Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot Chili, recipe #2 in Instant Pot monthly series, is preceded by Instant Pot chicken noodle soup and followed by Instant Pot steel cut oats. I have to say that my love for this appliance grows slowly but surely. Electric pressure cooker is an “acquired taste” but once you get over the fear of it, you won’t be able to stop.

There is a handful of dishes that make sense to be pressure cooked and chili is one of them. Just like with chicken noodle soup, I have adjusted my tried and true stovetop chili recipe to factor in that flavours really do shine under pressure (unlike me). So, let me introduce you healthy Instant Pot Chili with canned beans (dried and soaked are next on the list to try), ground turkey (just 1 lb) and tons of vegetables. Made effortlessly in a pressure cooker but tasting like it has been simmering all day.

MY LATEST RECIPES

I’m including recipe for both, 6 quart and 8 quart models (I own 8 quart IP-DUO).

How to Make Instant Pot Chili

1. Press Sauté and let pressure cooker preheat for a few minutes.
2. Add ground turkey and cook for 4 minutes, constantly breaking meat into small pieces. Meat won’t get browned, so don’t waste your time waiting for that. Original stainless steel pot that comes with Instant Pot doesn’t really brown ground meat, end of story. Our goal is simply to create as small pieces of meat as possible for every spoonful of chili. We are not performing this step for flavour enhancement (pressure cooking takes care of that) but rather aesthetic reasons.
3. I wish I could just throw that blob of ground meat in there and leave it as it is but from previous slow cooker experience I know it won’t be a good experience.
4. Add remaining ingredients in exact order listed in the recipe. Do not stir.
5. Close the lid and set pressure vent to Sealing.
6. Press Cancel to turn Sauté off. Then press Pressure Cook on High for 20 minutes. Keep Warm is an automatic feature on latest Instant Pot, turn it on or off.
7. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown from 20 minutes will begin.
8. After 20 minutes your chili is ready, Instant Pot will beep and countdown (L 00:01) will start. Pressure cooker needs to bring pressure down before you can open it, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve. You can let it do it on its own which will take 20-30 minutes – Natural Release.
9. OR you can do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid smell and mess in the house.

Instant Pot Chili Tips and Shortcuts

1. Why no stirring? Because Instant Pot’s heating element is located at the bottom and may cause sugars in tomato products caramelize and Burn (happened to me twice with this recipe). Therefore, we add diced tomatoes and paste on top and do not stir.
2. I replace vegetable stock with organic bouillon cubes in my recipes. This and other brands are widely available. Reduces storage space, cost and food waste significantly.
3. For chili, I often use frozen vegetables: chopped pepper, corn and cooked beans (how to cook dried beans and freeze them for later).

How Long to Cook Turkey Chili in Instant Pot

You have 3 options:

1. Cook for 20 minutes and do Quick Release. This method is great when you are in a rush and want to have dinner on a table in 30 minutes.This is what your Instant Pot chili will look like when you open the lid. It’s just an inch or so of liquid on top. Don’t worry, stir well. Chili will thicken within an hour.
2. That’s why I prefer Natural Release with this Instant Pot chili recipe. It will thicken as pressure is coming down.
3. Cook longer, for 30 minutes, and do Quick Release.

No matter how long you choose to cook your chili for, it will look like this in the end. Serve hot with your favourite toppings. I’m sure you don’t need instructions for that. Enjoy!

Stovetop or Slow Cooker Healthy Chili Recipe

I have our favourite healthy chili recipe I got from the Biggest Loser years ago, that I make in a slow cooker or on a stovetop (frankly, haven’t executed the last method for years though).

Looking to expand your chili repertoire? Try this easy quinoa chili, crockpot buffalo chicken chili or crockpot chicken chili queso.

Instant Pot Chili

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Instant Pot Chili Recipe with canned beans, ground turkey and tons of vegetables made effortlessly in a pressure cooker but tastes like it has been simmering all day.

• Author: ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 24 minutes
• Total Time: 29 minutes
• Yield: 7 (6 Qt.), 10 (8 Qt.) servings

Ingredients

6 Quart Instant Pot

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 cups water + 1 bouillon cube (or stock)*
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup corn, canned or frozen
• 2 x 14 oz can any beans*
• 2 tbsp chili powder*
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium
• 6 oz can tomato paste, low sodium
• Avocado oil
• Green onion, cilantro, cheese, plain yogurt (for toppings)

8 Quart Instant Pot

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 4 cups water + 1 bouillon cube (or stock)*
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 2 cups corn, canned or frozen
• 3 x 14 oz can any beans*
• 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder*
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, low sodium
• 6 oz can tomato paste, low sodium
• Avocado oil
• Green onion, cilantro, cheese, plain yogurt, for toppings

Instructions

1. On Instant Pot, press Sauté and let appliance preheat on medium until display says Hot. Swirl a bit of oil to coat, add turkey and cook for 4 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces with spatula. Meat won’t get browned and some pink pieces are OK – our goal is just to create small pieces of meat for every spoonful of chili.
2. Add water + bouillon cube (stock), onion, garlic, pepper, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Do not stir but rather flatten with spatula.
3. Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Cancel to turn Sauté off. Then press Pressure Cooking on High for 20 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown from 20 minutes will begin.
4. After 20 minutes, display will say OFF and Instant Pot needs to bring pressure down, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve and takes about 20-30 minutes (Natural Release). I recommend you do it with chili as it will thicken and become more flavourful.
5. OR you can do Quick Release (if you are in a rush) by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid smell and mess in the house. You can also increase cooking time to 30 minutes with Quick Release (if you have time). Open the lid, stir and serve hot with your favourite toppings.

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.

Notes

*I used mostly kidney beans + black beans. Try to find organic bouillon cubes. This amount of chili powder makes kid friendly mild one, use more to taste.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

2736.8 g571 mg8.6 g30.1 g21.9 g44.7 mg

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