BEST Instant Pot Chili

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This Instant Pot Chili recipe is a favorite in our home.  A delicious blend of beef, beans, tomatoes, a variety of fragrant spices, and a “secret ingredient” all come together to create a tummy-warming, soul-satisfying chili that is out of this world delicious!

Why Use a Instant Pot?

Have you ever struggled with particularly stubborn dried beans?  One of the big advantages of using a pressure cooker for something like chili that uses dried beans is that it practically guarantees the beans will turn out soft within the designated cooking time.  If you frequently cook with dried beans you know that not all beans are created equal in terms of freshness.  There’s no way of knowing how long those dried beans sat in a warehouse before making it to the store shelves or how long they sat on the shelf before you bought them.  Old dried beans are notorious for taking forever to cook in spite of all your efforts and all the tricks up your sleeves.  And even then, there are some dried beans that just plain refuse soften.  And so enter the pressure cooker, a device that will make even the most stubborn dried beans yield to softening.  Hallelujah!

Can I Use a Slow Cooker?

Yes. After cooking the beef, onions and garlic, transfer them to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the beans are tender.

Do You Have to Pre-Soak Beans?

There’s a great deal of debate surrounding that question and if you do an online search on the subject you can read about the arguments on both sides.   In more recent years food experts have challenged the long-held notion that pre-soaking beans is a must.  In short, many food experts say that it is not necessary to pre-soak or use a quick-soak method, that it only minimally reduces phytic acid, that it doesn’t improve the texture and that can in fact reduce the flavor.  However they do note that pre-soaking does cut down on the cooking time and that it can make the beans easier to digest.  So the choice is yours.

If you have time to pre-soak the beans overnight I recommend doing so.  Even minimally reducing phytic acid can only be a good thing and I’m all for better digestion.  Pre-soaking will also help ensure that even older dried beans fully cook.  If you forget to pre-soak them or make a last-minute decision to make chili (which has happened to me on more than a couple of occasions), then simply increase the cooking time by an additional 10 minutes.

Whether you pre-soak or don’t pre-soak, either way your Instant Pot Chili will turn out irresistibly delicious!

Secret Ingredient for Ultimate Flavor

This Instant Pot chili can be made mild or spicy depending on the chili powder you use.  Choose one according to your heat preference.

I add a “secret” ingredient to my chili that really ups the flavor:  Masa harina.  That’s right, the Mexican corn flour made from nixtamalized corn that’s used for making corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, gorditas, and many other Latin American dishes.  Not only does it serve as a thickener (and gluten free at that), it adds a fabulous boost of flavor to the chili.

A Confession to a Rare “Rule-Breaker”

There is another ingredient I add to my chili that may raise some eyebrows:  Condensed tomato soup.  Having been a firmly dedicated 100% from-scratch cooking site since I launched it in 2013, this is a very rare deviation from my from-scratch commitment.  If you seriously object, go ahead and substitute more tomato sauce instead.  But this is one of those rare exceptions that I am willing to make because it makes such a difference in the flavor outcome.  If you give it a try I think you’ll agree that it’s worth it!

What to Serve with Instant Pot Chili

Serve this instant pot chili with some cornbread and/or a salad and you’re all set. Here are few options:

• Cornbread Muffins – these are sooo moist and flavorful, I love them!
• Quinoa Cornbread – a slightly healthier version that packs in some protein-rich quinoa.
• Skillet Cornbread – this old-fashioned, rustic cornbread is made with 100% corn.
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Breadsticks or bread rolls
• Creamy Coleslaw – this classic creamy coleslaw just can’t be beat.
• Freezer Slaw – this make-ahead coleslaw is so refreshing and convenient to keep on hand.
• You can also serve this instant pot chili on baked potatoes or hot dogs!

Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Let’s get started!

Set the Instant Pot to “saute” and cook the ground beef until no pink remains.  Add the onions and cook for another 5 minutes until they’re soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add all the seasonings and cook for another minute.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, water, and kidney beans and stir to combine.

Set to pressure cook on HIGH for 35 minutes followed by a natural release (about 15 minutes).  NOTE:  If you did not pre-soak the beans overnight increase the cooking time to 45 minutes followed by a natural release.

Set the Instant Pot to “saute”, stir in the masa harina, and let simmer another 5 minutes or until thickened.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of cheese, and some crushed tortilla chips (our family’s fav) and some chopped fresh cilantro or green onions.

Enjoy!

For more delicious “bean soups” be sure to try my:

• White Bean Chili with Roasted Corn and Peppers
• Spicy Chipotle Chili with Hominy
• Instant Pot White Bean and Kale Soup
• Sausage, Kale and Black Eyed Pea Soup
• Smoky Black Eyed Pea Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup
• Curried Lentil Soup
• French Lentil Soup
• Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup