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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 have a 6 quart and the chili button. I got the burn notice also. I stirred it up, wasn’t really burnt so I started it again on low pressure and it worked. Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for the feedback Michele! So glad you enjoyed it and that it worked for you the second time!
I got urn notice 3 times after stirring a ton. finally switched out of chili mode and did regular pressure cook. It worked. Still tastes good.
Thank you for the feedback Maria! I’m still trying to figure out why the burn notice gives some people such trouble with this recipe. I have yet to have that problem. Thank you for the tip about chili mode!
My husband loved this. Usually when I make something new, he tells me what’s wrong with it or what I should have done different. He told me there was only one thing I should have done differently. He told me I should have made more!🙌
This just made my day! Thank you for the feedback Marie!
Overall, flavor is awesome and it really hits the spot. I did not add bacon though. Sorry, this south Louisiana girl just can’t put bacon in chili. But I did have to transfer to stove top due to multiple burn notice warnings. Thankfully I was right there to catch them fast enough so I wouldn’t get the burn taste.
Pretty sure it’s the tomatoes being added and sticking to the bottom. So maybe next time I’ll try adding the tomatoes after it’s all cooked and just let it simmer for a bit. Maybe that is something that could eliminate the burn notice.
I think you are right…it’s the tomatoes that cause all the problems for people, though we have never had that happen with our Instant Pot. I’m so glad you enjoyed this chili though! It is a favorite in our house especially as the weather starts to get cooler.
I followed your recipe exactly. Scaled it up just a bit to fill my 8 quart instant pot. Made it today (9/18/2020) for dinner and invited some friends over. One of them doesn’t like chili, I told him he had to try this because his favorite food — bacon — is in it.
Everyone went back for seconds, including my friend who didn’t like chili until trying this.
This is an outstanding recipe, full of flavor! For those who want some extra “heat” for their chili, tabasco or Melinda’s XXX Hot Sauce works perfectly with it!
I used Bush’s Chili Beans (black beans in a chili sauce) and dark red kidney beans in the chili and they were awesome.
For some extra “texture” and a some different flavor, put this chili over a nice sweet corn bread , let the chili “soak” the corn bread and dig in! That’s darn’ good eating. Thanks for sharing this recipe! This is already a favorite.
You’re the best Larry!! Thank you so much! You and me…on a mission to convert one chili hater at a time! Thank you for taking time to leave us feedback!
Were a spicy chili kind of family, so we added A LOT more spice. However this worked perfect in our crockpot pressure cooker. No burn notices and we used ground turkey but just added some EVOO to replace the fat the beef would have provided.
Straight fire!!! Everyone loves it.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Yay! So glad to hear this Angelique!
This recipe is a heuristic for chili. Of all dishes, chili is one that invites creativity and variety. This recipe does that.
What is very unfortunate is that the recipe uses CANNED BEANS. Why not soak some beans (mixed beans, even) and pressure cook them to perfection in the chili sauce? I’m confused as to why someone uses canned beans, and cooks them in pressure for 14+ minutes.
You can definitely use dried beans for this recipe. The beans just need to be soaked overnight and cooked first. We used canned beans for this recipe because people using the instant pot are usually looking for a quick meal. The cooking time for this recipe is meant to infuse flavor into the chili and not necessarily cook the beans. Either way, feel free to use any beans that you want and enjoy!! Thanks for the feedback John!
I’ve made this recipe at least 6 times and it always comes out amazing! A total crowd pleaser! It is my go to recipe for chili now. It packs so much flavour!! Don’t skip the bacon 🙂
Yessss Chrystal…don’t skip the bacon! Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m so glad you love it as much as we do!
I love this recipe. I’ve made in always in a crock pot, though. I came in 2nd in a Chili Cook-Off with this recipe. And now I’m required to bring it for Christmas dinner every year. One day I’ll try it in an Instant Pot, but it works just fine in a slow cooker. (Actually it works no matter what method you use.) Thanks!
Thank you so much Lisa! I love this in the slow cooker too. Sometimes that just works better with my schedule for the day!
Best chili EVER. Seriously. We have cycled through so many chili recipes, and this is the one we have stuck with for years. It will be handed down in our family as “Mom’s chili” but only I know the secret. 😉 Absolutely perfect in every way.
For everyone having burn notices, that is the fault of your pressure cooker, not the recipe’s. I’ve never once received an error or had any problem with my 8 ct Ninja Foodi, and I follow the recipe exactly.
Thank you so much Jessica! This seriously makes our day! “Mom’s Chili”…I absolutely love it! Thank you so much for the support and for taking time to leave a comment!
Easy recipe, definitely need to use best quality bacon, only thing is I found the result a bit too salty, but then we don’t salt anything but rice in this household. Next time I cook this chili I will use a more expensive and less watery bacon and reduce the salt to half a teaspoon.
Thank you so much for the feedback Eric! Yes, good quality bacon is key!
Hello. As for the burn notices, sometimes it helps to just layer the tomatoes and paste on top of the rest of the ingredients without stirring again (maybe even the beans as well), then stir when cooking is finished. Sadly for me, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but that has worked for me before when making chili.
P.S. I did make your green bean and potato recipe last night and it was beyond amazing.
Thank you so much for your feedback and tips on the burn notice! Let us know if you try this chili recipe!