Easy Instant Pot Chili With Canned Beans
This is an easy beginner-level recipe that lets you test out some of the Instant Pot's features once you’re ready to try a full-fledged electric pressure cooker meal!
Servings 8 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped (or about 2.5 tablespoon minced)
- OPTIONAL: 3 jalapeños or other hot peppers, diced (I used two jalepeños and one cayenne I froze from my garden earlier this year), diced (I used two jalepeños and one cayenne I froze from my garden earlier this year) of choice
- 1-2 lbs 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef
- 1.5 cups water
- ¼ cup chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Two 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
Instructions
- Using the saute function of your Instant Pot, heat olive oil until shimmering.
- Add onion and saute about three minutes, until starting to soften and brown.
- Add garlic and peppers and saute a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Hit cancel on the Instant Pot.
- Note: Avoid breathing in the steam from the peppers as they are sauteing. I also use a small food chopper to chop up the peppers and garlic -- it's a huge time saver, and also helps protect your hands if you have trouble dicing peppers without gloves.
- While peppers and onions are cooking, brown beef on stove top in a large pan, then drain. (You could also do this in the IP, but I find it easier on the stove -- especially if you're closer to two lbs ground beef rather than one.)
- Add browned beef, water, and all other ingredients to Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Lock the lid onto your pot.
- Make sure the valve is set to seal, then hit the manual button.
- Use the + and - buttons to change the time to 10 minutes, then hit the manual button again to start cooking at high pressure.
- When pot beeps, let it naturally release for 15 minutes, then open the valve to release the rest of the way.
- Open the lid, give a stir, and boom! Chili.
- Serve topped with shredded cheese & crackers, over potatoes, or however you prefer a hearty serving of chili.
Notes
Total recipe time includes the time to come to pressure and naturally release. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also make this chili in a 5 quart+ Dutch oven on the stove top -- After combining the ingredients, just simmer at least an hour (preferably two) on low, stirring occasionally.