Is there anything better than a delicious Chili Recipe? I don’t think so, Instant Pot Chili tastes like it has slow simmered all day long in only a fraction of the time. Loaded with seasonings and fresh ingredients makes this Chili recipe a family favorite rich in flavor.
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Are you a Hot Chili Fan or would you prefer a more mild flavor Chili? Just as chili comes in all shapes and sizes, it also can be made to burn your throat off or be enjoyed with full flavors.
Personally, I love a little spice AND I love to enjoy a bowl where I can taste all the flavors too. This recipe is just that. But don’t worry, I’ve got some tips for you to enjoy a hot bowl if that’s how you like it.
In the Fall is definitely Chili Season and who doesn’t love attending a elementary school carnival where a Potato Bar is being served! Load that spud up with delicious chili and you have yourself a great meal.
Shopping List
- Ground Sirloin
- Ground Pork
- Bell Peppers
- Tomatoes - Diced Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste
- Beans – Kidney, White, Pinto You decide
- Peppers - Anaheim, Jalapeno, Serrano, or Habanero you decide (optional)
How to make Instant Pot Chili
I love my Instant Pot, it takes a long slow simmer and magically speeds it up without losing the taste and flavor you love. This is a one pot recipe meaning everything is made in one pot. Very little mess and clean up. And you can even serve right from the Instant Pot if you wish.
Gather all the ingredients and wash and prep bell peppers and onion. This really helps in throwing everything together quickly and easily.
Start by preheating the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to Sauté and waiting until it reads Hot on the display panel. Add a little Olive Oil and then add ground sirloin and ground pork. Break up meat using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and brown until you can’t see any pink remaining in the meat.
Add diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes allowing the onion to sweat and begin to cook. Turn off the Instant Pot and drain any excess fat. There won’t be a lot, you can also use a paper towel to blot excess grease as needed.
To understand better the heat scale of peppers or which pepper to add to spice things up, the Scoville Heat Scale is a perfect source for determining your level of hot.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Heat Scale |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Pepperoncini Pepper | 100 – 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Anaheim Pepper | 500 – 2,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Serrano Pepper | 10,000 – 23,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Season and Layer
Add beef broth and deglaze bottom of pot as needed. This is important so you don’t get a Burn Notice later in the pressure cooking process. Season first before laying additional ingredients.
Add Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper and stir to combine. Then layer the ingredients. It’s important to layer and not stir or mix ingredients. Add diced bell peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, rinsed and drained beans
Place the lid and close the pressure valve and set for 15 minutes at high pressure allowing a natural release of pressure for 20 minutes.
Release the pressure by opening the pressure value making sure to keep the Instant Pot away from cabinets or lights above.
It's always fun to top Chili with green onions, tortilla chips, cheese or even hot sauce. Feel free to add your own special likes as toppings too.
Optional Heat
Want to spice up this Chili Recipe? I’ve got you covered. Understanding the heat scale of peppers is important so choose wisely.
Add your desired pepper when adding bell peppers to this recipe. Sometimes a little goes a long way!
| Pepper Type | Scoville Heat Scale |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Pepperoncini Pepper | 100 – 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Anaheim Pepper | 500 – 2,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Serrano Pepper | 10,000 – 23,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
I love the flavor of an Anaheim Pepper. It’s not overly hot but does give that pepper flavor you are looking for. Step it up a notch with a Jalapeno or Chili Pepper and burn your throat with a Habanero Pepper.
How to Store Chili
Serve Chili Hot and store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Chili can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Souper Cubes
You know I love my Souper Cubes. They are fantastic for freezing single serve portions for later. Frozen items will pop out of the silicone molds easily. The firm top snaps on to prevent spilling and you can easily stack Souper Cubes on top of each other too.
These are a must have. I have the ½ cup, 1 Cup and 2 Cup sizes, they are all wonderful and perfect for so many things. I love that I can freeze items and then pull out and move to a Zip-loc freezer bag so I can reuse the Souper Cubes for something else. Soup Cubes are the brand name of the silicone trays seen above. They aid in storing and freezing leftovers. Brilliant idea seen on Shark Tank.
Chili and Cinnamon Rolls
Is Chili and Cinnamon Rolls really a thing? Yes, it is! The sweet from a soft and delicious cinnamon roll pairs nicely with a hot and spicy bowl of homemade chili.
So dip it in, and enjoy. It’s not uncommon for Chili to be served with Cinnamon Rolls in the school system lunch rooms either.
I’m pretty sure a loving lunch lady somewhere wanted to treat a young school child and everyone fell in love with the combination. Make sure to thank a Lunch Lady, they still love and care for kids all over.
Substitution Tips
| Ingredient | Substitution |
|---|---|
| Hamburger | Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken |
| Ground Pork | Ground Hamburger |
| Bell Peppers | Green, Yellow, Red or Orange - Pick your favorite 2 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Stewed Tomatoes or Crushed Tomatoes |
| Beans | Pinto, Black, Kidney or White Beans - Pick your favorite 2 |
It’s rumored that Chili got its name by how it was made. It seems that this dish was made with leftover ingredients trying to make it stretch further. They used ingredients grown that they had access to which were onions and chili peppers. The mixture contained more chili peppers than anything else and got the name Chili.
Did you know that a teaspoon of red chili powder meets the daily allowance for Vitamin A. Well it does. And now you know!
Beans or No Beans?
This is a big deal and likely depending on where you live determines how you like your chili recipe. Chili with beans and chili without beans. In many Chili Cooking Contests, recipes are made without beans. Why is that?
Well, beans have a strong flavor and texture. Judges want to taste the full flavor of the recipe without the dominating flavors the beans give. Hence, bean less chili.
There is a saying in Texas “If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain't got no beans.” And that is just how it’s made in Texas. You won’t find chili made with beans or even tomatoes used in the recipe. But make sure to give a try to a “bowl of red” like Texas call it because it’s simple and oh so good!
Walt Disney Chili Copycat
This recipe is said to be similar to Walt Disney’s favorite Chili Recipe. That may just be folklore or it may be true. But if you are a Disney fan like I am then you can envision Walt himself sitting in his apartment above the Fire station on Main Street in Disneyland looking out over all the guests enjoying the moments with their families and smiling knowing that it all started with a mouse.
I can see Walt enjoying a bowl full of his favorite Chili in the Fall when the cool crisp air turns the leaves golden. What a magical time of year in a truly magical place.
Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
This chili recipe can easily be made in the Slow Cooker. Brown Ground Sirloin and Ground Pork and throw everything in the Crock Pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. It will be delicious.
Welcome to our 2021 Chili Cook-Off!
October is Chili Cook-Off Month! We have delicious recipes from across the country to get your chili making to the next level of deliciousness!
#ChiliCookOff is an annual blogging event that is hosted by Ashley from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Venison Chili from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Colorado Green Chili fromThe Fresh Cooky
- Leftover Roast Pork Chilifrom A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili from Sweet Beginnings
- Instant Pot Chili from Devour Dinner
- Chili con Carne from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Smoked Turkey Chili from Palatable Pastime
- My Dad's Contest Winning Chili from The Spiffy Cookie
- Instant Pot Pork Green Chili from Hostess At Heart
- Black Eyed Pea Chili from Take Two Tapas
- Pork Chili from Art of Natural Living
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili from Life Love and Good Food
- Pumpkin Chili from Jen Around The World
- Vegan Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili from Magical Ingredients
- Cincinnati Chili from An Affair from the Heart
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin Chilifrom The Freshman Cook
- Texas Chili from SmartyPantsKitchen
Instant Pot Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ lb Ground Sirloin
- ½ lb Ground Pork
- ½ Onion - Diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper - Diced
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper - Diced
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 can Kidney Beans
- 1 can White Beans
- 1 28oz Diced Tomatoes
- 1 16oz Tomato Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- ½ Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Garnish
- Corn Chips
- Sour Cream
- Green Onions
- Avocado
- Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to Sauté and waiting until it reads Hot on the display panel.
- Add Olive Oil to hot Instant Pot and then add ground sirloin and ground pork. Break up meat using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and brown until you can’t see any pink remaining in the meat.
- Add diced onion and bell peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes allowing the onion to sweat and begin to cook. Turn off the Instant Pot and drain any excess fat.
- Optional - Add diced Chili Pepper for added heat and saute.
- Add beef broth and deglaze bottom of pot as needed.
- Stir in seasonings of Cumin, Chili Powder, Cocoa Powder, Salt, Pepper and stir to combine.
- Layer diced bell peppers, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, rinsed and drained beans in this order. DO NOT STIR
- Place the lid and close the pressure valve and set for 10 minutes at high pressure allowing a natural release of pressure for 10 minutes.
- top Chili with green onions, tortilla chips, cheese or even hot sauce. Feel free to add your own special likes as toppings too.
Notes
| Pepper Type | Scoville Heat Scale |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Pepperoncini Pepper | 100 – 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Anaheim Pepper | 500 – 2,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
| Serrano Pepper | 10,000 – 23,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Slow Cooker or Crock Pot Directions
This chili recipe can easily be made in the Slow Cooker. Brown Ground Sirloin and Ground Pork and throw everything in the Crock Pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. It will be delicious.Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Susan Cummings
I had made this a a couple weeks before you were going to make it as a video, and I was eating it when you announed you were doing the video for it the following week. It was great. Now I have the recipe for the cornbread which I will make the next time I unfreeze some of the chili. I froze the leftovers in the freezer cubes and that worked great too.
Emily
Wow this was so tasty and the convenience of making it in the instant pot made it so easy! I love that this can be a healthy alternative to other meals as well as it is packed with protein and vegetables!
Ashley Lecker
I love the tip on the peppers! I also love that bit of cocoa powder added for extra richness!
Pat
Are you using canned or raw beans?
Kathleen
Another winner-winner it's chili for dinner! Love how simple this recipe is and the flavors, these are the meals that make me fall in love with my IP! And I love to think that I'm eating the same chili that good ol' Walt Disney ate!
Teri
I am definitely in the Pepperoncini Pepper category! I am looking forward to trying your very tasty sounding recipe. It sounds amazing!
Kathryn
Love this chili in the instant pot! It was so flavorful and easy to make!
Karen
Chili and cinnamon rolls! How interesting. Your chili looks so hearty and I love that it is made in the Instant Pot.
Jennifer
I love chili because that slow simmered flavor just can't be beat but this instant pot version has sped up with process without compromising that slow cooked flavor!
Jennifer
I have got to try making chili in my Instant Pot. You make it sound so easy and delicious.
Inger @ Art of Natural Liivng
This looks so good! AndI love your souper cubes. I have so much pyrex and it still isn't enough!
Sheila Thigpen
So much good information in this post and so many suggestions for how to make this recipe to your own taste and level of heat — thank you!
Radha
This is a great recipe and making it in Instatnt pot makes it easier.Yum!
Julie Menghini
I'm all for beans and this chili! Cooking it in the instant pot made it so easy and best of all we have leftovers for tomorrow!