The Best Instant Pot Chili With Dry Beans

Once you make this delicious Instant Pot Chili with Dry Beans you will never go back to making it on the stove. It's hearty, comforting, packed full of amazing flavor, and just the right amount of spice. Your family will love the taste and you'll love how easy it is to make.

chili in a small bowl topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onion

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. This Instant Pot Chili with Dry Beans is easy and will save you so much time versus making it on the stove.

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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.

overhead shot of a bowl of chili topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onion

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 and came up with this recipe with dry beans.

Essential Items

Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.

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28 Must-Have Instant Pot Accessories

Make sure to check out my Ultimate List of Instant Pot Accessories! I’ve included everything you could ever need to help make your pressure cooking quicker, easier, and even more convenient.

The Best Instant Pot Chili With Dry Beans

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.

a bowl of chili

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 with Dry Beans is the best around!

best instant pot chili

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. You can always adjust the spice level to suit your family’s needs.

instant pot chili served in 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 the recipe card, so take a minute to read through everything so you can make the perfect Instant Pot Chili with Dry Beans!

close up of a chili bowl

Now it’s time for you to make this wonderful Instant Pot Chili recipe! I’d love to hear about it in the comments when you try it! Look below for other types of easy chili recipes you can make as well!

If you are an Instant Pot beginner I have also created this step-by-step to for making this chili recipe.

Check Out These Other Great Recipes

Want to use canned beans? Try my easy and delicious Instant Pot Chili Recipe.

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.

Instant Pot Dry Bean Chili

RED KIDNEY BEANS, GROUND BEEF, AND A SPECIAL BLEND OF CHILI SPICES

4 from 51 votes
Servings
12 bowls
DifficultyEasy
Cooking Method(s)
  • Pressure Cooking
Pressure LevelHigh
Program SettingManual / Pressure Cook
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
NPR
15 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Recipe by: Valerie Cooper
A warm bowl of this hearty chili is oh so comforting. Top it with shredded cheddar, sour cream and chives and serve with cornbread.
chili in a small bowl topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onion

Essential Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 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

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 911mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 5.1mg

Notes

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

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

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.

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22 thoughts on “The Best Instant Pot Chili With Dry Beans”

    1. Hi Sarah! It is 1/2 cup, but it does depend on the chili powder you use. You can definitely scale back on it if you’d like, but we feel with Adams chili powder this is the perfect amount. Thanks for stopping by!

  1. Never, and I cannot stress this enough, never add flour to an instant pot recipe. You will more than likely get a burn notice and defeat the purpose of cooking in the instant pot lol.

    1. 5 stars
      I’ve made this chili 4 times and never once has there been a problem with the flour. It thickens like it is supposed to.

  2. I have been reluctant to make many recipes in the InstantPot because I’m a “taste and season as I go” cook. But I often use a chili mix (Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit in the red box), so I used your recipe with the mix. I added a can of diced tomatoes and salt along with the spice mix. It has corn masa that I used for the flour. Fantastic! Thanks.

  3. I tried this recipe, and it was thee best. I was so nervous because my past attempts with other recipes weren’t always the best. I never follow measurements, I just go by the taste. With that being said I have no idea which I used more or less of. On the other hand, I have learned of some great ingredients to use for chili. I now feel like a pro! Thanks Valerie 🙂

  4. 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.

    1. 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!

  5. 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

  6. 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?

    1. 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.

  7. 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.

    1. Valerie Cooper

      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!

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