Instant Pot Chili is one of my favorite go-to fall recipes. When the leaves start to change and the days become shorter the chill in the air makes me crave a steamy hot bowl of chili for dinner. Preparing a delicious hot dinner for the family doesn’t require a lot of time or special ingredients. In fact, you can make this easy 6 ingredient Instant Pot Chili in under an hour, but it tastes as if you fussed over it all day.
Instant Pots do such an amazing job at making quick work of dinner you really can take back the time you would have spent standing over the stove and let the Instant Pot do all of the work. One of my favorite features of the Instant Pot is the sauté function. For something like chili using the sauté function means you only have to dirty one pot to make an entire dinner, and that’s a huge win in my book!
One Pot Dump Recipe
6 ingredient Instant Pot Chili is a one-pot dump-and-go recipe any busy mom will love. The 6 main ingredients for this recipe are lean ground beef, yellow onion, three different kinds of canned beans, and tomato sauce. The spices, olive oil, and water I don’t count because they are spices and items we always have on hand. You can replace the individual spices with a packet of chili seasoning mix, but I prefer to make my own.
Instant Pot Chili Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef
- Yellow Onion
- Black Beans (canned)
- Canned Chili Beans with sauce
- Red Beans (canned)
- Tomato Sauce
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cumin
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Water
How To Make Chili In The Instant Pot
To start add 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO to the Instant Pot and select the sauté function. When the display reads HOT add to the pot the diced yellow onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef to the onion and using a wooden spatula break apart the meat to brown it on all sides for 3-4 minutes. The beef does not need to be fully cooked at this point because it will continue to cook under pressure.
Select/press the cancel button on the Instant Pot and add to the pot all of the seasoning and spices and stir to combine the meat and spices. Next, add ½ cup of water. Using the wooden spatula scrape (deglaze) the bottom of the Instant Pot removing anything that is stuck on the bottom of the pot.
Now to the pot add the rinsed and drained can of black beans, the rinsed and drained can of red beans, and the chili beans with the sauce and stir to combine the ingredients. Lastly pour on top the tomato sauce and DO NOT STIR.
Pressure Cook Chili In The Instant Pot
Place the Instant Pot lid on top and lock it in place and select pressure cook/manual and set the cooking time to 8 minutes.
When the Instant Pot beeps to signal that the cooking cycle is complete allow for the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes minimum or completely if time allows.
When the lid can safely be removed stir the ingredients together to combine. If needed to thicken the chili return the Instant Pot to the saute setting and simmer until the chili reaches the desired thickness. Ladle hot chili into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings.
Favorite Chili Toppings:
- Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
- Sliced Green Onions
- Diced Purple Onions
- Sour Cream
- Ritz Crackers
- Corn Bread
Recipe Variations
For a vegetarian chili omit the ground beef and replace it with a variety of ingredients like pinto beans, white beans, celery, carrots, bell peppers, or add in a plant-based meat substitute.
For an even heartier chunky beef chili recipe consider adding chuck roast, ground Italian sausage, or thick-cut bacon for the meat lovers in your life.
Stovetop Chili Instructions
6 Ingredient Instant Pot Chili can easily be converted to a stovetop recipe. To start heat 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO in a stockpot. Saute onion until it is translucent then add the ground beef to the pot. Continue to saute the meat over medium heat until it is fully browned (about 6-7 minutes). Season the ground beef with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Next, add the rinsed and drained kidney beans, black beans, and canned chili beans with sauce and tomato sauce. Stir to combine all of the ingredients together and simmer on low on the stovetop for 3 hours.
How to freeze Chili
So you made a BIG pot of Instant Pot Chili and now you want to save some of that deliciousness for another time. Chili freezes and reheats really well. My go-to freezer method is using my favorite kitchen gadget Souper Cubes to freeze individual one or two-cup portions. To read all about Souper Cubes go here. If you don’t yet have Souper Cubes you can freeze Instant Pot Chili in a round bowl like this one to easily remove and place back in the Instant Pot.
How To Cook Chili From Frozen
To reheat in the Instant Pot add frozen cubes or the frozen bowl of chili directly to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add ½ cup of water and pressure cooking for 5-8 minutes with a full NPR. To reheat single Souper Cubes in the microwave place a cube in a microwave-safe bowl and cover. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes. On the stovetop heat over medium-low heat for 20 minutes until chili is fully warmed through.
6 Ingredient Instant Pot Chili
Preparing a delicious hot dinner for the family doesn't require a lot of time or special ingredients. In fact, you can make this easy 6 ingredient Instant Pot Chili in under an hour, but it tastes as if you fussed over it all day.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.5 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
- ½ Cup-¾ Cup Of Water
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 15.25 Can of Chili Beans
- 15.25 Can of Black Beans
- 15.25 Can of Red Beans
- 15 oz. Can No Salt Added Tomato Sauce (or pint jar)
Instructions
- To start add 1-2 Tbsp. of EVOO to the Instant Pot and select the sauté function.
- When the display reads HOT add to the pot the yellow onion.
- Saute the onion until the onion is translucent (2-3 minutes)
- Add in the ground beef and continue to saute for 4-5 more minutes. Sauté until the beef is browned, but it does not need to be fully cooked at this point because it will continue to cook under pressure.
- Select/press the cancel button on the Instant Pot.
- Add to the pot all of the seasoning and spices and stir to coat the meat.
- Next, add ½ cup of water to the pot. Using the wooden spatula scrape (deglaze) the bottom of the Instant Pot removing anything that is stuck on the bottom of the pot.
- Next, rinse and drain the can of black beans and red beans and add them to the pot. Add the can of chili beans with the sauce and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Lastly pour in the tomato sauce on top of the beans DO NOT STIR.
- Place the Instant Pot lid on top and lock it in place and select pressure cook/manual and set the cooking time to 8 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot beeps to signal that the cooking cycle is complete allow for the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes minimum or completely if time allows.
- When the lid can safely be removed stir to combine the ingredients.
- If needed to thicken the chili return the Instant Pot to the saute setting and simmer until the chili reaches the desired thickness.
- Ladle hot chili into bowls and top with sliced green onions, sharp cheddar cheese, diced purple onions, sour cream, or any other topping you'd like.
Notes
To freeze individual one or two-cup portions of chili allow it to cool and spoon it into 1 or 2 cups Souper Cube trays. Place the lid snugly on top and place the tray on a flat surface in the freezer. Once frozen cubes can be removed from the tray and stored in a vacuum-sealed bag for up to 6 months or in a gallon freezer bag for up to two months.
Recommended Products
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Instant Pot Max Pressure Cooker 9 in 1, Best for Canning with 15PSI and Sterilizer, 6 Qt -
Souper Cubes Gift Set, 1-Cup 2-Cup ½ Cup and 2 Tablespoon trays with lids
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FAAY 11.5 Inch Teak Wood Spatula/Turner for RIGHT Hand | Versatile Spatula, Durable, Healthy and High Moist Resistance for Non Stick Cookware
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FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine with Automatic Bag Detection and Starter Kit | Safety Certified | Silver
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 603Total Fat: 10.7gSaturated Fat: 2.8gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 338gmgCarbohydrates: 78.9gFiber: 19.9gSugar: 6.1gProtein: 52.8g
Yes! But there are a few steps to take to be successful. First, select slow cook and adjust it to the “high” setting this will be almost equivalent to the crock pot’s “high” setting however, you’ll need to add an additional 15 per hour of cook time. For example, if the recipe calls for 4 hours on high in a crockpot the slow cooking time for the Instant Pot would be 4 hours +15 minutes X 4 for a total of 5 hours.
When the cooking cycle is complete press/select cancel to turn off the keep warm function. Then, select the saute function and select either the high or low setting. If using the saute function on high be sure to stir your dish regularly to avoid burning food to the bottom of the pot. Simmering your food using the saute function for about 5 minutes will reduce the liquid and thicken up the chili to the desired consistency.
Anytime the Instant Pot senses food sticking or burning to the bottom of the pot it will give you a BURN notice. To avoid this ensure your recipe calls for enough thin liquid (water, broth) AND pay close attention to how ingredients like tomato sauce are added to the pot. Thicker sauces will tend to burn if they are touching the bottom of the pot so it’s critical to layer ingredients at times to avoid the thick sauces from sticking or burning.
Kate M
Chili is one of my go-to bulk recipes! Thanks for some great options.
ilse dumont
Very nice step by step instructions! Looks very yummy too
Kaybee Lives
This recipe looks amazing! I have been craving a hot bowl of chili now that it is cool fall! This will be on my list to try! Thanks!
mydeliciousmesls
This looks so easy and delicious, we’re starting kitchen remodeling end of the month, definitely saving this for those days 🙂