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Instant Pot Chili

A hearty and deeply flavored chili made in under an hour using an Instant Pot, perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400

Ingredients
  

Vegetables
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or olive
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
Meat & Beans
  • 1.5 pounds ground beef, 85/15
  • 15 ounces pinto beans, drained
  • 15 ounces kidney beans, drained
Canned Ingredients
  • 14 ounces canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
Spices
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Dice your onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and fresh tomatoes before you turn anything on. Mince the garlic and drain the liquid from your canned beans.
Sauté
  1. Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function and let it heat for a couple of minutes. Add the oil, then toss in the diced onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally until they soften (about 3-4 minutes).
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Add your fresh diced tomatoes and jalapeño next, stirring everything together. Let this mixture sauté for a few more minutes.
Cooking
  1. Add your ground beef directly to the pot and break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir until the meat is mostly browned.
  2. Once the beef is mostly browned, add the pinto beans, kidney beans, canned fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, salt, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and ancho chili powder. Stir thoroughly.
  3. Close the Instant Pot lid and lock it into place. Turn the valve to the sealing position, then select the 'beans/chili' setting or cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
  4. Let the pot sit undisturbed for a natural pressure release of about 10 minutes. Carefully switch the valve to release any remaining pressure.
  5. Open the lid once the pressure has fully released and give the chili a good stir. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serving
  1. Ladle the hot chili into bowls and top with desired toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, fresh lime, sour cream, and chopped green onions.

Notes

Chili tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together. To avoid a burn notice, always scrape the bottom of the pot after sautéing and ensure there’s enough liquid before sealing the lid.