Instant Pot Chili that is award winning and bringing home cook-off victories across the country. You don’t want to miss diving into a bowl of our best chili!
If you want chili from scratch, our traditional chili is your answer. It took us 10 years to discover an award winning recipe and this is finally it, plus it’s an instant pot recipe which means it’s all done in less than 1 hour (with instructions for cooking on the stove top or crock pot as well)!! It is full of bacon, ground beef, beans, classic chili spices and all the toppings you want!
Let’s talk about how to make this homemade chili step by step, and discuss what goes well with it, and how to freeze it to eat later. So much to talk about, so let’s get going!
We attended a chili cook-off and brought this awesome Cheesy Ground Beef Enchilada Chili. It was so good, but soooo many arteries were clogged that night. It’s pretty unhealthy, but I heard a rumor that if you don’t eat it alone the calories don’t count.
Pretty sure that’s true. I use the same philosophy when I’m eating our melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk pancakes!
If you want a healthy chili recipe, you should definitely try our award winning healthy turkey instant pot version, which uses ground turkey instead of beef. And imho, all chili, healthy or not so healthy, tastes the best with a side of cornbread or our crazy easy 7-Up biscuits!
Chili Cook-Off Idea!
- Muffin Tin Trick
Oh! And listen to this, at the chili cook-off a couple of people brought muffin tins and then placed a sample scoop of each kind in the well so they could try them all and vote without going back or over-eating. GENIUS. That’s seriously the smartest thing ever.
Next to figuring out this award winning instant pot chili recipe, right?! 😉
Ingredients for Instant Pot Chili
This chili recipe uses all the traditional chili ingredients in just the perfect ratio. Here is everything you will need:
- Meat: Ground Beef and Bacon
- Canned Beans: Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, and Black Beans
- Tomatoes: Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
- Vegetables: Red Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Garlic, and Jalapeño
- Broth: Beef Broth and Worcestershire Sauce
- Spices: Oregano, Ground Cumin, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder
- Toppings: Sour Cream, Cilantro, Cheddar Cheese, Corn, Limes, Chips, Green Onions, etc.
The measurements and all the details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make Chili in an Instant Pot
Making this recipe in an instant pot is really easy because there’s an actual setting for chili and beans (if you don’t have that setting, you can totally use “manual”). That pretty much takes all of the thinking out of this, and everything can be done in the instant pot, which means only one dish to clean!!
Let’s go through it step by step:
- Turn your instant pot to “sauté” and cook the bacon until crispy.
- Remove the bacon and sauté the bell peppers and onions until tender.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned and drain any excess grease.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir everything together
- Place the lid on the instant pot and set to “chili” mode with the vent in seal position (“manual high pressure” can be used too).
- Cook for 18-20 minutes and allow the valve to natural release for 10-15 minutes. If you get the burn notice, please see the section below.
- Once it is cooked, serve it up and top with all your favorite toppings.
All these instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Watch How this Chili Recipe is Made…
We hurried and made you all a video to help with the questions. Thank you for all of your love and support with making this the #1 chili out there!
What to Eat with Homemade Chili
Really any sort of bread will get the job done beautifully, but if you are making this in an instant pot, then you probably want dinner done in a hurry, so these 1 Hour Rolls are your answer! I often like something light and fresh with my chili like this garden balsamic avocado salad. I’ve also heard that people eat cinnamon rolls with chili, and I fully endorse this! Try our World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls!
Burn Notice on Instant Pot
We’ve had a lot of questions, comments and concerns about the burn notice on the instant pot. We really think it just depends on your Instant Pot. Some are more sensitive than others. We have not ever had a burn notice on ours, but if you are getting them, here are a few tips and tricks…
Cooking the Bacon Burn Notice
- Is your bacon extra thin or lacking fat? Both of these can cause the bacon to stick to the bottom of the pot and cause a burn notice. Those browned bits stuck to the pot because of the lack of fat can make the pressure cooker think that you’ve walked away and left meat to burn.
- To counter this, please use a good quality bacon and stir often to keep it from sticking. You can also add a little oil to the pot if not much fat is rendering off the bacon.
Clean Pot
- Prior browned bits on the pot- If your pot had previous food stuck to the bottom of the pot it will continue to cook and confuse the pot to thinking that something is burning. Clean your pot well after every use. Bar Keeper’s Friend is my go-to cleaner for browned bits in pots and pans.
Burn Notice After the Chili Has Been Combined
- If your chili has been combined and then you get the burn notice you probably didn’t thoroughly stir everything together or something is stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is why that bacon step is important. If you added those heavy ingredients and added the lid something will probably stick and burn. Stir well, make sure you measured properly.
If none of these tips work, you should contact instant pot as you may have a model that needs to be replaced.
This recipe is too big to be doubled in both a 6 qt Instant Pot and an 8qt. It can be one and a halved in an 8qt Instant Pot. We also been told you can double it in an 8qt Instant Pot if you take out 1 or 2 cans of beans.
1. Alright, start with your bacon. Always. See our How to Cook Bacon post for all the details on bacon!
Whenever bacon is going in a dish we crisp it first, drain the fat and leave the browned bits in the pan. All it does is add extra flavor to whatever comes next.
Start by pressing the “sauté” button and once you can feel the heat, add the chopped bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and drain the fat.
2. Next, grab your ground beef. Any kind is fine for chili since other flavors are in there, but there’s more flavor in an 80/20 versus 90/10, though you will need to drain out the fat before continuing on.
Make sure you stir occasionally in order to crumble the meat instead of having big chunks. Chili shouldn’t be big and chunky. Leave that to the hippopotamuses. (Totally had to spell check that one. Who knew hippos could be so difficult.)
To make slow cooker chili (I linked up to the brand and model we prefer) or of course make chili in a crock pot if that’s what you have, you’ll need to cook the bacon and ground beef in a pan, then add the peppers and onions to sauté them all nice and tender.
Then dump it all in a slow cooker and we prefer 5-6 hours on low or 3 hours on high, though I have probably only used the high function twice.
Low and slow really allows the spices to bloom, or in other words to open up and really do their thing.
Toppings for Homemade Chili
The toppings you choose for your chili is totally up to you! You can add more crunch, creaminess, heat, freshness, acidity…really anything that makes you happy! Here are a few of our favorite chili toppings:
- Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Tortilla Chips or Corn Chips
Storage Tips
Leftover chili should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days.
If you want it to last a little longer, classic chili is really easy to freeze. Cool your chili completely and store in ziplocs with all the air pressed out, or we prefer to use our Food Saver. You can store individual servings to eat for lunch or larger portions to feed the whole family later. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat the chili, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm it up in a pot on the stove top. Warming up a single bowl in the microwave works great too!
When it comes to classic chili, I want it to be full of flavor, bold and comforting! Friends, this recipe is the result of me making dozens of recipes in order to find the greatest of all time. So I tell you hands down this is the VERY BEST CHILI!
P.S. Have you seen our Instant Pot cheat sheet? Head there are all our tips for cooking all the basics in your Instant Pot!
Here are some more CHILI RECIPES that you’ll love:
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Best Stove Top Chili
- Ground Beef Enchilada Chili
- Brisket Chili
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Apple Cider Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- Surprise Chili
- White Bean Turkey Chili
- Dr Pepper and Chocolate Chili
- All our Chili, Soup, and Stew Recipes here!
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes?
Instant Pot Award Winning Chili Recipe
Description
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Pounds Ground Beef
- 6 Strips Bacon, good quality, chopped
- 1 Can Kidney Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Pinto Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Black Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, 15 ounces, with juice
- 1 Can Tomato Paste, 6 ounce
- 1 Red Onion, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 Jalapeño, seeded and minced *optional
- 2 Cups Beef Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
For Garnish
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
- Cheese, shredded
- Lime, fresh, optional
Instructions
- Turn your instant pot to sauté and add the bacon.6 Strips Bacon
- Cook until crisp, stirring often to cook evenly.
- Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add the onions and peppers and cook until tender.1 Red Onion, 1 Red Bell Pepper
- Add the meat and cook until browned.1 ½ Pounds Ground Beef
- Drain off any excess grease, we just tilt the pot and use a large spoon.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and 3/4 of the bacon and stir to combine.1 Can Kidney Beans, 1 Can Pinto Beans, 1 Can Black Beans, 1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, 1 Can Tomato Paste, 1 Jalapeño, 2 Cups Beef Stock, 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano, 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin, 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Garlic
- Turn the instant pot to chili (if you don't have a "chili" setting, use the "manual" setting) and cook for 18-20 minutes (see note). Allow pressure to release for 10-15 minutes or quick release with the vent.
- Serve with limes, sour cream, cheese, and a little bacon!Sour Cream, Cilantro, Cheese, Lime
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
If you are still looking for another excellent chili recipe, this Old Fashioned Chili Recipe, this All Beef American chili recipe, and this 5 Ingredient Crockpot Chili Recipe have been some of our favorites!
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Jaline R McMillan
There are a lot of comments, but too many to try to read them all to get my answer. I would like to use fresh beans. I know to soak them and I would need to use more liquid, but how long should I cook it for using the fresh dried beans? I have a 6 and 8 qt crockpot express cooker with a chili setting.
Sweet Basil
Hi Jaline! You’ll want to completely cook your beans before putting them into this recipe.
Chad Eric Lindsey
I just made this recipe tonight… I added a bunch of spice, because, well IMHO Chili should have some kick…. Also… there was a lot of “fluid” probably left over from the canned beans. But I’m of the mind that next time, I used dried beans, and cook for a bit longer.. draw the flavor into the beans….? and get rid of some of that excess moisture…
Sweet Basil
Hmmmm…we’ve never had an issue with extra liquid. If you do use dried beans next time, we recommend soaking them and cooking them first.
Nancy
CAUTION!! If you make this recipe and use the slow cooker method, do not do high for 3 hours like it says!! I used this option and my chili was dry and burned! I would not recommend high on 3 hours. All the work putting the chili together and it wasn’t edible!!
Sweet Basil
That is so strange! We have made this several times in the slow cooker and have never had a problem. I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you!
Kristen
I had the same problem in my instant pot bkept getting ”burn” msg. Even went back to check that used the correct amount of liquid. So disappointed.
Sweet Basil
We have had several people say this which is so strange because we have honestly never had an issue with it. One reader wrote that they add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the top and didn’t stir it in until the end. I’m so sorry! You can always add more liquid if you need it.
Kristina
Love your chilli👍👍
Sweet Basil
Thank you Kristina!!
Scott
Great recipe! It won 2nd place in my workplace chili cook-off out of ~20 very delicious varieties.
Made the chili the night before in the Instant Pot, covered and fridged, then transferred to a slow-cooker to transport and re-heat the following morning. Only the third time I have used my Instant Pot and everything has been great!
Sweet Basil
Yessssss!! We love hearing about cook-off victories! And thanks for the tip on re-heating in the slow cooker!
Lyndsay
Can you make this in a crock pot? I don’t have an instant pot.
Sweet Basil
Absolutely! Down at the bottom of the recipe on the recipe card, there are notes for cooking this in a slow cooker or on the stove top.
Jane
First batch was way to ‘Tomatoey’ for our tastes. Second batch I left out the can of tomato paste, substituted a 40 oz. can of chili beans for the 3 cans & added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Now we LOVE it!
Sweet Basil
One of my favorite things about cooking is that we can change recipes up to fit our likes and tastes! So glad you found your perfect batch!
GoodChili
Just finished making this in my 6 Quart Lux and it turned out perfect. I followed the instructions exactly, outside of the meat. I used half ground sirloin and half lean ground beef. Everyone really loved it! Have this planned again for next weekend. Thanks!
GoodChili
Also, I used Manual 18 min since mine doesnt have the Chili button and let it sit on warm for about an hour afterwards while doing other things.
Sweet Basil
Very good to know! Thank you!
Sweet Basil
Hurray! We love to hear it! Thanks for your feedback!
Jeff
This recipe sounded great. However in actual fact it is a lot of prep and when you actually cook it in the instant pot it causes a burn based on following the instructions. Wasted time and meal.
Sweet Basil
I’m sorry you had problems with the burn message. If it is stirred thoroughly, it shouldn’t have problems with burning, but more liquid can be added if needed.
John Goncalves
HI, how do you prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom and burning. My instant pot give me that message, I removed the lid and sure enough it was sticking to the bottom.
Sweet Basil
Make sure it is stirred thoroughly. You can add more liquid if you need to. One of our readers suggested pouring the tomatoes and tomato paste on top at the end. I’m sorry the Instant Pot is giving you problems!
Annette
Followed your recipe to the letter and the chili came out perfectly. This was my second time cooking with my new Instant Pot. Loved how everything was done in one pot. Loved how I could fry the bacon in the pot and didn’t have to worry about grease splattering everywhere. Delicious chili and very easy clean up!
Sweet Basil
Thank you Annette!! Yes, I love that about cooking the bacon! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Suzanne
We’re making this now and although we’ve followed the directions carefully, we’ve gotten the “BURN” message on the display twice (even after removing the chili from the inner pot and deglazing it). Did you use high pressure or low? We used high (the default for chili/beans), but we’ll try low pressure now. Crossing our fingers because it looks and smells delicious.
Sweet Basil
We’ve been told new Instant Pots are more sensitive to the Burn message. Make sure it is stirred thoroughly and you can always add more liquid if you need to! We use the chili setting or the manual setting for those that don’t have a chili setting.
Collin
Family loved it, brother said it was the best chili he’s ever had. Only changes I used: 2.5 lbs venison, 3 peppers, 3 jalapeños, 2 cans of black beans, added extra chili and cayenne pepper seasonings. Making again today but with beef. Going to add corn also.
Sweet Basil
That all sounds amazing! That’s one of the great things about this recipe! It’s so versatile!
Mary
Instant Pot was used, and this was excellent! I used everything that was listed, and two additional ingredients were added to just make it smoother tasting. I added about 1/2 -1 teaspoons each of cocoa powder and sugar. My family raved about how it had the heat, but still had the sweet smooth taste. It’s certainly a hit. Thanks for sharing.
Sweet Basil
We love to hear this!! So happy you enjoyed it!
Trish
Made this last night and it was incredibly delicious. For us, next time I will add one more jalapeño and a little cayenne pepper to make it slightly more spicy. We have leftovers for three more dinners. Can’t wait! Thank you for sharing this awesome instant pot recipe.
Sweet Basil
We love the leftovers! They heat up so well and we love eating it on top of baked potatoes the second day! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!
Heather Samson
Made your chili tonight…very good! My family agrees…it makes delicious chili fries!
Tracey
This is the best Chili recipe I have ever made. I have made it 5 times already. I do lower carb…so I use 1 can of beans and 2 pounds ground beef. Soooo good. My husband loves it. Thanks so much!!
Robert Mayer
I just made this for the first time, but the final result is WAY too soupy, not thick like chili. I cooked it for 20 minutes using the Manual setting on my Cosori pressure cooker. I was a bit reluctant at first to go with two cups of beef stock because that sounded like too much liquid. Any advice?
Michael Casey
This recipe only my 3rd for instant pot, previously sounded like I hated this chili well I love it. Waited for the steam release, lifted the lid chili looked cooked even when IP message burned can on the screen. Long story short had 2 bowls so delicious, next time I’ll adjust the amounts. Having a bowl for work than another for dinner. Thank you!!
Sweet Basil
Oh good! So glad you enjoyed it!
Michael Casey
Very disappointed in following your chili advice.Before putting the lid on removed quite a bit to get the chili down to half way. Received “Burn” message on my instant pot 6 qrt. Checked manual states I should turn off instant pot. You should state proper measurements for instant pots to stay below 1/2 full. Thinking you should halve all your values.
Sweet Basil
The 6 qt Instant Pot is the size that we use and we’ve never had a problem with it cooking properly. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you! You’ll want to make sure it is all mixed thoroughly to avoid the burn message.
Tim Stubbe
Made this last night.. The only modification was I cubed some chuck roast rather than using ground beef. The texture of the chilli was really nice and the meat came out very tender. Best Chilli I’ve ever made.
Sweet Basil
Yum! That sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed it!
Valentina
oh my goodness! THE BEST CHILI ever! We are french/german and we do not like spicy food so I completely left out the chili powder and jalapeno. This was absolutely AMAZING. I did not use instant pot (whatever that is?) I used a regular Le creuset dutch oven. Thank you so much for this recipe
Sweet Basil
Yippee! Thanks Valentina! This is recipe is so versatile! It’s perfect for changing to fit whatever taste and flavor you enjoy! Thanks for sharing with us!
Katrina Le
Thank you for the recipe.How should I cook this if I’m using regular bean and not canned bean? Thank you
Sweet Basil
You’ll want to soak the beans overnight and cook them like normal. The beans should go into the chili already cooked. Enjoy!
Jenny
This looks so good. And perfect weather right now here in Florida for Chile (it’s 34 degrees this am)! I’m making this tonight.
Sweet Basil
That is cold for Florida! How did it go? Hope you enjoyed it!
Stephanie Dunbar
This is our easy go to recipe for a cold day that we love. This is my 3rd time making it and the kids even like it so that is a bigger plus for picky eaters.
Sweet Basil
Happy dancing over here! LOVE to hear this!
Kate
Why use canned beans when you have an instapot?
Shawn
Add a second place award win from me! It was so tastey with a Smokey flavor. I added a 1/2 can of corn and a dash of cayenne, otherwise followed the recipe to a T. The jalapeños I got weren’t super spicy, and I like spicy, so I would add a little more heat. The chili that narrowly beat mine was “the only one with a lot of spice” so I guess it depends on the pallet of the judges. Will DEFINITELY be making this again! Thanks so much!
Sweet Basil
Yeah!!! We love to hear it! Chili cook-offs are totally based on the judges pallets! We had one a few weeks ago and the top three finishers were all white bean chicken chilis. What?! That’s not really chili! Haha! But I’m glad you had success!!
Jodie
This was by far the best chili that I’ve ever made. I used your recipe as a base but changed it up a bit by adding 1/2 pound of ground pork in addition to the beef, adding an extra can of fire roasted tomatoes, one can of green chilies and replaced one cup of beef broth with a bottle of chocolate porter beer. Seriously 🙌🏼
Sweet Basil
I love the addition of the pork! Yum! So happy you enjoyed it! It is a winner!!
Max
Wish this recipe worked out for me, yet with newer “Instant Pots” you’re better off making chili the right way. ON THE STOVE TOP. Or. IN A CROCK POT. Do not try this one in a newer instant pot please. Save yourself the trouble and the constant burn messages.
– Award wining chili Chef
Jodie
I have a new instant pot and did not have any issues with burn notices
Stephanie
I didn’t have any problems with burn issues in my instant pot. I like adding it all to my IP and letting it go.
Stephanie
I didn’t have any problems with burn issues in my instant pot. I like adding it all to my IP and letting it go.
Heather
I am sorry you had problems. We make it all the time in a new instant pot and have never had an issue either.
K
Just hold the tomatoes and tomato paste, add everything and mix then layer those on top – no more burn messages!
Kate Holthouse
I have to say I was skeptical (I don’t even really like chili), but I just made this for our work chili cookoff and won the Traditional and the Overall categories! So yeah it’s really that good!
Sweet Basil
Yahoo!! We should start keeping track of all the people who win chili cookoffs with this recipe! It makes us so happy to hear people loving this! Thanks for sharing your success and nice work!!
B cruz
I made this chili at a chili cook off and won best overall! I topped with bacon and chorizo. Thank you!!!
Sweet Basil
Yeah!! That’s what we love to hear!
Myron Macon MacGillicuddy
That looks like a really good chili recipe, but if you haven’t entered into contests and won with this recipe, how can you call it “award winning” over and over? Seem a tad bit fraud-ish to me!
Sweet Basil
It was in fact entered in a contest and won, and you can read several other comments below about people who have done the same! It just simply delicious!
Lisa M Olsen
Followed recipe but keep getting burn message please help
Sweet Basil
Make sure it is stirred very well. You can add extra liquid it needed.
Brenda
Holy COW this recipe is DEEELICIOUS!! Only my second IP recipe and my gawwwwddd, easy, delicious and so easy! And did I mention delicious! It tasted amazing after 20 mins but I added 10 mins on low. Also added 1/2 small can of corn and also 1C butternut squash. Subbed turkey sausage in place of the bacon. Thank you!! Though I want to devour the whole pot myself…🤔🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Sweet Basil
I know the feeling of wanting to eat the whole pot! I love the addition of the butternut squash! I’ll have to try that! So happy you enjoyed it!
Jennifer
Best chili I’ve ever eaten. This is the only recipe I’m using for chili. Throwing away the recipe I’ve used (and liked) for years!! Yes…it’s that good…and I’m from Texas!
Sweet Basil
Happy dancing over here!! Thank you for the great review! We sure love this chili too!
Jamie
You just have to love how easy the Instant Pot makes everything. Adding this hearty and delicious chili to my dinner list.
Sweet Basil
Enjoy!! You’re going to love it!
Christy Denney
This is the best chili!
Sweet Basil
Thanks, girl!! It is a regular through the fall and winter around here!
fatema
Oh my was this ever delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
Sweet Basil
It’s so easy it’s dangerous! Haha! So glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda Scabarozi
I was wondering how much you would have to alter the recipe if you were to use dry beans instead of canned? Or if that is not recommended? I have a lot of dry beans I’d like to use up though. And tips would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!
Sweet Basil
I am SO sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, Amanda! It is doable, but it is going to take some extra work. You’ll have to soak the dry beans overnight and completely cook them before adding them to the Instant Pot.
Laura Alarid
Hi Amanda
3/4 c of each variety of the dry beans. Rise and put in pressure cooker wirh 4 c. of water. I have a bean button that cooks them for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally and drain. Then use as directed in the chili recipe
Mick Chaney
If there is no chilli button on my IP model, is it the same as just hitting the manual button and settimg 25min? Or do I need to lower the setting
Sweet Basil
You nailed it…manual for the same amount of time.
Pat Turner
This is my new favorite Chili – loved it.
Sweet Basil
Yeah!! Thanks, Pat!
Melissa
Followed the recipe exactly but keep getting the burn message. Help!
Kevin
Hi, I’ve made this recipe many times before in my old instant pot with great success. But I recently got a newer model and now I keep get the burn error when I try this recipe, do you have any advice or theories why this keeps happening.
Sue Marie
Kevin, some newer Instant Pots are more sensitive. I bought my 6 qt. Duo v-3 last November and cannot make “Wendy’s Copycat Chili” without 3 burn msgs before it’s done…and nothing is stuck to the bottom. 3rd time in a ceramic liner, 1 burn msg. Many others use the same recipe with no problem. That’s why I’m here looking for a new recipe. This one caught my eye because it’s so similar to the one my mother makes on the stove.
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much for sharing your experience Sue Marie!
Doreen Adams
I like healthy instapot recipes
Sweet Basil
Here is our turkey version of this same recipe that makes it healthier! Enjoy!
https://ohsweetbasil.com/award-winning-healthy-turkey-instant-pot-chili-recipe/
Susie
Am making this as we speak. As a native Texan, we don’t put beans in our chili so omitted. Smells wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
Sweet Basil
How was it?? I hope it was a hit!
Toni
I have an 8 qt. Instant Pot…. if a double this recipe, will it fit or do I need to make two batches?
Sweet Basil
We got this feedback from someone trying to double it in an 8 qt:
“I doubled this recipe and have an eight quart. It was just a tad too much, I omitted one can of red kidney beans and scooped out one ladle of content to be on the safe side. It took a lot longer to brown the meat and the bacon, too. FYI!”
So you’ll need to make a few alterations for it to fit, or just double batch it! Enjoy!!
Jenny Much
Could this be made without an instant pot
Sweet Basil
Absolutely! At the bottom of the instructions, there are notes for using a slow cooker or making it stove top.
diane
Dinner just got so much easier and delicous! Love chili, thank you!
Sweet Basil
Yesss! We love easier and delicious!
SHEBA
first time making chili and I won the contest at work.. thank you.
Charmaine
I’ve only made chili a few times in my life…and this one WAS a winner for me this weekend. Made it for a local church Chili Cook Off event. I put it together in a hurry because I was running short on time… As soon as the timer went off, I did a quick pressure release, opened the lid to look at it and ran out the door with it. I didn’t even taste it until I sat down at the dinner. Was really surprised when I WON! It was definitely YUMM! Easy and fast!
Sweet Basil
Yes!!! Another chili cook off victory! We love to hear it! Thanks for taking time to leave feedback! And congrats on your victory! 🙂
Colleen
This Chill was a hit
Sweet Basil
Thanks Colleen!!
Ryan A Tobias
We absolutely love this recipe. We alter it a bit by taking the can of black beans out(wife doesn’t like black beans) and adding a can of kidney beans because we took out the black beans. Then we take a cup of the beef stock out and put a bottle of Guinness extra stout(alcohol cooks out) in place of it. The last time we made it there wasn’t any left my kids devoured it and they don’t normally like chili. Thank you for this recipe.
Sweet Basil
Three cheers for a recipe the whole family loves! That makes our day! Thanks for sharing with us!
GundyGang
Wowza – Just made and my husband literally said, “this is award winning chili” (HA!) . We like it SPICY so we used a whole large jalapeno, added 4 chopped chilies in adobo, a roasted poblano (since I had one) and 1/2 can of sweet corn which was hangin in the fridge.
Like others, I deeply browned the meat separately (2lbs ground chuck) and drained all but one teaspoon of bacon fat before adding the onion/red pepper. To avoid the possibility of burning, I added an extra cup of stock and mixed everything really well; still thick – not soupy at all… Maybe cause I used a can of white bean chili (not drained) since I couldn’t find canned pinto beans. I did drain and rinse the other beans to remove unwanted additional salt.
My IP has a bean/chili option. so I rolled for 25 min, natural release for 10, then a quick release. Tasted, and added a teaspoon sugar – just fab! Thanks for my new go to chili recipe!!
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the awesome feedback! We love to hear success stories like yours!
Jen
I doubted the red onion, I always use yellow, but I made it per the recipe and WOW! My husband was amazed at how great this chili is. It is also really easy to make. Don’t tweak it until you make it per the recipe and you may find (like I did) that it is perfect!
Sweet Basil
Thank you Jen!! Finding new recipes that everyone loves is happy dance time!!
Amber H
Just made this tonight for my family that came over for dinner. I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t taste it but they said it was great! They could really taste the bacon back flavors and enjoyed it. I used 2 lbs. of turkey instead and the Better Than Bouillon vegetarian “chicken base” for the broth.
As a side note for a veggie version: I omitted the meat and found it a little too salty. I’m guessing that’s because the meat wasn’t there. If omitting I’d suggest cutting the dry seasonings down a little bit. Otherwise great!
Sweet Basil
Thanks for tip on a vegetarian version! So glad your family enjoyed it!
Crystal I
This recipe will be my 1st ever IP dish. I have the 3 QT as I’m cooking for 1. I understand I will need to half the recipe, but what about cook times? Has anyone else tried this? I’m a bit nervous, but I love chili and it looks delicious!!
Sweet Basil
I’m not entirely sure about this since we haven’t tried it, but I would assume the cook time would be the same.
Jon
I won the chili cook-off at work with this recipe this year (2018). Also, I have never made chili before.
Thanks for making me look good Oh Sweet Basil!
Sweet Basil
That’s what we are here for Jon!! We love hearing about people bringing home chili cook off victories! Thank you for sharing your success with us!
Dave
I am making your award winning chili but forgot to sauté the onions and peppers before adding them to the slow cooker. Should I cook it all on high and how long to soften them up ?
Sweet Basil
I would just cook them really quick in a pan or put them in the pot and they might have a bit more crunch. No need to change cook time.
Cher Colehower
Followed recipe to a tee and husband brought home champion trophy from his office chili cook off this year (sept 2018). So thankful I found this recipe! Y’all are awesome!!
Sweet Basil
Yessssss! This is what we like to hear! Bringing home chili cook off victories! Thank you for sharing with us!
Sarah C
I doubled this recipe and have an eight quart. It was just a tad too much, I omitted one can of red kidney beans and scooped out one ladle of content to be on the safe side. It took a lot longer to brown the meat and the bacon, too. FYI! It’s pressure releasing now. Can’t wait to taste, smells delicious!
Sweet Basil
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this feedback! Hope you enjoyed it!
Chuck
Odd. I have the larger one as well and did a double batch. Added a serrano pepper for good measure and used 3lbs of ground bison. It filled just below the max line. Under pressure now but I’ve been through enough of these rodeos to know its going to be awesome. I cut back on the salt a bit and didnt drain much fat, since my meat was so lean to begin with. Gonna garnish with green onion, sour cream, and cheddar. Perfect fall meal.
Melissa
Did you have to adjust the time for the 8 qt? I am adding more meat to mine but I figure the time will be okay . Serrano is the way to go for heat . Jalapeños aren’t that hot really .
Sweet Basil
That sounds amazing!!
Lynette Haynie
This was my first ever Instant pot recipe to try. It turned out pretty good, however there were several large clumps of mushy stuck together beans. Can anyone shed some light as to why this happened? Did I not stir it enough?
Sweet Basil
Yes, it sounds like it. Everything needs to be stirred together thoroughly.
Abby
Can’t wait to try this! For a non-bean chili gal like myself, do you think I can just omit the beans and leave everything else as is? Thanks!
Sweet Basil
Sure!
Autumn
Made tonight exactly as stated. Delicious!!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you Autumn!
Allyse Turdo
I have the 6 qt instant pot. I am having a party and would like to double the recipe. Do you think it would fit? Thanks!
Sounds so delish and can’t wait to make it!!!
Jarrett
Did you try to double it, I’m looking to do the same.
Sweet Basil
Doubling it doesn’t quite fit in a 6 qt unfortunately. It cooks so quickly you could do one batch and then keep it warm on the stove while you make the second batch. Or you could do a double back in a large slow cooker.
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
Thank you for giving me another reason to love my Instant Pot! This recipe is amazing!
Sweet Basil
How did we live without the IP?! Thanks, Christin! Xoxo!
Mandy @ South Your Mouth
I LOVE that you use such a variety of beans! This looks insanely delicious – can’t wait to try!
Sweet Basil
There’s no such thing as too many beans…ok, maybe that isn’t true. Haha! But you’re going to love this!
Claudia
This recipe sounds amazing…I want to make it for my work place chili cook off. If I don’t have Worcestershire sauce, can I replace it with a different ingredient?
Sweet Basil
Worchestershire sauce is a hard one to substitute. Doing a combo of soy sauce and tamari could work, but we’ve honestly never tried any substitutes. You might be best off just leaving it out completely.
Sandy
Delicious! We all loved it!
Sweet Basil
Thanks Sandy!
Karin
Hello
I made this chili for my family and everybody loved it so much – no leftovers which I thought would make a great lunch.
Excellent flavor and texture – we didn’t have a insta pot and just made it on the stove and it was completely amazing.
Just wanted to let you know
thanks
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you for the feedback, Karin! It is always a win when you find a meal the whole family loves!
Carole Phelps
Made this recipe for my ward’s Halloween party chili cook off, and won first place!!
Sweet Basil
Yessssssss, Carole! This is why we call it “award winning”!! Thanks for sharing your success with us!
Hannah
This chili is awesome! The instant pot makes it so easy. 20 minutes versus several hours on the stove. We added red wine, some ground pork, more veggies, and adjusted/changed spices to our preferences (we added habaneros, etc.) I served it with cinnamon rolls (it’s an Iowa/midwestern thing lol) and it tastes like I spent a whole day making it. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda
Yes to the cinnamon rolls! I remember our school lunch always had the most amazing cinnamon rolls with chili when I was growing up in Iowa.
Sweet Basil
I totally need to get in on this!
Sweet Basil
Isn’t the Instant Pot a miracle maker?! We love it! Your changes and additions sound amazing! And I’m totally making cinnamon rolls the next time we make this chili now!
Kimberly Reese
Made this in the instant pot. I added habeneros, shallots, 10 cloves of fresh garlic and potatoes. I also added some cayenne pepper to the spices. Heat blended well with everything. Loved it!
Sweet Basil
Those additions so incredible! I’m totally weak sauce when it comes to spicy, but Cade would love this chili!!
Beth Ann
I am a new Insta-Pot user. I need to at least double the recipe. Does that change anything? Thanks!
Sweet Basil
A double batch won’t fit in a 6 qt Instant Pot, so I would only try it if you have a larger size. Other than that, everything else will be the same.
Beth Ann Olesen
Thank you so much for responding! I have an 8 quart, so I’m going to give it a shot!
Sweet Basil
Sweet! We would love to hear what you think!
David Branston
WHAT AWARD DID THIS AWARD-WINNING CHILI WIN?
Rhonda Sherwood
Can I just slow cook this in a regular soup pot?
Sweet Basil
Absolutely! Down at the bottom of the recipe card, there are instructions for cooking it on the stove top.
For the stove: Cook everything in the pot just like you do for the instant pot and then allow to simmer on low heat for 3 hours.
Josephine
I tried your chilli recipe chili recipe with a slow cooker and it was really amazing! First, I’ve never made chili and second, I only bought a slow cooker recently, so this would be the first for both. My husband loved it and asked me to make it again for an office potluck. Great, simple and easy recipe. I will be making this more often. Thank you!
Sweet Basil
Hurray! We love hearing this, Josephine! It is one of our favorites for dinner!
Lori
By far the best chili I,ve ever made!!!
Sweet Basil
You’re the best Lori!! Thank you!
Kimberly
Made this tonight. Followed the recipe to a T except added a tablespoon of chipotle in adobo with the other peppers. I used black chili beans with sauce too but everything else as written. Super delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Sweet Basil
That sounds awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Mandy
Can you do this recipe in a crock pot? I don’t have a instant pot and this recipe sounds amazing!!!
Sweet Basil
Yes absolutely! Down at the bottom of the recipe card there are instructions (in italics) for cooking it in a slow cooker.
For the slow cooker: Cook the bacon and set aside on a plate. Cook the onion and peppers and set aside on another plate. Drain any excess grease and add the meat, cooking until browned. Add everything into the pot, leaving out a little bacon for garnish and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Marilyn Whitaker
Great recipe! I won first place at my church’s chili cookoff with this recipe!😀
Kristen
Am I crazy? I don’t see a recipe. ,I tried two different browsers on phone and iPad. Pictures sure are pretty.
Jada
This is the best recipe! I’ve tried other chili recipes in my pressure cooker and they were flops! This is fabulous! Absolutely perfect!
Christine Wiott
I used 50% ground veal, 50% ground chuck. 2 lbs total.
Based on the reviews I did add chipotle peppers with Adobe and used the Chili temp for a full 30 mins.
Also, based on reviews, I deglazed. Deglazing worked, I did not have the burn come on.
It turned out amazing! Will for sure make again.
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the awesome feedback! And sooooo happy you enjoy it!
Nicole
Made this tonight and it was so good! I added crushed red pepper because we like things spicy, but other than that I didn’t change a thing. Will be a “go to” this winter!
Sweet Basil
We love to hear this! This chili totally gets us through the winter months! So happy you enjoyed it!
Tata
Look cool. Thanks for the recipe. I will check out to see the taste and be back with reviews. Thanks.
Sweet Basil
We would love to hear what you think!
2cairnterriers
i used chuck steak (sorry, don’t like ground beef chili), added TWO diced serranos (everything but the stems), 3 tbs of brown sugar, and 1/2 tbs of cinnamon… sauteed steak in batches in ip, removed; did garlic, serranos, tom paste, cumin, paprika, ancho chili powder, and salt til “fragrant” (minute or so)… added toms, black beans, beef stock, brown sugar & cinnamon! A-MAY-ZING! thanks for the great launching pad!
Sweet Basil
This is one of my favorite things about food and cooking! You can start with a base recipe and then add and subtract and make your own culinary masterpieces!! This sounds soooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Tina
This is indeed the best chili recipe! This is my 3rd times making it. Big success each time. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Tina! This is one of our Instant Pot favorites!
Jen
Hi there,
It doesn’t say which settings I am supposed to use.
Sweet Basil
In step 1 it says to use the “saute” setting for cooking the bacon, onions, peppers, and meat. Then in step 8 it says to use the “chili” setting to cook the chili. If you don’t have a “chili” button, “manual” works just great for the same amount of time.
Sue Marie
The 6 qt Duo v-3 I bought last November has some buttons re-arranged and renamed. The “Manual” on newer pots is now “Pressure Cook”. Being a newbie back then and had no Manual button like recipes call for, I thought I bought a knock off. lol
Sweet Basil
Very good to know! Thank you! I’ll be sure to mention both when people ask now.
lori McFarland
can you dbl the recipe in the 8 at ip?
Sweet Basil
Yes it should work to double in an 8oz, but it might be close.
hooray todd episode
For those in the comments that are getting the “BURN” status, You just need to stop the IP, carefully release the pressure until the button drops, open it, take a wooden spoon that is flat at the end and gently scrape the bottom all over thoroughly (careful not to spill or splash the chili in the pot). Once done, close the lid, set to seal, and set the pressure cook timer again. It should work now since the starting temp is higher.
I’ve made this recipe twice in my 6oz IP and got the “BURN” status each time before the pressure cook timer starts. The second time, I made sure I deglazed/scraped the bottom of the pot with all the ingredients in there so theres nothing sticking before setting the pressure cook mode. It still got the “BURN” warning before the timer started. However, each time it’s happened, a simple scraping worked for me. It does add more time to the cook since the pressurizing takes time, but I was in no rush. This was also the first time I experienced the “BURN” warning and it was a good learning experience on the importance of deglazing the bottom of the pot before you start the pressure cook.
Great recipe btw. I was never a big chili fan so I’m not an expert at knowing what is a great chili, but wanted to try it since I just got my IP. I’ve tried other “good/decent” chili bought outside since I made this and definitely prefer eating t his one. Thank you.
Sweet Basil
Thank you for your insight on the Burn warning and for taking the time to help our other readers out! We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe! These are great tips for successfully cooking this chili. We’ve never received the Burn warning before on this chili, so this is great information.
Debbie
Best chili that I have ever made. Only change I would make is leave the salt out next time.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe😀
Sweet Basil
It is one of our favorites especially now the weather is cooling down! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Joni Renee Zalk
It kept going into “burn” mode on my Instapot, so I moved it to my crock pot. Glad I have it as backup!! 🙂
Sweet Basil
This can happen when you cook a thick soup. Make sure it is stirred thoroughly and add more liquid if you need to.
Pierre Skene
I’m an instant pot beginner and big fan of chili. I was looking for an easy recipe that would look like my regular recipe but made for the instant pot. I tried your recipe last night and I must say it was beyond delicious and so easy and fast. This recipe is a winner and might replace my own. I’m a vegetarian so i replaced the beef with “fake ground beef” and it turned out amazing. Also added corn and chipotle in adobe sauce for a bit of hot spiciness. This one is a keeper for sure. Thanks for sharing. I will look at your other instant pot recipes now. Looking for spaghetti sauce….
Pierre
Montreal Canada
Sweet Basil
Hi Pierre! Yay! You made our day! I love the idea of adding corn and the chipotle! So happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Cherie
This was delicious, thank you!
I omitted the bacon; however, I am sure it’s a great addition as well, 5 stars from me!
Sweet Basil
Hurray, Cherie! We love to hear that!
JD
I live abroad at the moment and decided to purchase an IP a few weeks ago – and conveniently, our US Embassy decided to host a chili cook-off fundraiser around the same time. This was the first chili I attempted and it was really delicious. I used your recipe as the base – and toasted dried chiles to make a homemade chili powder. I made two full batches and added chipotle puree at the end too – to add a little more heat (folks love spice here!) I served it with all the toppings you mentioned – plus topped each with a mini scallion/cheddar/black pepper corn muffin. A total hit – and I tied for third (not a bad showing!) Thanks for giving me a head start!
Sweet Basil
Yes yes yes!! I love your additions too! Congratulations on your third place…that is awesome!!
bill
Okay, I made the chili from your recipe today and it turned out great. I used 2.5 lbs of ground beef but kept your ingredient amounts the same except I used two seeded jalapenos and didn’t use bacon. I sauteed the beef in a skillet. The IP is just too small to properly brown a large amount of beef. I did not sautee the onions or bell pepper. I simply mixed the beef with all the spices and tomatoes and paste then put the raw chopped onions and peppers on top of the mixture and set the time to 22 min. After a 22 minute NPR, it’s all done. NO BURN NOTICE in my 6 qt Lux and it does not have a chili function. I used steam. Before cooking, it all looked like there wasn’t enough liquid and I added about half a cup of water before cooking but it wasn’t necessary. Using this recipe with 2.5 lbs. of ground beef filled my pot only up to the 1/2 mark, so you can be assured using more beef won’t overfill the pot. Great chili!
Debi W
What size Instant Pot did you use. We only have a 6 quart…
Sweet Basil
That’s what we have too…the 6 qt!
bill
I was hoping to find an Instant Pot chili recipe that uses the Instant Pot’s slow cooker mode but it seems that all recipes are for either pressure cooking in the Instant Pot or using the traditional slow cooker, one or the other. Has anyone actually used the Instant Pot as a slow cooker and had success?
Sweet Basil
We haven’t tried the Instant Pot as a slow cooker yet. It is on our list of things to try!!
Belinda
I have tried the slow cooker function. When my recipe called for 6 hours at low temp in a slow cooker, I found that slow cooking in the IP is really slow. I had to turn it to high after 2 hours because it was barely warm. I wasn’t making chili, but I think it would be the same results.
Sweet Basil
Thank you for your insight on this!
Sue Marie
Bill, I belong to a FB Instant Pot group with over 1.5 million members. The majority of posters do not like the slow cooker feature. It only heats from the bottom instead of bottom and sides like a crock pot. Also, low isn’t low like on the crock pot. You have to use high to get it to cook. Some buy an Instant Pot and get rid of their crock pots. Not me! Although I hardly ever use i, it would be good in a pinch when I want to do something like a main dish in the IP and veggies in the crock pot.
Alexandra
I am on a list of dishes for my daughter’s birthday party. And this instant pot is my best assistant. That’s a good tip…thanks!
Sweet Basil
You’re welcome!! Instant Pots are amazing!!
Michael Johnson
Hello,
I just got an instant pot so I looked this recipe up, but decided to cook something else in the instant pot to go with it, so I cooked this on the stove.
I have a question about the simmer for stove top, Should I have a lid on the pot? or simmer with an open pot?
Sweet Basil
Either will work out great! Enjoy!!
Sara Jones
You state to drain the beans for your award winning chili. Is that drain and rinse or just drain?
Sweet Basil
Just draining them is fine!