This Instant Pot Turkey Chili is made quickly in a pressure cooker with a taste like it has been simmering all day. It’s healthy, protein-packed and can be made with dried beans!
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Chili
This Instant Pot turkey chili tastes like regular turkey chili that has been simmered on the stove all day!
Not all recipes make sense to be converted to Instant Pot recipes but making turkey chili in Instant Pot is one of them. Because it’s so easy!
Although total cooking time with pressure build up is about 45 minutes, prep time is only 10 minutes and you walk away. No waiting to boil or stirring.
And after you get a hearty bowl of homemade turkey chili that’s healthier and and less saturated fats than regular chili, and entire family will love dinner!
Reader’s Review
This is the second time I have eaten this recipe, and it just hits the spot! The flavors blend so perfectly together. Serious healthy comfort food! I like to crunch some Hint of Lime Tostitos on top for fun and flavor. 🙂
Tracey SM
Ingredients for Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Ground turkey: I like to use lean or extra lean ground turkey, but even ground chicken, ground beef or ground pork will be great in this chili recipe.
- Beans: You can use any combination of beans. I like to use red kidney beans, pinto beans and any white beans like cannellini beans or navy beans. More varieties, more flavor. If you cook dried beans without salt, add about 1 teaspoon salt to the chili.
- Vegetables: Red bell pepper, onion and garlic for more flavor, fiber and to bulk up the chili.
- Corn: Fresh, canned (drained) or frozen corn (no need to thaw).
- Diced tomatoes and tomato paste: No need to drain diced tomatoes. If you have Rotel, diced tomatoes with green chilies, it’s even more flavor.
- Broth: Buy or make low sodium or no salt added chicken broth or vegetable broth. Or Instant Pot chicken broth or Instant Pot bone broth work too.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Oil: For frying the meat, use your favorite oil. I like avocado oil.
How to Make Turkey Chili in Instant Pot
As written, you can make this turkey chili in 6 quart Instant Pot and 8 quart Instant Pot as written. For 3 quart, half the ingredients and keep same cooking time.
- Brown the meat: Preheat Instant Pot on Sauté function and swirl a bit of oil. Saute ground turkey just enough to separate into small pieces. It doesn’t have to be cooked through or browned.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add broth, onion, garlic, bell pepper, corn, beans, chili, powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste in this exact order, just like listed in the recipe. Do not stir to avoid the Burn message.
- Cook: Pressure cook turkey chili 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.
- Rest and serve: Let chili rest for 10 minutes, if you have time. It just tastes better. Add your favorite chili toppings and serve.
Tips for Best Results
- Deglaze the pot, if necessary: Only if you see the bottom has stuck bits of meat to it, add 1/2 cup broth and deglaze the pot. My 6 quart Instant Pot runs hotter and browns more than 8 quart one.
- Make sure tomatoes are on top: Add ingredients in the order listed in the recipe with diced tomatoes and tomato paste going in last to avoid the Burn message.
- Don’t stir before cooking: Again it helps to avoid the Burn message. If you stir, tomato can be touching the bottom of the pot and its sugars burning.
- Don’t double the recipe: I do not recommend to double this Instant Pot turkey chili recipe even in 8 quart Instant Pot because ingredients will not fit and pot won’t come to pressure! Instead, add extra 1 pound of meat and a can of beans, then adjust seasonings to taste at the end.
- To thicken the chili: This chili will thicken with time but if you want it to be very thick right away, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the pot. Then press Sauté mode, stir and simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
How to Make It with Dried Beans
By super popular demand I have tested this Instant Pot turkey chili recipe with dried beans. Result was ah-mazing!
Not only it is convenient, cheap and lower in 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 rinsed dried beans with 4 cups of broth and pressure cook for 40 minutes.
Fun Fact
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 Instant Pot rice and beans cooked together in a pressure cooker. Science!
Serving Ideas
- Toppings: Serve chili traditionally with shredded cheddar cheese, plain yogurt or sour cream, green onion, jalapeño, 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.
- With a salad: Mexican kale salad or Mexican street corn salad would go well with this turkey chili.
- Stretch it: Make it go further served over Instant Pot baked potatoes or Instant Pot spaghetti squash.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate leftover chili in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It tastes even better next day, perfect for meal prep.
Freeze: Hearty soups and stew without tender vegetables freeze well. Cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: Simmer on the stovetop covered on low heat, stirring occasionally and until warmed through, or in a microwave.
FAQs
Yes. Cook ground turkey for 5 minutes, breaking into small pieces. Transfer to a Ziploc bag with other ingredients (add tomato products right after meat). Before cooking, add 1 cup broth and cook from frozen on High pressure for 20 minutes. Then do Quick Release.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot beef chili
- Instant Pot white chicken chili
- Instant Pot vegetarian chili
- Instant Pot ground turkey quinoa bowls
- Instant Pot taco soup
More Chili Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup any broth or stock, low sodium
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 1/2 cups corn, canned or frozen
- 14 ounces can low sodium red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
- 14 ounces can low sodium cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
- 14 ounces can low sodium pinto beans, rinsed & drained
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, for mild, 3 tablespoons for spicy
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 28 ounces can diced tomatoes, low sodium
- 6 ounces can tomato paste, low sodium
- Oil, for frying
- Green onion, cilantro, cheese, plain yogurt, for toppings
Instructions
- On 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, press Sauté and 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 favorite toppings.
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 broth and cook for 40 minutes.
- If you cook your own beans without salt, add 1 teaspoon salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’d like to be provided with a print option. I don’t see on the recipe….
Full recipe card is located at the bottom of the post or you can use Jump to Recipe button at the top to get to it. That’s where you will see Print button. Hope this helps.
Delicious!! Very easy to make!
I have made this chili multiple times! Even making it for my husband’s work chili cook off because it’s so good! (And easy, I need that with a 2 year old)
That’s awesome! So happy it’s a favorite, and good luck at the chili cook-off!
Why does it say -Do not stir to avoid burn-
In step 3?
To avoid the Burn message which can be caused by tomatoes. You can read more about Burn here.
I would like to use dry small red beans for this instant pot recipe. Do I cook the red beans first in my instant pot. Or do the dry beans cook at the same time as the rest of the chili ingredients?
Please see recipe card notes or post for this info.
This is the second time I have eaten this recipe, and it just hits the spot! The flavors blend so perfectly together. Serious healthy comfort food!
I like to crunch some Hint of Lime Tostitos on top for fun and flavor 🙂
Love that topping idea! So glad the flavors hit the spot—it really does sound like the ultimate healthy comfort food.
This was very tasty and so simple to put together. I substituted black beans as kidney beans don’t like me very much 😅 I will definitely be making this cozy dish again! Thanks for all your hard work!
So happy to hear that—and great call on the black beans! 😊 Thanks for the kind words, it means a lot!