There is nothing better than sitting down to enjoy a warm bowl of delicious homemade chili. My family is big on chili and my husband sure knows how to make a good one.
Homemade Chili in Less Time
For years my hubby made his chili on the stove and it took several hours to achieve perfection. I have to admit though, it was worth it for the amazing chili it produced.
Recently, I challenged him to make a faster version of his stovetop chili so I could share it on the blog. He did not disappoint!
Amazing flavor, in a lot less time. But we really felt we could adapt his original recipe to the Instant Pot to make it even easier and faster. So we got to work.
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The Best Instant Pot Chili Around
So, I know, that’s a pretty bold statement, but this Instant Pot Chili is amazing! The flavor is so good, and the fact that you can make it in such a short amount of time is fantastic.
My hubby and I tested this chili many times, and every time it got better and better. My kids did not complain about the fact that we had chili several days in a row. My friend and neighbor, who is usually a taste tester for us, said the chili was unbelievable. So I stand by my statement, that this Instant Pot Chili is the best around!
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Texas Chili Beans With a Spicy Kick
This Instant Pot Chili recipe has an amazing kick to it. It’s got the perfect spice, but even with its kick, my 7-year-old can handle an entire bowl.
I am confident that you and your family will enjoy my husband’s chili. It’s easy to make and it is a crowd pleaser.
I can’t wait for you to try it! I have included lots of suggestions and tips below, so take a minute to read through everything so you can make the perfect Instant Pot Chili too!
Kitchen Prep Tools, Utensils & Appliances
Here is a list of the kitchen prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Prep Tools & Utensils
These are the items you’ll need to prep and make this recipe:
- There is very little food prep needed for this simple recipe. The utensils I used included these cute measuring spoons, these lovely measuring bowls, some mini pinch bowls, and this beautiful liquid measuring cup.
- When using dry beans, you’ll want to weigh the beans using a scale that has the tare feature. Head over to my post about how to power soak beans in the Instant Pot for more information.
- A steel mesh strainer or a metal colander will be needed for rinsing the beans. Â
- You can substitute the fresh minced garlic in this recipe with dried minced garlic, but using a garlic press to mince the fresh garlic is so easy that I will usually use freshly minced. Â
- For mixing all the ingredients in the pot, I used a large silicone spoon. Â
Appliances & Cookware
I used my 8-quart Instant Pot for this recipe. Â
Serving Platters & Dishes
I served the chili in these beautiful stoneware bowls.
Now it’s time for you to make this wonderful Instant Pot Chili recipe!
Below the recipe card, I have some great tips and tricks to help you make this the most delicious Instant Pot Chili you’ve ever made.
Instant Pot Dry Bean Chili
Loaded with flavor and just the right amount of spice.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef I prefer ground sirloin
- 1 lb dry red kidney beans
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 can tomato paste 6 oz
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 3 cups bean broth or water as a substitute
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Start by power soaking your beans.
- Next, set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté'. Allow the pot to warm up for a couple of minutes and then place the ground beef in the pot and cook until brown.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Cut the 'Sauté' function off. Add 2 cups of water to the ground beef and then add all of the dry ingredients to the pot - chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and flour. Mix well.
- Add the power soaked beans along with the bean broth. If the beans did not yield a full 3 cups of bean broth, then substitute what is missing with an equal amount of water.
- Stir all the ingredients in the pot.
- Add the can of tomato paste to the top of the chili. Do not mix it in.
- Close the Instant Pot and set the pressure release valve to 'Sealing'.
- Next, set the pot to 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' High Pressure for 15 minutes. Allow for a 15-minute natural pressure release.
- Once the 15-minute NPR is complete, release any remaining pressure, open the pot and enjoy your chili.
Nutrition Facts
While every effort is made to correctly calculate these nutritional facts, they should be used as general guidance as they may not be 100% accurate.
Notes
Some things you should know about this Instant Pot Dry Bean Chili recipe.
Power soaking red kidney beans. This uses my recipe for power soaked red kidney beans which calls for one lbs of dry red kidney beans. That is exactly what you’ll need for this chili recipe. I always use all of the beans plus the broth in my chili.
Replacing the bean broth with water? If, for whatever reason, you wish to substitute the bean broth with water, I’d suggest adding 1 to 2 more teaspoons of salt. Otherwise, the chili will end up being too bland.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make this Instant Pot Dry Bean Chili recipe your own.
Boost the flavor. If you want to get the most possible flavor out of your chili, use ground chuck. Ground chuck is more flavorful than ground sirloin but is also fattier. I still prefer using the ground sirloin for everyday cooking but for special occasions, I will use ground chuck.
Turn up the heat. This recipe calls for a ½ cup of chili powder which is great if you have small kids or someone who doesn’t enjoy overly spicy foods. It’s just the right amount of spice for everyone to be able to enjoy. But, if you’re looking to amp it up, then go ahead and double the chili in this recipe to 1 cup. We’ve tried it before, and it’s amazing! It’s great for clearing the sinuses too!
Omit the beans. If you’d rather have chili without beans, just omit them and add one more pound of ground beef. This is perfect for when you want to serve this chili over hot dogs, Frito pie, or fries.
Save time with two pots. To save time, I always power soak the beans in my 3-quart Instant Pot. When the power soaking is 10 to 15 minutes away from finishing, I will use my 8-quart to start preparing the ground beef.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few ideas for serving your Instant Pot Dry Bean Chili.
Load it up with goodies. To make this chili extra tasty, add a dollop of sour cream, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, some chives or avocado.
Serve with cornbread. Nothing pairs better with a warm bowl of chili than cornbread. Try out my Texas Wildfire Cornbread.
Serve over rice. To make this chili extra hearty, we like serving our chili over rice.
Serve with crackers or tortilla chips. Crackers are a standard chili accompaniment. My kiddos love to crumble tortilla chips on the bottom of the bowl and serve the chili over the top of them.
Serve it American style. If you made the decision to omit the beans, then you’ll have the perfect topping for some favorite all-American dishes. Turn those boring hot dogs into delicious chili cheese dogs and while you’re at it pour it over fries for some chili cheese fries. Serve it over Fritos and top with shredded cheese for a Frito Pie. Or, add it to your favorite Mac & Cheese for some Chili Mac.
Check Out These Other Great Recipes
Want more chili recipes? Check out these amazing Instant Pot Chili Recipes that I’ve collected.
Looking for a stovetop chili? Try my stovetop version of this chili recipe. It’s so easy to make.
This recipe has WAY too much chili powder. (1/2 cup??!!) I had to double the amount of water to balance out the chili powder because it was so strong/ spicy that the chili was inedible. I would reduce this to a few tablespoons of chili powder.
Hi Bethany! We like our chili strong, but you can definitely reduce the amount of chili powder to your preference. You said you doubled the water, did you end up with 10 cups of water? The recipe calls for a total of 5 cups of water (bean broth and water). Thanks for stopping by!
11-23-19
Just made it. Wife happy. I’m happy. For us, maybe more flour to thicken and a tad more salt.
Thank you,
Jerry
Hi Jerry! Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I’m so glad you and your wife enjoyed it! Happy Thanksgiving!
I use ground turkey for anything that calls for ground beef. Would that still work in your chili or will it change the taste a lot?
Hi Ginny! You should be perfectly fine with ground turkey, especially since you’re already used to substituting it all the time. Hope you try it! Thanks for stopping by.
My chili had good flavor but had way too much liquid. More like chili soup. I took off almost two cups of liquid. I prefer my chili thicker.
Turned out great with the pinto beans!! Thanks so much!!
So happy to hear it, Wendy!! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! Happy 4th!
I want to use dry pinto beans. Do I need to change anything?
Hi Wendy! You should be fine using pinto beans. I have tested the pinto beans with the power soaking method and they came out great. I didn’t use them to make chili though because that day we just wanted beans. Let me know how it goes!