: 4

Instant Pot Chili

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes

Instant Pot chili tastes like you've made a batch that's simmered all day long — and surprise, it's ready in less than an hour!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 24-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom. Once it's hot, add the ground beef, sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon salt, and brown it for 5 minutes or until it's nearly cooked through.
  2. Using oven mitts, lift the insert out of the Instant Pot and then drain the ground beef. Return the ground beef to the insert and set it back in the Instant Pot. Keep the setting on Sauté.
  3. Mix in the onions, garlic, cocoa powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion and garlic powders, ketchup, remaining salt and pepper. Allow it to cook together for 1 minute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  4. Pour in the chicken stock and use the wooden spoon to scrape up the bits on the bottom. Add the soy sauce and tomatoes, and give another stir.
  5. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place, make sure the valve is closed, and set it to cook for 8 minutes on Manual.
  6. Once it's done cooking, let the pressure reduce on its own for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to allow the rest of the pressure out.
  7. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and Saltine crackers or corn bread.

Notes

Ground turkey, pork or chicken (or a mixture) would also work fine in this recipe — just make sure it's cooked through before draining. If you're a bean fan, add a can of rinsed kidney beans when you add the onions.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 484Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1959mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 37g

Hi, I'm Liza — a self-proclaimed word-nerd who loves getting lost in whimsical stories and epic movies. I have laid-back, practical attitude towards life and am always on the hunt for good eats, easy recipes, binge-worthy shows, relaxing road trip destinations, the perfect fizzy gin cocktail, and time to finish my novel!

8 Comments on “Instant Pot Chili

        1. Hi Joan! Yes, I think so — you’ll just want to watch the liquid to make sure you leave at least an inch or two of room at the top. Whatever the directions suggest.

  1. Worked out very well…Added kidney beans and everyone loved it…Only had the instant pot 1 week but already love it…

    1. Gary – that’s exactly how I felt after a week with the Instant Pot! I bet kidney beans were delicious — I happen to be a bean fan, but my husband is not. So…beanless chili it is!

  2. I feel silly, the flavors were good but I really messed up the interpretation somewhere. I made soup! Very tasty soup. Was I supposed to drain the tomatoes? I also didn’t see in the instructions when to add the chili powder. The family was still happy, thanks for making an inspirational recipe!

    1. Hi Farin! You caught an error — I *did* leave out the chili powder in the directions. It gets added with all the other powders and spices, so hopefully that’s what you did, too. 🙂 As for the “soupy-ness,” I find my chili ebbs and flows from thinner to thicker consistency every time I make it. Doesn’t bother us, and I’m not really sure why. I don’t typically drain the tomatoes, but I suppose that’d be one way to affect the thickness. You should play around with it!

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