Instant Pot Chili
Our boldly flavored and hearty Instant Pot Chili recipe is quite literally famous – it’s featured in Brian Baumgartner’s Seriously Good Chili Cookbook (AKA, Kevin from The Office’s viral chili cookbook.)
Instant Pot Chili Recipe
Unlike some Instant Pot Chili recipes, today’s chili recipe tastes like it’s been simmering away on the stove all day, but really it’s just been thrown together in less than 30 minutes and pressure cooked in the Instant Pot for about an hour total.
My daughter is usually not a fan of chili, but even she was a fan of this recipe with it’s bold flavours, tender beans and rich sauce made with one controversial chili ingredient: cocoa powder.
Adding a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder (it HAS to be unsweetened) helps to offset the natural acidity of the peppers and tomatoes and enriches the chili’s depth of flavor. It will not make the chili taste at all like chocolate.
Even unsweetened cocoa powder has a bit of natural sweetness which also works to balance the spice of the jalapeños and the southwestern seasoning. It also adds a bit of earthiness for a well-rounded flavor.
This instant pot chili recipe is hearty, healthy and wholesome comfort food, delivering plenty of fibre and protein thanks to the generous amount beans and beef.
That fibre and protein are key to not only making this chili recipe super filling and satisfying – but also nutritionally-dense.
Optional Chili Garnishes:
- Cheese
- Corn Chips
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole or Fresh Avocado
- Pico de Gallo-style Salsa
- Cilantro
- Green Onions
- More Jalapeños
- A squeeze of lime juice
What to Serve with Instant Pot Chili
If you want some fresh bread alongside your chili, I highly recommend serving these along with our one hour rolls or our homemade cornbread recipe since the chili will be done so quickly, so you can make both at the same time and have them both ready to enjoy in time for supper.
I enjoy serving chili alongside something fresh like our cucumber avocado salad or a simple green salad.
I love serving this chili on top of a baked sweet potato but some people like it over rice and it’s also a Midwestern tradition to serve chili with cinnamon rolls.
How to store chili: this Instant Pot Chili recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can I freeze chili? Yes, cool completely and store in airtight ziptop freezer bags or your favourite freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Check out our full collection here!
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love:
- Crockpot White Turkey Chili
- Crockpot Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Happy Cheesy Chili Bake
- Lenil Chili from Kylee Cooks
- Crockpot Hot Dog Chili from Bake Me Some Sugar
Instant Pot Chili Ingredients
- Black Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Cooking Oil
- Onion, diced
- Jalapeños, diced (can deseed if desired)
- Garlic Cloves, smashed and sliced
- Ground Beef
- Southwestern Seasoning <– grab our homemade southwestern seasoning recipe here
- Dark Cocoa Powder
- Beef Broth
- Tomatoes
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: you can swap out the southwestern seasoning for taco seasoning or any favorite chili seasoning, if desired.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty
- Instant Pot <– I’m so excited to upgrade to this one with air fryer capacities soon! (You can also just buy the lid which adds the air fryer capacity to your standard IP.)
How to Make Chili in the Instant Pot
Rinse the beans and combine in the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Cover with water and secure the lid.
Set to beans/chili and cook for 25 minutes. Natural release.
Drain and rinse the beans and clean out the inner pot.
Set instant pot to saute and add the cooking oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion and diced jalapeños. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for one more minute. Stir occasionally.
Add the ground beef, seasoning and cocoa powder. Stir well and cook until ground beef is well-browned.
Turn off the Instant Pot and add the cooked beans, broth and tomatoes.
Secure lid and set Instant Pot to beans/chili setting for 20 minutes.
Natural release.
Pin this Incredibly Easy Instant Pot Chili recipe for a hearty dish the whole family will love:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our Instant Pot chili recipe here:
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Instant Pot Beef Chili
This instant pot chili recipe is hearty, healthy and wholesome comfort food, delivering plenty of fibre and protein thanks to the generous amount beans and beef. The bold flavor is enhanced with the addition of one controversial ingredient: cocoa powder.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup kidney beans
- 1 cup pinto beans
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, diced (can deseed if desired)
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2-3 Tablespoons southwestern seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- 3-4 cups beef broth
- 1-32 oz can tomatoes
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and combine in the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Cover with water and secure the lid.
- Set to beans/chili and cook for 25 minutes. Natural release.
- Drain and rinse the beans and clean out the inner pot.
- Set instant pot to saute and add the cooking oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and diced jalapeños. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking for one more minute. Stir occasionally.
- Add the ground beef, seasoning and cocoa powder. Stir well and cook until ground beef is well-browned.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and add the cooked beans, broth and tomatoes.
- Secure lid and set Instant Pot to beans/chili setting for 20 minutes.
- Natural release.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 2586mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 7gSugar: 3gProtein: 21g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy beef chili recipe as much as mine does!
For more easy Instant Pot ideas, check out our full Instant Pot recipe collection here:
For more ways to serve beef, check out our full beef recipe collection here:
For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here:
This Instant Pot Chili is an absolute culinary delight that never fails to impress with its robust flavors and hearty goodness. The perfect blend of spices and seasonings creates a symphony of taste that tingles the taste buds and warms the soul.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I like this recipe for Chili its quick and simple. I might add cinnamon instead of sugar. Thanks
Hi Varnamala, the recipe doesn’t call for sugar 🙂
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