Instant Pot Turkey Chili is the ultimate fall and winter comfort food served with cornbread. Ground turkey, beans, veggies and spices simmer for 15 minutes in your electric pressure cooker with a taste like it has been cooking all day. You can also make this chili with dried beans.

Love healthy chili recipes? Try our reader shared Instant Pot beef chili or wildly popular Instant Pot white chicken chili.

Instant Pot turkey chili garnished with sour cream, cheese and green onion in white bowl.

Instant Pot Chili

This Instant Pot turkey chili tastes like this best turkey chili simmered on the stove all day. Flavorful, comforting and hearty bowl of homemade chili entire family will love. Even kids because this healthy soup recipe is not spicy. But you can, if you wish.

This is why I love making chili! Because I can customize it and I know everyone will eat dinner. Even kids’ picky friends. Let’s face it.:)

And did I say this chili is healthy?! By using ground turkey instead of ground beef, we avoid eating about 28 grams of saturated fat. Crazy! Healthier is only Instant Pot vegetarian chili.

Turkey chili with a ladle in the pressure cooker pot.

Why Cook Chili in Instant Pot?

Not all but many recipes make sense to be converted to healthy Instant Pot recipes. And Instant Pot chili is one of them. Because it’s easy.

Although total cooking time with pressure build up is about 30 minutes, prep time is only 15 minutes and you walk away. No waiting to boil or stirring. And chili will taste just like your mom used to make.

Ingredients You Will Need

Ground turkey, diced tomatoes, corn, canned beans, tomato paste, bell pepper, spices, oil, onion, garlic and broth.
  • Ground turkey: Lean or extra lean, even ground chicken will be great lean protein.
  • Beans: You can use any combination of beans. I like to use red kidney beans, pinto beans and any white beans like navy, cannellini or lima. More varieties, more flavor. If you cook dried beans without salt, add 1 tsp salt.
  • Corn: Fresh, canned (drained) or frozen (no need to thaw).
  • Canned diced tomatoes and paste: No need to drain diced tomatoes. If you have with green chiles – even more flavor. I buy organic at Costco.
  • Broth or stock: Pick low sodium. I like to use organic low sodium bouillon cubes + water to save storage space, packaging and money.
  • Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.

How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Chili

This Instant Pot Chili can be made in 6 quart and 8 quart as written. For 3 quart, half the ingredients and keep same cooking time.

  • Saute ground turkey just enough to separate into small pieces. It doesn’t have to be cooked through or browned.
  • Deglaze only if you see bottom of the pot has stuck browned bits of meat to it.  Add 1/2 cup broth and deglaze the pot. If not – then it’s fine. My 6 quart Instant Pot runs hotter and browns more than 8 quart (it doesn’t brown).
  • Add remaining ingredients in exact order listed in the recipe and do not stir to avoid Burn message.
  • Pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
  • Release pressure using Quick Release or you can let pressure cooker come down on its own with Natural Release.

Tip: Release pressure outside to prevent your house smell like chili for days.

Collage of how to make Instant Pot turkey chili step by step.

How to Make Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans

OK, by super popular demand I have tested Instant Pot chili with dried beans. Result was – ah-mazing.

Not only it is convenient, cheap and less sodium version of chili, the stew comes out more hearty thanks to a bean broth. Texture wise similar to healthy white chicken chili where we mash some beans for hearty thick stew texture.

To make chili with dried beans, you do not have to soak them. Use 2 cups dried and rinsed dried beans with 4 cups of stock and cook for 40 minutes.

If you cook red kidney beans in Instant Pot or black beans in Instant Pot, they only take on average 12 minutes with NPR. But because we have many other ingredients in the pot, cooking time is 3 times longer.

Just like with rice and beans cooked together in Instant Pot. Science. 🙂

Serving Suggestions and Tips

  • Fixings: Serve chili traditionally with shredded cheese, plain yogurt or sour cream, green onion, cilantro, lime and avocado. And how can you forget a slice of buttery almond flour cornbread or some cornbread muffins?!
  • Serve as an appetizer: With tortilla chips for dunking…mmmm.
  • Stretch it: Make Instant Pot turkey chili go further served over baked potatoes or spaghetti squash.
  • Double the recipe? I do not recommend to double this recipe even in 8 quart Instant Pot because ingredients will not fit and pot won’t come to pressure! What you can do though, add extra 1 lb of meat and a can of beans, then adjust seasonings to taste at the end.
  • For 3 Quart Instant Pot: Just cut ingredients amount in half but keep same cooking time.

How to Store, Reheat and Freeze Chili

Yes, you can freeze chili. Hearty soup and stew without tender vegetables freeze well. Cook, cool completely and freeze in glass container for up to 3 months.

Make a freezer meal: Cook ground turkey until small pieces for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer to a Ziploc bag with other ingredients (add tomato products right after meat). Before cooking, add 1 cup water or low sodium broth and cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.

To thaw, defrost on a counter or in the fridge overnight. Forgot to thaw ahead? Place container in a bowl with warm water. Just make sure to let glass warm up a bit on a counter to prevent it from cracking.

To reheat in either scenario, simmer on the stove covered on low, stirring occasionally and until warmed through.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Looking for freezer meals? Many recipes can be made ahead and cooked from frozen like my 20 healthy freezer meals.

Chili in a white bowl.
Instant Pot turkey chili garnished with sour cream, cheese and green onion in white bowl.

Instant Pot Turkey Chili

Instant Pot Turkey Chili with ground turkey, beans, veggies and spices simmer for 15 minutes with a taste like it has been cooking all day.
4.91 from 140 votes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 292
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • On 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, press Sauté and let appliance preheat until display says Hot.
  • Swirl a bit of oil to coat, add ground turkey and cook for 4 minutes, breaking into small pieces with spatula often. Meat doesn’t have to cook through.
  • If you see bottom of the pot has stuck browned bits of meat, add 1/2 cup broth and deglaze the pot. If not – then it’s fine. My 6 quart Instant Pot runs hotter than 8 quart.
  • Press Cancel and add remaining 1/2 cup (if deglazed) or 1 cup broth.
  • Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Do not stir to avoid Burn.
  • Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 15 minutes.
  • After release pressure using Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. Open the lid, stir and serve hot with your favourite toppings.

Video

Notes

  • Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
  • Make a freezer meal: Cook ground turkey until small pieces for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer to a Ziploc bag with other ingredients (add tomato products right after meat). Before cooking, add 1 cup water or low sodium broth and cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.
  • To make chili with dried beans (no soaking): Use 2 cups dried beans with 4 cups stock and cook for 40 minutes.
  • If you cook your own beans without salt, add 1 tsp salt.
  • Ground chicken will work just as well.
  • I often use frozen vegetables like chopped pepper, corn and frozen cooked beans to save time.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 494mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g
Course: Soup and Stew
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made 2 times in the last 2 weeks! I was nervous about getting the burn error but I didn’t! Thanks for the delicious and easy to cook chili.

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you I made it yesterday and it is the best chilli I ever made, it is only 5 points on WW thankyou again for this amazing recipe. It will be my forever chilli recipe. I will make it next time with dried beans.

  3. 5 stars
    My picky toddler has been going on hunger strike lately but this made her eat! I wish I could give 10 stars.. healthy, low sodium and I loved it too.

  4. 2 stars
    Unfortunately, I had to move this to the stovetop. I tried low and high pressure and it burned the bottom. This recipe needs to be modified. I have a standard, good quality pressure cooker.

    1. I make this recipe all the time in any of my 3 pressure cookers without any Burn issues. Some pressure cookers are more sensitive than others, especially newer models. Nothing to do with the recipe as you can tell by the amount of positive reviews. You can add more broth and be sure not to stir.

  5. 1 star
    This recipe did not work. It gave me the “burn” error despite following the instructions. I had to slow cook it the next day to actually mix the flavors and add 2 extra cans of diced salt free tomatoes to make it chili consistency. Very disappointing.

    1. Some models of Instant Pots are a bit too sensitive and trigger Burn without actually burning food. It doesn’t mean recipe doesn’t work. Here is a good info Why my Instant Pot says Burn. Secondly, it might look like chili needs more tomatoes when you add all ingredients but it doesn’t. By the end of cooking, it looks like chili. More tomatoes is overpowering and is more like tomato chili soup IMHO but to each their own I guess, tastes differ with food.:) Hope this helps.

    1. Yay! I do love fire roasted tomatoes a lot! If they were not a bit pricey or available at Costco, I would use only them! Glad you loved this recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    This was so good and so easy. I used twice the turkey because my cans of beans were a little larger than the recipe called for, and I had over the amount of tomatoes and corn, as well. I subbed smoked paprika for regular and black beans for pintos. I added hatch chilies, bay leaf, and a little sugar. I topped it with sour cream, cheese, and green onions. My husband loves chili, but nothing remotely healthy like ground turkey, my mom isn’t big on spicy food, and neither my kiddo nor I are chili fans…we all had seconds. This is the easiest recipe ever, and I can make do with whatever I have on hand. I never thought I’d have a go-to recipe for chili, but this one is now mine.

    1. That is the best when kids (& the rest of the family) love what we moms make. That’s so great you now have your go-to chili recipe!

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