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Instant Pot Chili is the ultimate quick and easy chili recipe! Made with beef, beans, and a richly seasoned tomato base, this simple recipe delivers bold, comforting flavor every time. And thanks to the Instant Pot, it is ready in under an hour!
Inspired by my Crockpot Chili recipe, Instant Pot Chili ranks high on the list of my family's all time recipes. From football games to potlucks to cozy nights at home, this is the recipe I turn to again and again!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Chili
This Instant Pot Chili isn't just my family's favorite, it's a reader favorite as well! In fact, several readers have shared with me that is has won them chili cook-offs. Let's dive into what makes this recipe a stand-out:
- Classic Flavors. With lots of beef, just the right amount of beans, and the best chili seasoning, this tomato-based chili is simple, yet soul-satisfyingly delicious!
- Easy Prep. From sauteeing the beef, to developing the flavor, the Instant Pot does it all and leaves you with only one pan to wash.
- Slow Cooked Flavor Fast. Chili is one of those recipes that tastes better after hours of simmering. The Instant Pot seals in all the flavor and gets a knock-out chili on the table in just under an hour.
5-Star Reader Review
Absolutely delicious. Easy to prepare in a few minutes. Best chili anyone could want. Just follow the instructions and not reinvent the wheel. --Art ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chili
This Instant Pot chili recipe is made with the classics you'd expect along with a few that may surprise you but will help to build nuanced flavor.
- Ground Meat: Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or bison are all suitable. I personally opt for 85/15, as it lends enough fat to give the chili flavor without it being greasy.
- Onion + Garlic: Minced garlic and a diced yellow onion help to build the base layer of flavor in this easy chili recipe.
- Beans: Kidney beans (dark, light, or a combination of the two) are the classic choice, but red beans or pinto beans work as well.
- Beer: Adding a pale lager, like Corona, enhances flavor and builds a tangy base, but is optional. Substitute with additional beef stock if needed.
- Beef Stock: Helps to thin the chili to prevent a burn notice while amping up the robust, beefy flavor.
- Tomatoes: While you can use diced tomatoes, I love using crushed tomatoes (fire roasted is best!). They add a rich texture to the chili and keep my picky eaters from complaining about chunks of tomatoes.😉
- Chili Seasoning: My homemade chili seasoning is non-negotiable. It is the chili seasoning recipe to beat all others and you likely have everything you need to make it.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Added for depth of flavor.
Size of Instant Pot Matters
As written, this chili recipe works in a 3, 6, 8, or 10-quart pressure cooker. Feel free to double if using an 8 or 10-quart model.
How to Make Instant Pot Chili
Now let's break down the step-by-step process, so you can enjoy the best Instant Pot Chili. Think of this section as me standing next to you in the kitchen, but I promise, this recipe is simple.😊
- Brown the meat with the onions. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, let heat briefly, then add in the ground meat of choice along with the minced onion. Let it cook until browned, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Once just about browned, add in the garlic and let toast briefly. At this point you can drain off any excess grease if needed.
Kristen's Note on Garlic
Don't be tempted to add garlic at the start. It burns quickly and burnt garlic will ruin a dish. It is best to just lightly toast for a minute or two.
- Deglaze the inner pot. Add in the beer (or additional beef stock), and use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. That is a lot of flavor and will help prevent a burn notice. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two to reduce and deepen in flavors and then hit cancel to turn off the sauté function.
- Layer ingredients CAREFULLY. Add in the beans, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, and both, and stir to combine. Then top with the tomatoes, but don't stir the chili again. Leaving the tomatoes on top of the other ingredients will help prevent a burn notice from happening.
- Pressure cook with natural pressure release. Instant Pot Chili only has a cook time of 15 minutes--talk about a classic sped up!
- Let the pressure release naturally. Even though there is a quick cooking time, you do want to allow for at least 15 minutes of natural pressure release, as there is a lot of liquid volume in chili. To do a quick release of pressure, would result in a mess.
What is natural pressure Release?
Natural pressure release (or NPR) means to leave the Instant Pot alone and let the pressure drop on its own. Once the pressure drops, the float valve will float down and the lid will unlock.
Instant Pot Chili Video
If you learn better through step-by-step video presentation, join me in my kitchen as I make my family's favorite chili recipe using the Instant Pot.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot Chili is so flavorful, you can simply ladle the chili into a bowl and dive in. But in case you want to add toppings or serve in a creative way, I have a few suggestions.
- Add Toppings: Instant Pot chili can be served plain or with your favorite chili toppings, like shredded cheese, pickled jalapenos, avocado, onions, sour cream, corn chips.
- Serve with Cornbread or Biscuits. While cornbread is classic, I also love sweet potato biscuits or buttermilk biscuits on the side of my chili.
- Serve Over Pasta: My dad loves serving this chili over cooked spaghetti noodles (Cincinnati style).
- Serve Over Potatoes: Top an Instant Pot baked potatoes or Instant Pot sweet potato with a generous scoop of chili and top with cheese if desired.
- Make Tamale Pie: I love making a double batch of chili and using half to make tamale pie. Simply spread 3-4 cups of leftover chili in a casserole dish, top with the cornbread batter, and bake as recipe directs.
Chili Modifications
- Lower the Sodium: Use low-sodium beef stock, low-sodium Worcestershire sauce, no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, and cut the salt in half in the homemade chili blend.
- Make it Spicy: Add a small minced jalapeño to the beef and onion mixture or up to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the chili seasoning blend.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free beer or additional beef stock and ensure your Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free.
There you have it! Instant Pot Chili that my family is obsessed with. I hope you love it as much as we do! xo-Kristen
More Instant Pot Chili Recipes
While this recipe is classic, I love chili of all varieties. Try out one of our favorites below.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Chili
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, or ground bison, turkey, or chicken (see note on fat percentage)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup light lager beer, such as Coors or Corona
- 1 cup low-sodium beef stock, see recipe note
- 2 tablespoons Chili Seasoning Blend
- 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté function and add in 2 pounds ground beef and 1 small yellow onion (minced) to the inner pot. Allow the onions to soften and the meat to brown, breaking it up as it cooks. This is about 5 minutes.
- Once the meat is nearly cooked through, add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer, just to lightly toast the garlic. At this point, drain off any excess grease, if needed.
- With the Instant Pot still on sauté, add ½ cup light lager beer (or additional stock) into the inner pot and scrape up the browned bits off the inner pot. This step is REALLY important and will help prevent a burn notice. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, then hit cancel to turn off the sauté function.
- Add 1 cup low-sodium beef stock, 2 tablespoons Chili Seasoning Blend, 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans (rinsed and drained), and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the inner pot and stir well to combine.
- Top the chili mixture with 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes if prefered), but do not stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, being sure the venting valve is locked or pointed to "seal." Set to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes by selecting manual or pressure cook and using the +/- buttons to adjust the time.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes you can do a quick pressure release if desired, by using the handle of a long utensil to knock the venting knob from seal to vent. Give the chili a good stir and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2018 and updated in 2025.
Hey Kristen, so happy I stumbled upon your site ! My IP is still boxed up but with your recipes/tips I’m feeling motivated and have the confidence that I can do it. Question: my kids pick out the onions and bell peppers so I usually sauté and blend them up in my vita mix to a mushy consistency. Do you think I need to adjust the beer or broth because of this ? Thanks!
I am so happy you found my site as well. And I understand picky kids. I would reduce liquid by 1/4 of a cup. Enjoy
I'd love to try this with tomato puree instead of canned tomatoes. Any suggestion on changes I'd need to make? Cooking time or liquid measurement?
I would add in 1 cup extra liquid, but cook time will remain the same.
I cooked for the 35 min. 10 min natural release. beans still way too hard. I am pressure cooking it another 10 minutes. I hope that will do the trick otherwise it is smelling great. I added more beef stock for it looked too thick.
Hi Heidi! If your dried beans are a bit older they can take a bit of time to cook through. And it was a good idea to add stock after a quick release of a thick stew/chili like this before trying to cook longer or you may get a burn notice. However, you may need to add in a bit more seasoning, as the stock will dilute the flavor a bit. I hope you enjoy!
Hi Kristen
Everyone in my house appears to be going on a low carb Keto diet kick. So I have no choice but to make this chili in our instant pot without beans. I plan to use 2 lbs ground beef and use a red wine as part of the liquid measurement. Do I keep the same amount of liquid (2 cups) as noted in the recipe if I am not using beans but add more meat?..and this sure sounds like it will be Scrumpdillyicious on our snowy night tonight. Thanks for the recipe....
Hi Clem! I would decrease the liquid to 1 cup for this recipe. I personally love red wine in chili, so that plus beef broth will be delicious! Stay warm and enjoy!
Well here's the scoop..with the 2 lbs of ground beef (and no beans)it still needed a bit more liquid than 1 cup (so I added and went generous on the wine of course) and if you don't mind I tweaked it a bit with by going heavier on the Chili Powder and Cumin and adding some Rotel, cocoa, Oregano and smoked paprika..... MMMMMmmmm is all I can say.
Thank You
WAHOO!!! So glad you enjoyed!!!!
Hi, are the dried beans soaked? If they are soaked are they measured dry or after soaking?
Thanks,
Shirley
Hi Shirley! I have directions for both soaked and un-soaked dried beans. For dried un-soaked beans, you use 2 cups. For pre-soaked beans, use 4-5 cups and 1/2 cup less liquid. The cook time will also be cut to 25 minutes for pre-soaked beans.
What type of beer would you suggest?
I recommend a lager--like Coors, Heineken, Budweiser, etc. I think a mild beer is best, to let the flavors of chili shine 🙂
Hi, IP newbie here and not a very organized cook. I tried the chili recipe and left it on saute until I was ready to set the pressure level. It was a good 20 minutes since I browned the beef and got everything in there. The result was heavy and mushy. The flavor was great!! Should I have turned off saute after browning?
Hi Dianne, I am so sorry about your experience. Yes, you should have turned off saute after meat was browned, that will make a huge difference in consistency and texture. I hate you missed that step, I added in actual step (not just post) to clarify for anyone else.