Taco Ground Beef Instant Pot Chili Recipe is a favorite! Roasted pasilla peppers, hearty ground beef and beans and a secret, no TWO secret ingredients you might be shocked by. This

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

I love how instant pot recipes have become such a thing, but I always wonder, do you really just want instant pot recipes?

AND if you don’t have an instant pot are you changing it to work for you in your slow cooker or on stove top?

Is that something you want us to give you options for in the recipe card?

Take a quick second and click comments to let us know. Your opinion totally matters so fill us in!

Instant Pot Chili

When something is working well I can’t help but see what else it can become.

Our Most Viral Winter Recipe

Our most viral winter recipe last year was our instant pot chili. And guess what, it’s only fall but it has stayed our most popular recipe!

That’s so fun!

THANK YOU!!! You all are so amazing for supporting our love of eating, errrrr I mean, cooking. 😉

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

Have you made our best chili yet?

THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ALREADY HAVE AND LEFT A BILLION STELLAR REVIEWS!

I will stop yelling.

I’m actually not a great yeller. I have a wimpy Disney Princess voice.

Such is life.

Taco Ground Beef Instant Pot Chili Recipe

This is it! A fun-totally kid-friendly version of both chili and taco soup.

And guess what, you can make it spicy or not. It’s all about the peppers you choose to add. We added one jalapeno, but skip it if your kiddos don’t like a bite.

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

How to Make Instant Pot Taco Chili

  1. Start by buying a ground beef that is not higher than 90% lean. We need some fat to keep the burn notice away and to add flavor. Plus the fat will act as the grease for the veggies to be cooked in too.
  2. Blend a portion of peppers and tomatoes together and set aside.
  3. Turn your instant pot to saute mode and once hot, add the ground beef. After a few minutes add the seasonings and veggies.
  4. Cook until no pink remains and drain most of the grease.
  5. Add all remaining ingredients.
  6. Set the valve to seal with the lid on and cancel saute. Turn the mode to high pressure and cook 18-20 minutes.

TWO SECRETS

Did you already scroll down to our recipe to see what the two secrets are?

  1. Ranch Seasoning Packet! This handy trick thickens the chili and adds an extra burst of flavor that doesn’t at all taste like ranch dressing.
  2. Creamed Corn! Again, it acts like a small thickener and adds a little subtle sweetness. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make your chili sweet but you’ll pick up on that extra somethin’ somethin’ as you’re eating and you will LOVE IT!

What Makes Chili Chili?

Chili is a thick stew that should be made up of a few simple ingredients that make it a true “chili”.

  • Meat-generally ground beef
  • Tomatoes
  • Beans
  • Chili peppers- often in the form of spices

These ingredients are simmered stovetop until all of the flavor melds together to create a flavorful, thick stew that is often served with sour cream, cheese and additional peppers.

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

Does Chili Have Beans?

Chili uses a variety of beans but some can stick to just one kind, typically black beans. Here are other beans you can throw into your chili.

A white bean or lighter brown is often used in a poultry chili while the darker beans accompany a beef chili.

  • Pinto Beans
  • Black Beans
  • Kidney Beans
  • Navy Beans
  • Northern White Beans

Is Chili Supposed To Be Thick?

Chili should be thick and hearty. It should be thick enough that it feels like it will stick to your bones and warm you up from the inside out on a cold day.

Chili is meant to be a meal on its own.

Sometimes your chili ends up with a bit more liquid, in that case, how do you thicken chili?

How to Thicken Chili

  1. Those beans can act as a thickener along with your tomatoes. Use a potato masher and smash some of the beans and tomatoes together. This will release their natural starches will help thicken the excess liquid.
  2. Sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of cornmeal, which commonly has been done in chili recipes for decades in South-western chilis. Cornmeal will sop up the excess liquid.
  3. Tear up tortillas or cornbread to sop up the excess liquid and give you even more to eat!

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

What Is The Difference Between and Yellow Onion And A Red Onion?

A red onion, or as I used to say, purple onion has that bold, bright purple skin, but it’s very similar to a yellow onion.

A red onion has a slightly more mild flavor than a yellow onion when served raw and can help to mellow out a tomato based dish instead of the more bold yellow or white onion.

What Is the Difference Between A Pressure Cooker And An Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot is very similar to a normal pressure cooker, the difference is that heat-source is electric. It doesn’t require a gas or electric stove, thus making it more energy efficient, and you can multi-task in the kitchen.

An Instant pot also allows you to do many things in one appliance because you can saute, cook yogurt, slow cook and more. A pressure cooker is like a pot on the stove but with a special lid that allows you to cook at a high pressure.

High pressure cooking is faster and keeps food extra tender as all of the steam is trapped inside.

a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips

More Chili Recipes

How to Make Taco Chili Video

Taco Ground Beef Instant Pot Chili

3.55 from 20 votes
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Description

A hearty taco chili that uses ground beef and is full of corn, tomatoes and lots of flavor!

Ingredients 

  • 2 Pounds Ground Beef
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Red Onion, Diced
  • 1 Can Black Beans, 15 Ounces
  • 1 Can Kidney Beans, 16 Ounces
  • 1 1/2 Cups Corn, We buy the frozen roasted corn at Trader Joes
  • 1 Can Creamed Corn
  • 2 Cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 Pasilla Peppers, Roasted, peeled and diced
  • 1 Can Tomato Sauce, 8 ounces
  • 1 Envelope Ranch Dressing
  • 1 Envelope Taco Seasoning
  • 1 Can Tomatoes with Diced Green Chiles
  • Salt, To taste
  • Toppings of choice, fritos, cheese, sour cream etc
  • 1 Jalapeno, blistered and minced with or without seeds. See note

Instructions

  • In the instant pot on the saute mode, cook and crumble the ground beef using a meat chopper, adding the onions and garlic halfway through and cooking until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes, drain any grease.
  • Rinse and drain all beans. Add beans corn and creamed corn to beef, along with 3/4 canned tomatoes, and half the roasted pasilla peppers, tomato sauce, the dressing and seasoning mixes and salt.
  • Puree remaining pasilla peppers and remaining diced tomatoes in a covered blender until smooth; stir into beef mixture
  • Place the lid on with the valve on seal and cook for 18-20 minutes then allow a natural release for 15 minutes. Serve with toppings as desired like Fritos, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Notes

You can roast your jalapeno over a grill or burner and then mince it with or without seeds for a kick. 
Chili can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 381kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 22gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 971mgPotassium: 813mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1864IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 5mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: 50 of the Best Easy Soup Recipes for Families
Cuisine: American
a bowl on a gray plate full of taco ground beef instant pot chili, corn, avocados and fritos chips
Taco Ground Beef Instant Pot Chili Recipe is a favorite! Roasted pasilla peppers, hearty ground beef and beans and two secret ingredients. #instantpot #soup #whatsfordinner