Instant Pot Chili

Easy Instant Pot chili made with savory ground beef, beans, bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, and spicy jalapeños. Everything is simmered together in the pressure cooker for a hearty, satisfying one-pot meal.

Looking for more cozy chili recipes? Check out my creamy white chicken chili. Or, try this delicious turkey chili, made with a secret ingredient (any guesses?!).

Instant pot chili garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chives in a stoneware bowl, with a second bowl of chili, a plate of cornbread, and a glass of water in the background.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Chili Recipe

We’re back with another installment of how to make the best chili! This time, starring the Instant Pot. This Instant Pot chili recipe combines juicy ground beef, hearty beans, and zingy jalapeños with tender onions and peppers, simmered together in the pressure cooker. Here’s why you’ll love it:

Quicker. Enjoy rich homemade chili, minus the hours of simmering on the stovetop.
Bold, beefy flavor. This beef chili is hearty, boldly spiced, and filled with savory flavor that gets locked in with pressure cooking.
Great for leftovers. If you ask me, chili tastes even better after a night or two in the fridge. Luckily, this recipe stores easily, and it’s great to make ahead and freeze.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below are notes on the important chili ingredients. Don’t forget to scroll to the full recipe card with the ingredient amounts and recipe directions.

Olive Oil
Onion and Bell Pepper – White or yellow onion, and red or green bell peppers (or any color that you have on hand). These create an aromatic flavor base for the chili.
Chilies – I use jalapeño, but you can use a spicier chili depending on your preference. You can also leave the chili peppers out altogether for a milder chili.
Garlic
Ground Beef – You can also make this recipe with ground turkey or ground chicken.
Beef Broth – This can also be chicken broth. I recommend low-sodium broth or stock for better control over the salt levels.
Spices – Chili powder, cumin, and paprika, or you can substitute the individual spices with a taco seasoning blend.
Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce – Canned crushed tomatoes and canned tomato sauce (feel free to use homemade tomato sauce if that’s your jam).
Beans – Good beans for chili are kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans. When using canned beans, remember to drain them first.
Sugar – White or brown sugar, for a touch of sweetness.
Salt and Pepper

How to Make Chili in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot does in a little over an hour what the stovetop would take all day to accomplish: Rich, bold, savory beef chili, and you hardly have to lift a finger. Let’s make some chili:

Diced peppers, onions, chilies, and garlic combined in the instant pot.

Ground beef added to diced veggies in the instant pot.

Sauté the veggies. First, with the Instant Pot set to sauté, cook the diced onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic in a bit of hot oil. Afterward, transfer the softened veggies to a bowl.
Brown the meat. While the pot is still warm, cook the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks as you go.

Beef broth is poured over browned ground meat in the instant pot.

A hand uses a plastic stirring spoon to deglaze the bottom of the instant pot.

Deglaze. Drain any excess fat from the pot before pouring in a bit of beef broth. Use a (not metal) spoon or spatula to lift any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Additional beef broth is poured over sauteed diced veggies aded to ground beef in the instant pot.

Salt and pepper added to finished chili inside the instant pot.

Combine. Stir in your spices, and then cancel sauté mode. Pour in the remaining broth, then add your tomatoes, beans, and seasonings to the pot. This time, DO NOT STIR!
Cook. Seal the pot and set it to pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release. Finally, vent the last of the pressure before lifting the lid.
Stir and serve. Now, go ahead and stir the chili, and ladle it into bowls to garnish with all sorts of toppings. My favorites are sour cream and shredded cheese. Scroll for more serving suggestions!

Overhead view of a ladleful of chili held over the instant pot.

Tips for Success

Keep these final tips in mind for the best Instant Pot chili:

To thicken chili, add a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Another option is to stir in 1-2 tablespoons of masa harina (maize flour). You can also use a potato masher to mash up some of the beans.
Make this chili ahead of time. Serve half for dinner the following day, and refrigerate or freeze the rest for later. It gives the flavors extra time to mingle! See below for detailed storage instructions.
Leave out the beans. If you dislike beans, leave them out and increase the amount of vegetables instead.

Instant pot chili served in a stoneware bowl.

Chili Topping Ideas

We devour potloads of chili as soon as the first leaf hits the ground, whether it’s Game Day, a holiday potluck, or just a cozy Sunday afternoon. And any chili connoisseur knows that no bowl of chili is complete without toppings! Here are some tasty ideas to try:

Avocado – Try diced avocado, guacamole, or creamy avocado salsa.
Sour Cream – Greek yogurt works, too!
Tortilla Chips – Top bowls of chili the same way we top this Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup, with crispy tortilla strips or corn chips.
Cheese – Shredded cheddar or a shredded Mexican cheese blend.
Salsa – Choose your favorite red salsa from the store, salsa verde, or pico de gallo.
Lime – Give each bowl a squeeze of fresh lime juice and garnish with lime wedges.
Herbs – Green onions, chives, or cilantro.

Overhead view of instant pot chili garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chives in a stoneware bowl.

What to Serve With Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot chili goes great with a basket of fried hot water cornbread or 7UP biscuits for sopping up the leftovers. For a cozy weeknight or weekend dinner, serve chili with a side of green salad, or try this Southwestern Cobb salad. We also love serving chili over hot dogs to make easy chili dogs!

Hosting on Football Sunday? Make a DIY chili bar with a big batch of homemade chili served with assorted toppings (see above). Pair it with beer bread and more yummy appetizers like hot corn dip, roasted veggie nachos, and cowboy caviar. You can transfer this Instant Pot chili to your slow cooker on the keep-warm setting for serving.

Overhead view of two bowls of chili next to a plate of cornbread muffins on a wooden countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the chili setting on the Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot’s bean/chili setting cooks at high pressure for either 30 minutes or 25 minutes. For this recipe, I recommend manually setting the IP to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes as directed, rather than risk overcooking.

How do I avoid a burn warning when making Instant Pot chili?

After you’ve deglazed the bottom of the Instant Pot and added tomatoes and seasonings, DO NOT STIR the ingredients together. Leaving the chili untouched helps to prevent a burn warning while pressure cooking.

Can I Make This in the Slow Cooker?

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know I’m not a huuugge fan of making chili in the slow cooker. I find that the flavors just never reach their full potential. However, you can always check out my recipe for slow cooker taco truck chili if you’d like to crack out the Crock Pot. I much prefer to make this chili in the Instant Pot and then reheat it in the slow cooker instead.

Close up of a spoonful of chili held over a bowlful garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chives.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Fridge. Store leftover Instant Pot chili in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days. It tastes even better the next day!
Reheat. Heat chili servings on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring often until warmed through.

Can I Freeze Leftover Chili?

Yes! Chili freezes great, so if you have lots of leftovers, you can freeze them for a later day. To freeze, store the chili in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and keep it frozen for up to 1-2 months. Defrost the chili in the fridge before reheating.

More Instant Pot Recipes

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Author: Shelly
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: American

Description

Easy Instant Pot chili made with savory ground beef, beans, bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, and jalapeños, simmered in the pressure cooker for a hearty, satisfying one-pot meal.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cups beef broth, divided
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 (28- ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1 (15- ounce) can of tomato sauce
2 (15- ounce) cans of beans, drained (kidney, pinto, or black beans)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher alt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Set the instant pot to saute mode. Add the oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
Add the ground beef to the hot instant pot. Break up into chunks and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Use an oven mitt to remove the inner pot and drain the fat. Return the inner pot to the unit.
Add 1 cup of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze any stuck-on bits.
Add the spices and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then press cancel.
Add the remaining broth. Then add all of the other ingredients. Do NOT stir. Place the lid on the instant pot and set the vent to seal. Set to Manual/High Pressure for 15 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure and remove the lid.
Stir the chili and serve immediately.