Healthy Instant Pot Chili Recipe

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Here is my go-to Instant Pot chili recipe, with tender beans, ground beef, and a blend of everyday spices that come together in a fraction of the usual cooking time.

This chili has become my family’s favorite weeknight dinner during the cold months. I often make a double batch because it freezes so well, and let’s be honest – chili always tastes even better the next day, doesn’t it?

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

For this chili recipe, 90% lean ground beef is ideal since it gives you the perfect balance of flavor and less grease. While you could use 80% lean beef, you’ll end up with more fat to drain off, and 93% or 95% lean might leave your chili a bit dry. Ground beef that’s freshly ground from your butcher will give you the best flavor, but packaged ground beef from the grocery store works perfectly fine too. Just make sure your beef is bright red with no gray spots, and if you’re not cooking it right away, store it in the coldest part of your fridge or freeze it until you’re ready to use it.

Options for Substitutions

This chili recipe is super adaptable and you can make several swaps based on what you have in your pantry:

• Ground beef: You can swap the ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based alternatives. For a meatier texture, try using half ground beef and half Italian sausage.
• Beans: Any beans work well here! Try black beans, navy beans, or great northern beans instead of kidney or pinto. You can even mix and match – just keep the total amount the same.
• Beef stock: Chicken or vegetable stock works just fine. You can even use water with an extra beef bouillon cube if you’re out of stock.
• Chili seasoning: No chili seasoning? Make your own by mixing chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Start with 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon each of the others.
• Cocoa powder: If you don’t have cocoa powder, you can skip it or use a square of dark chocolate. It adds depth but isn’t crucial to the recipe.
• Diced tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes (broken up) work just as well. If using fresh tomatoes, you’ll need about 6-7 medium ones, diced.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making Instant Pot chili is skipping the crucial step of browning the meat first – taking the time to properly brown your ground beef in batches creates deep, rich flavors that make your chili taste like it’s been simmering all day. Another common error is adding too much liquid, since the Instant Pot creates steam and the ingredients release their own juices during cooking – stick to the recommended amount of beef stock to avoid soupy chili. To prevent the dreaded ‘burn’ notice on your Instant Pot, make sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot after sautéing the meat and vegetables, and layer your tomato products on top without stirring them in. For the best texture, wait until after pressure cooking to add the beans, then let them warm through using the residual heat – this prevents them from becoming too mushy and maintains their shape.

What to Serve With Chili?

A warm bowl of chili practically begs for some good cornbread on the side – whether it’s homemade or from a mix, you really can’t go wrong! For extra fun at the dinner table, set up a toppings bar with shredded cheese, diced onions, sliced jalapeños, and a dollop of sour cream so everyone can customize their bowl. If you’re feeding a crowd, some tortilla chips or corn chips make great scoopers, and they add a nice crunch factor too. You could also whip up some simple white rice to serve underneath the chili – it’s perfect for soaking up all that tasty sauce.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This hearty chili tastes even better the next day! Pop it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors will continue to develop and meld together, making each serving more tasty than the last.

Freeze: Chili is perfect for freezing! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It’ll stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in individual portions for easy weeknight dinners.

Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy your chili again, warm it up on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Or pop it in the microwave, heating in 1-minute intervals and stirring between each. If it seems a bit thick after freezing, just add a splash of beef broth while reheating.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	20-25 minutes
Total Time	30-40 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2400
• Protein: 150-160 g
• Fat: 100-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 150-160 g

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 3 cans (8 ounces each) of tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons chili seasoning
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Variety of toppings like grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and sour cream

Step 1: Sauté the Meat

Start by turning your Instant Pot to the ‘Sauté’ function, then select ‘More’ to increase the heat level.

Pour olive oil into the pot and let it heat up slightly.

Add the meat to the pot and cook it until browned, making sure to break up the beef with a spatula as you stir and move it around.

This should take about 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 2: Add Onions and Garlic

Once the meat is browned, add the chopped onion to the pot.

Sauté for about 3 additional minutes, or until the onions are softened and translucent.

Add minced garlic and cook for another minute while stirring continually to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Incorporate Remaining Ingredients

Next, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and beans to the pot.

Stir everything well to combine, making sure each ingredient is mixed evenly throughout.

Step 4: Pressure Cook the Chili

Switch the Instant Pot from ‘Sauté’ to the ‘Chili/Beans’ setting.

Secure the lid on the pot, ensuring the valve is in the ‘Sealing’ position.

Cook for 20 minutes.

After the cooking time is up, you can release the pressure manually by switching the valve to ‘Venting’, or allow it to release naturally over time.

Step 5: Serve

Carefully remove the lid once all pressure is released, and give your chili a good stir.

Serve the chili hot, garnished with your choice of assorted toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, or tortilla chips.

Enjoy!