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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, this 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, 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.
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.
Chili is good year round, but we especially love it for Halloween. Well, chili or our melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk pancakes depending on our mood. Both are easy and perfect for the family. Now on to this award winning instant pot chili recipe…
Chili Cook-Off Idea!
Muffin Tin Trick
Listen to this, at the chili cook-off we went to 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.
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:
- Sauté: Turn your instant pot to “sauté” and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and sauté the bell peppers and onions until tender.
- Brown: Add the ground beef and cook until browned and drain any excess grease. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir everything together.
- Cook: 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.
- NOTE: If you get the burn notice, please see the section below.
- Serve: 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.
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! And imho, all chili tastes the best with a side of cornbread or our crazy easy 7-Up biscuits!
Burn Notice FAQs
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…
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.
– PROBLEM: 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.
– REMEDY: 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.
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.
Chili FAQs
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 have also been told you can double it in an 8qt Instant Pot if you take out 1 or 2 cans of beans.
1. 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. It adds 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.
Scroll down to the Notes section of the recipe card for all the details.
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!
Our Favorite Cheat Sheet
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!
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!
Here are some more CHILI RECIPES that you’ll love:
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Best Stove Top Chili
- Ground Beef Enchilada Chili
- Brisket Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- All our Chili, Soup, and Stew Recipes here!
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes?
Watch How this Chili Recipe is Made…
Thank you for all of your love and support with making this the #1 chili out there!
Instant Pot Chili Recipe
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
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I will never use chilli magic again. This recipe has taught me how chilli is made from scratch. I never knew what spices went in to make it taste like chilli. This recipe is easy and taste amazing. It really does taste like an award winning chilli. This is my lifetime chilli recipe. My kids love it and they will always remember mom’s chilli.
Yay Pam!! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Is the calorie count with or without the garnish? Thanks!
Without the garnishes. Great question!
Made a huge batch of this in the crockpot and in the Instant Pot a few weeks ago, and then froze it right away. Took it out this last night since I didn’t have a chance to meal prep over the weekend. At the time my boyfriend raved about it and asked when I could make another batch (he ate his right away instead of freezing). It’s super yummy and so flavorful!!! Will be definitely be making this again.
Jenna Sayman
https://www.itscalendar.com/
Yay! Thank you so much for the feedback Jenna! It is a definite favorite in our house too!
Followed the recipe to the T and honestly have never had a more delicious Chili! The flavors are explosive & it’s everything hubby & I wanted for a chilly night. DELICIOUS! Thank you for the amazing & SUPER SIMPLE recipe
Thank you so much Macy!
Never made chili with bacon. A little leery of how it will taste. Also I don’t see very many tomatoes in this recipe. I guess I am more of a tomato chili girl. How do you think it would affect the taste? And is beef broth ok to use or should I do the stock?
Bacon makes everything better! You could add an extra can of tomatoes if you want. I’m never opposed to more tomatoes! Beef broth or stock both work great!
could guinness be used to replace the beef stock? looking for a low fodmap alternative.
Hey! We don’t drink or cook with alcohol so we are probably the worst people to ask. Haha! I don’t think I would completely replace the beef stock, maybe do half and half?
First of all, this is a great recipe!
Second of all, if you are making a vegetarian version of this recipe and/or are using an Instant Pot mini, the odds of you getting a burn notice before pre-heating is completed are extremely high. If using the mini, halving the recipe and using the same heat and timing as directed works well for nearly all recipes. If using vegetarian “meat”, it is difficult to prevent a burn notice even if the amount of oil is increased. Taking the time to slow cook at a lower heat for around 40 minutes to an hour is more likely to save you from hearing that dreaded “burn” sound.
Thank you for all the helpful tips Jon!
Thank You so much for this recipe! I took the 1st Place award in my office’s Chili cookoff out of 17 entrees today! I did make some substitutions and additions. I used diced pancetta instead of bacon, I added beef tips in addition to the ground beef, one less can of beans and one more can of fire roasted tomatoes… It had such a rich complex taste with the beef stock, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce! Just wonderful!
Yay! We love to hear about all the chili cook off victories! Congrats! And thank you for the feedback!
@Karen Sharp (or Sweet Basil): The 2nd time I made this chili, I attempted all of your changes, but couldn’t get rid of the burn message and wound up cooking it on the stove, instead. After the first burn message, I emptied everything out and thoroughly cleaned the inner pot, so it wasn’t from food bits on the bottom. Did you cook the pancetta or the beef tips in any special manner? I cooked the pancetta in the same manner Sweet Basil said to cook the bacon. I cut the beef tips into bite-sized pieces and cooked them with the ground beef. Since they were a bit thicker, I did cook the meat a bit longer than when I just had the ground beef. Any suggestions?
Came out delicious both times, but I’d like to figure out what I did wrong the 2nd time.
That darn burn message! I can’t speak to what Karen did, but we’ve never had a problem with the burn message so it’s hard to say. I’m really starting to believe that some Instant Pots are more sensitive than others. I’m so glad they have still turned out delicious!
Thanks for that, SB. I think you may be correct about the different sensitivities. I hadn’t considered that, but the first time I made this was in a different model IP (LUX60) at a relative’s house. The model I have (DUO60) has given me a burn message on multiple recipes. In fact, it makes me wonder if this one may be defective or just heats at a higher temperature. I may pick up a LUX60 to test, side by side. I’ve been wanting a 2nd IP, anyhow.
Yes, I would contact Instant Pot and see if your model has a defect!
IP is sending me a replacement bottom and I also picked up an 8-quart Ultra on Black Friday, so I’ll have 2 alternate units to attempt this in. Hopefully this will resolve my burn messages.
Can’t wait to make this recipe again! This time (thanks to the 8-quart), I’ll be doubling the pancetta, sticking with the additional can of fire-roasted tomatoes, but keeping all the beans, plus adding the beef tips again, possibly doing 1.5x the amount. My GOD, do those beef tips add some flavor and texture to the chili, especially after you saute them in the pork fat! Last time, I cut the tips into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces and it was nice having a chunk of beef in nearly every mouthful.
I have a 6 qt. insta-pot, Put all the ingredients together and they exceeded the space in my pot! Perhaps you could be more specific in the future.
That is the same size that we have and it is only about 3/4 full when we make this recipe as written. Any chance you doubled any of the ingredients?
@Ross: By any chance, did you forget to drain the 3 cans of beans?
Can you double this? Or make in the crock pot? I’m so new to the instant pot but hoping to make this for a group of friends!
It doesn’t quite fit in an Instant Pot when it is doubled, but you can double it in a slow cooker or on the stove top. There are instructions on the recipe card for cooking it in a slow cooker or on the stove top. Hope you enjoy it!