Thirty minutes from raw ground beef to a bowl of chili that tastes like it simmered since morning.
Chili is one of those recipes everyone thinks they need a slow cooker for. And look, slow cooker chili is great — if you have eight hours to spare. Most weeknights, I don't. What I have is about half an hour between getting home and needing food on the table, and that's exactly where the Instant Pot comes in.
The pressure cooker does something special to chili that even stovetop simmering can't match. It forces the spices deep into the meat and beans in a way that normally takes hours of low-and-slow cooking. After just 10 minutes under pressure (plus 10 minutes of natural release), you get chili that tastes like it's been sitting on the back burner all day.
I'm a beans-in-chili person, and I don't apologize for it. If you're in the no-beans camp, just leave them out and add an extra half pound of ground beef. I won't judge. Much.
This recipe makes a big batch on purpose. Chili is one of the best foods for meal prep — it actually gets better after a night in the fridge, and it freezes like a champ. I usually make this on Sunday, eat it that night, and portion the rest into containers for the week.
Swap the ground beef for 1½ lbs of diced chicken breast. Replace kidney and black beans with two cans of cannellini beans. Use chicken broth instead of beef. Skip the crushed tomatoes and add a can of green chiles and ½ cup of sour cream stirred in at the end. Completely different vibe, equally good.
Drop the meat entirely. Use kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Add an extra diced bell pepper (red this time) and a diced zucchini. Use vegetable broth. Everything else stays the same. You won't miss the beef, I promise.
Swap the ground beef for 2½ lbs of beef chuck cut into small cubes. Skip all beans. Double the chili powder and add 2 tablespoons of masa harina (corn flour) at the end to thicken. Brown the cubes in batches like you would for a stew. Pressure cook for 20 minutes. Pure meat, pure heat.
Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to the spice mix. Serve over spaghetti (yes, spaghetti) topped with a mound of shredded cheddar, diced raw onion, and kidney beans. It's a Midwest thing, and it works.
The best part about chili is the toppings bar. Set out bowls of shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and chopped cilantro. Let everyone build their own bowl. It turns a simple dinner into something that feels like an event.
If you're doing a game day spread, this chili pairs perfectly with Instant Pot mac and cheese — make the chili first (it keeps warm beautifully), then use the same pot for the mac. Or go the protein-heavy route and serve it alongside pulled pork sandwiches. Just try not to nap during the second half.
For a full week of Instant Pot cooking, check out our other pressure cooker recipes — we've got something for every night of the week.
Per serving (1/8 of recipe)
For a 30-minute chili, use canned beans — they just need to heat through. If you want to use dried beans, soak them overnight first, then increase the pressure cook time to 25 minutes. Unsoaked dried beans need about 35-40 minutes.
Skip the cayenne pepper entirely and reduce the chili powder to 2 tablespoons. You can also stir in a tablespoon of sour cream per bowl when serving — dairy tames heat quickly.
Absolutely. Ground turkey works great — use 93/7 lean for best results. It won't have as much rendered fat, so you might not need to drain anything. The flavor will be slightly lighter, so consider adding an extra tablespoon of chili powder.
Chili keeps in the fridge for 5 days in an airtight container and freezes well for up to 4 months. In fact, chili is one of the rare foods that actually tastes better after a day or two in the fridge — the spices continue to develop.
Two common fixes: add acid (a squeeze of lime juice or a splash of vinegar at the end) and make sure you're using enough salt. Chili with beans and tomatoes needs more salt than you'd think. Taste and adjust right before serving.