Best Easy Instant Pot Chili is simple to make with a mouthwatering combination of beef and beans! You can have a bowl of cozy chili that tastes like it simmered for hours ready in about 30 minutes!
I have been wanting to try chili in my Instant Pot for months now! We are currently having a very cold start to spring, and there was no better time to give it a try.
My instant pot chili is made virtually the same way that I make my chili in a traditional slow cooker. I have a very specific assortment of beans that I like to use for MAX flavor.
Typically, I don’t post pictures of a particular brand of ingredient unless the post is sponsored. This post is NOT sponsored, however, the picture below is to show you what “Ranch Style Beans” are, just in case you aren’t familiar with them.
I am able to find this style of beans at any grocery store I go to. They are just pinto beans, but I happen to adore the spices that they use. They pack some seriously amazing flavor that takes chili to another level.
If you are unable to find them, you can simply use extra chili beans instead. I prefer this to plain kidney beans, again because chili beans are packed in a flavorful sauce and kidney beans are not.
Instant Pot Chili:
Chili is really easy to make in the Instant Pot. I tend to use VERY lean ground beef so that I don’t even have to drain any grease, and I can just keep on cooking.
For this recipe, you will brown your beef using the saute feature in a small amount of olive oil along with some chopped onions and seasonings. When your beef is no longer pink use your best judgment and/or preference on whether you need to drain any grease from the pot or not.
Then, you can simply add in your four cans of beans, tomato sauce, and beef broth and let the Instant Pot do all of the work! This will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. Then, you will allow it to cook on manual for 20 minutes.
After your 20 minutes is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then you can do a quick release. The next step is to add a cornstarch and water “slurry” to the chili to let it thicken. This step is optional, but it doesn’t affect the flavor at all and makes for a much thicker and hearty chili.
A couple of other tips and recommendations.
If you don’t have beef broth and/or like a nice strong tomato flavor in your chili, you can replace the broth with tomato juice!
This recipe has been tested as is in a 6 quart and 8 quart instant pot. You can double the recipe in an 8 quart.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
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Best Easy Instant Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Onion, Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce, Optional
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 2 14 Ounce Cans Chili Beans, Do not drain
- 2 14 Ounce Cans Ranch Style (Pinto) Beans, Do not drain
- 1 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Turn instant pot to saute and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, and seasonings and cook until meat is no longer pink.
- Drain any excess grease if necessary.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Set the instant pot to manual, high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- OPTIONAL: In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth and immediately whisk into hot chili. Allow to thicken for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious. Will definitely be making again!
SO good! I added more ground beef and kidney beans because I love those in my chili!
This is the only chili recipe I make anymore. Exactly as is. No substitutions. I love it. My partner loves it.
I’ve made this chili several times now and it’s a family favorite! I usually add less beans and a half packet of ranch seasoning b/c my grocery store doesn’t carry the ranch beans (bummer). Appreciate that the calorie count is low for a bowl as I’m watching my weight! So the thinner consistency works for me.
I made this chili recipe and it was a huge hit for the whole family … even my son’s girlfriend who is very picky! I had to use diced fire-roasted tomatoes instead of crushed (as I couldn’t find crushed fire-roasted), and it was an absolutely fine substitute. My family has been LOVING all of your instant pot recipes, THANK YOU!!!
SOOOOOO GOOD!! And so easy!! This is my favorite kind of recipe! Thank you so much!! The entire family loved it!!
I was looking at a starter base for chili since I like to add stuff. This fits the bill. Totally flavorful. My modifications were omitting one can of chili beans, adding minced garlic to the meat along with the garlic powder, some celery and mushrooms. (I like mushrooms in just about everything) And I also threw in red, yellow, and orange bell peppers with a can of Rotel. It came out soupier but I just doubled up on the cornstarch mix. Came out so amazing!
Great chili. Add a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder for extra depth!
First ever making chili. This was delicious. Next time i will drain the meat and maybe add less tomatoes sauce as i was hoping it would be a little thicker. But my family loved it. Can this be put in freezer?
Yes, you can freeze it once cooled for up to three months 🙂
This is my go-to chili recipe! Any thoughts on using beer instead of broth? I was thinking of adding less liquid as well to make it thicker. Thanks!