Instant Pot Chili is the best meal you can make in your pressure cooker. This recipe is incredibly easy and also fool-proof. I love making this delicious recipe at least once a year. It always turns out mouth-watering, hearty, and flavorful with a faint sweeten taste. Instant Pot Chili is the best and one of the easiest meals you can make in your Instant Pot. Hearty and loaded with flavor with the perfect texture!
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spices:
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons chili powder*
1 tablespoon ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Rest of Ingredients:
1 medium onion (diced)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans of 15oz each red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
1 1/3 cups beef broth or chicken broth (low sodium)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 can of 28oz crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
Garnish:
Sour cream
Jalapeno pepper (diced and seeded)
Cheddar cheese
Avocado
Parsley (chopped)
Cornstarch Slurry:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Add all the spices and dried herbs listed under the "Spices" section of this recipe to a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Read the post above and decide what method you prefer to use for browning the beef. I used #2 this time. Select Sauté and once your IP reads Hot, add the oil, make sure you tilt the pot so the oil covers the whole surface.
Once the oil is hot, add the beef to the pot and DO NOT stir for 4-5 minutes. Gently, remove the pot from the IP and pour the excess fat into a small bowl. Return back the pot to the IP, using a wooden spoon, break down the beef and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly until the beef is browned well.
Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add the mixed Spices to the beef, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Now you need to deglaze the pot, when you sear the beef lots of bits and pieces stick to the bottom of the pot, which can later contribute to burning and your pressure cooker won't pressurize.
Add 1/3 cup of beef broth to the pot and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot until it is clean. Cook the beef in the broth for 5 minutes, to reduce the moisture.
Add the tomato paste and reserved beef juices, stir to combine.
Add the washed and drained beans and gently stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 cup of broth with the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and add the mixture to the pot. Gently stir to combine.
Add the crushed tomatoes on top of the meat and DO NOT stir as tomatoes can stick to the bottom of the pot and prevent it from coming to pressure.
Add the bay leaves.
Close the IP with the lid. Turn the steam release vent to 'sealing' and using the manual setting, set it to cook for 12 minutes at High Pressure.
When the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to reduce on its own without opening the steam release vent for 15 minutes, this is called Natural Pressure Release. After 15 minutes gently release the rest of the pressure by opening the vent.
Open the lid and discard bay leaves. Gently stir the chili.
If you prefer the chili thicker: turn on the Sauté function, use the 'adjust' button to turn it to the medium heat setting.
In a small bowl mix cornstarch with water until dissolved and add it to the pot. Gently stir to combine and let it simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with cornbread, sliced avocado, sour cream, and parsley.
It takes 12-15 minutes to cook chili under pressure, plus the additional time it takes to sauté and brown the beef and onions. You have to also add another 15 minutes for the natural pressure release. This can be done manually, or wait for the pot to release it naturally, depending on your preference. I recommend letting the pressure release naturally.
How to sweeten up your chili
When you taste and adjust for salt and pepper, if you are looking for a sweeter chili, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Adding cocoa powder, espresso, or cinnamon to chili
These ingredients are flavor enhancers. You can either add 1 espresso shot, or 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. They will enhance the flavor of the chili and give it an earthy tone. Add any of these before you add the crushed tomatoes. Do not use all of the flavor enhancers, just pick one. Or combine the cocoa with the cinnamon or the espresso with the cinnamon.
OR...
Adding apple cider vinegar to the chili
If you would prefer a more tangy taste to your chili, adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar at the end, once it’s cooked, it will enhance the tomato flavor and make it tangier.
AND....
If you prefer a more soupy chili, increase the liquid content by one or two cups, or after the chili is done, with the IP on Sauté, add more liquid, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add as much as you want, until you get to the consistency that you like.
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*Notes- Browning the beef in the instanta pot
Searing the beef in the pressure cooker may be challenging, because of the surface of the pot. There are three easy methods that you can use, and just use whichever you prefer.
The baking soda method: mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water until it’s dissolved. Add the mixture to the ground beef and using your hands to mix it in. After that, let the beef rest for 20-30 minutes. This is a trick, obviously from many seasoned Instant Pot cooks users in many recipes that ask for ground beef.
First, it helps the beef retain the moisture, which makes searing and browning in especially in the IP much easier. Second, it tenderizes the beef, for the same reason, since the beef retains more moisture, it’s fluffier and more tender once cooked. I love to use this trick also when cooking Salisbury Steaks!
The sear and reserve method – once your Instant Pot is hot and ready to sear the beef, add it to the pot and DO NOT stir for 4-5 minutes. This way the beef gets a chance to really get golden brown on the bottom layer. At this point the beef released moisture, carefully remove the pot from the IP and drain the excess fat into a small bowl, it will be later added back to the pot. Add back the pot to the IP and using a wooden spoon break down the meat and continue cooking.
If you don’t really care how browned is your beef, follow the instructions on #2 and use the easy way out. This means, after the 5-minute mark, just start breaking apart the beef and continue cooking it in the moisture that is being realized. This is a quick and easy method.
Serves: 6 bowlsPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 1 hourTotal time: 1 hr 10 mins
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