Perfectly seasoned Instant Pot Chili with ground beef and beans is ready in no time, and perfect for game days, chilly nights, or anytime you need a hearty, delicious meal that requires very little work to prepare.
This is the best instant pot chili that I have ever made or tasted! Not only is it delicious, but this chili recipe is super easy.
All you need to do is cook the beef and some veggies in the instant pot using the saute function, then add beans, seasonings, and a little broth and let the pressure cooker do the rest of the work!
In around 30 minutes, you’ll have a rich, savory, slightly spicy chili ready to eat, and it will taste like you simmered it all day long.
Looking for more delicious chile recipes? You have to try my Texas Chili recipe, it features tender chunks of beef in a rich, savory sauce. Cincinnati Chili, Crockpot White Chicken Chili, and Slow Cooker Turkey Chili are also delicious variations of this classic.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s Ready in 30 Minutes – Give or take a few, this instant pot chili is ready to eat in around half an hour, which is way less time than a similar recipe would take to cook in a slow cooker or on the stovetop.
- Amazing Flavor – The savory, spicy, smoky flavors of the seasonings here, paired with hearty ground beef are simply perfection. Forget buying those little paper packets of chili seasoning, it’s easy to do it yourself with fresh ingredients.
- Inexpensive – Ground beef and beans are low-cost protein sources, so you can feed a crowd for less with this recipe.
- Versatile Meal – Instant Pot Chili recipes like this one are such a crowd-pleasing dish. Make this for dinner for your family, or take it to a tailgate party or holiday potluck. It will be welcome no matter where you share it.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Chili
Here’s what you need to make this amazing instant pot meal:
- Ground Beef: Choose ground meat that is 90% lean. That will give you good flavor without too much excess grease.
- Beans: You can use any type of beans that you like, but I like to have a variety! 1 can each of black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans is my favorite mix.
- Garlic, Onion, and Peppers: Minced fresh garlic, diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper add savory freshness to this dish.
- Seasonings: tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder.
- Beef Broth: You need at least a cup of liquid for the Instant Pot to work properly. Why use plain water when you can amplify the flavor of the meat with broth though?
- Toppings: While totally optional, I like to serve chili with sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and sliced green onion. Yum!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make The Best Instant Pot Chili
- Cook Ground Beef: Press the SAUTE button on your instant pot and let it preheat. When the “Hot” message is displayed, add olive oil, and brown the beef, breaking it up as you go, until it’s no longer pink. Drain the fat and then return the insert with the meat to the instant pot.
- Saute Veggies: Add diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook for three minutes or until the onion softened. Switch off the Instant Pot.
- Add The Rest of the Ingredients: Tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, beef broth, diced tomatoes, 3 cans of beans, and salt and pepper go into the Instant Pot next. Stir everything up.
- Pressure Cook: Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set the valve to the SEALING position. Turn on PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL on High for 15 minutes). Allow the instant pot to come to pressure and cook. After the cooking has finished, quickly release the steam (or let it release naturally if you prefer). Open the lid carefully, and serve hot with your favorite chili toppings.
Tip!
You can’t really overcook this chili recipe in the Instant Pot, so it’s up to you how you release the steam. Do a quick release if you’re ready to eat right away, or let it naturally release if you need time to get other things ready for dinner!
Recipe Tips
- Make it Spicier: Leave the seeds in the jalapeno if you like a little bit more heat. You can also choose to use an extra hot chili powder or add a bit of your favorite hot sauce.
- Be sure to drain and rinse the canned beans before adding them to the pot.
- Leave the liquid from the canned tomatoes though! It adds moisture and flavor to the chili.
- Prep Ahead: Chop up the veggies the night before so that they’re ready to go when it’s time to make dinner!
Storing Tips
Store leftover Instant Pot Chili in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat servings in the microwave, or in a saucepan over low heat.
This chili makes great meal prep lunches for the week!
What To Serve With Instant Pot Chili
I love serving chili with plenty of delicious toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and green onion. Other toppings you might enjoy include diced avocado, guacamole, pico de gallo, or tortilla chip strips.
Chili is always tasty with some cornbread on the side, or try making homemade Arepas con Queso!
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Follow the recipe instructions to cook the beef and veggies on the stovetop, then transfer them to your crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients. Slow cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
You won’t get quite as much flavor this way, but you can sautee the meat and veggies in a large dutch oven, then add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and simmer for at least an hour.
Yes you can! Feel free to swap out the beef in this recipe for ground turkey if you prefer it. You can also check out my slow cooker turkey chili for more tips and ideas for making chili with turkey.
More Amazing Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Cube Steak
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Make sure to save this recipe! This Instant Pot Chili is the best, and a total crowd pleaser, so your family will be asking you to make it again, very soon.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef 90% lean
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
- 28 oz (800 grams) can diced tomatoes
- 15 oz (400 grams) can kidney beans
- 15 oz (400 grams) can pinto beans or Borlotti Beans
- 15 oz (400 grams) can black beans
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional Toppings:
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- On the Instant Pot, press on the SAUTE button and let the pressure cooker preheat. When the message HOT is displayed, add the olive oil and brown the beef breaking it up as you go until it's all brown and no longer pink (about 3 minutes). Drain excess fat and return the stainless steel insert with the beef to the instant pot.
- Add diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and cook for 3 minutes so the onion softens. Switch OFF the Instant Pot/saute setting.
- Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, beef broth, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set the valve on SEALING position. Press on PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL on high for 15 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and cook. Once the cooking has finished, quickly release the steam (If you leave it to naturally release the steam, that’s also ok).
- Carefully remove the lid (away from your face, the steam will be hot). Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes:
- You can use any type of canned beans that you like, either three different types, or all the same kind.
- Dry beans can also be used, just cook them first using your preferred method.
- To make the chili spicier, you can leave the seeds from the jalapeno in. Otherwise, discard them while prepping. You can also add extra spicy chili powder or hot sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Michael says
Um, yes please! This was so good! I’m definitely adding this to our weekly rotation. Yum!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the kind review, Michael! Sounds like you have a new favorite!
Teresa F says
Another win! I used ground turkey and this was amazing. So easy to make!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Glad to hear it was a win for you, Teresa! Thanks for the great review
Sharina says
This Instant Pot chili is one of my go-to comfort food recipes. So easy to make with the help of Instant Pot and it always turned out so hearty and comfy. Must-try!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy to hear that, Sharina! Thanks for taking the time to write this wonderful review!