This Instant Pot Turkey Chili is made with ground turkey, beans, veggies and spices quickly in your pressure cooker with a taste like it has been simmering all day. You can also make it with dried beans!
Love healthy chili recipes? Try our reader shared Instant Pot beef chili or wildly popular Instant Pot white chicken chili.
This Instant Pot turkey chili tastes like the best turkey chili that has been simmered on the stove all day! Flavorful, comforting and hearty bowl of homemade chili entire family will love. Even kids because this soup is not spicy.
Not all but many recipes make sense to be converted to Instant Pot recipes. And turkey chili is one of them. Because it’s easy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make it your own: This is why I love making chili! Because I can customize it and I know everyone will dinner. Even kids’ picky friends, let’s face it!
- Healthier: By using ground turkey instead of ground beef, we avoid eating about 28 grams of saturated fat. Healthier is only Instant Pot vegetarian chili.
- Easy recipe: 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 for Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Ground turkey: Lean or extra lean ground turkey, even ground chicken will be great in this recipe.
- 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 teaspoon salt.
- Corn: Fresh, canned (drained) or frozen corn (no need to thaw).
- Canned diced tomatoes and paste: No need to drain diced tomatoes. If you have Rotel, diced tomatoes with green chilies, even more flavor.
- Broth or stock: Pick low sodium. I like to use organic low sodium bouillon cubes mixed water to save storage space, packaging and money. Or Instant Pot chicken broth or Instant Pot beef bone broth when I have it on hand.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
How to Make Turkey Chili in Instant Pot
This Instant Pot turkey chili can be made 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: 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 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.
Tips for Best Results
- Browned bits of meat stuck to the pot: Deglaze the pot only if you see the bottom has stuck bits 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. This is 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 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 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 Saute, stir and simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
Can I Make It with Dried Beans?
Yes! By super popular demand I have tested this Instant Pot turkey chili 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.
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 Suggestions
- 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.
- With a salad: Mexican kale salad or Mexican street corn salad would go well with this turkey chili.
- Stretch it: Make Instant Pot turkey chili go further served over Instant Pot baked potatoes or Instant Pot spaghetti squash.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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 fridge overnight.
Reheat: Simmer on the stovetop covered on low heat, stirring occasionally and until warmed through.
FAQs
Yes. 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. Then do Quick Release.
Absolutely. No changes to the recipe are necessary.
Yes. I often use frozen vegetables like chopped bell pepper, corn and frozen cooked beans to save time. You can also add up to 2 extra cups of frozen broccoli, cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
More Chili Recipes to Try
- White bean pumpkin turkey chili
- Buffalo chicken chili
- Ground chicken chili
- Crockpot white chicken chili
More Instant Pot Recipes
Looking for more ideas? Check out this collection of our top healthy Instant Pot recipes!
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup any stock or broth low sodium
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 1/2 cups corn canned or frozen
- 14 oz can low sodium red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 14 oz can low sodium cannellini or navy beans rinsed and drained
- 14 oz can low sodium pinto beans or black eyed peas rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp chili powder makes mild, 3 tbsp for spicy
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 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)
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.
Thank you for the chili recipe. We loved it. Now we have dinner for 2 more nights.
You are very welcome!
Thanks for this recipe, Olena (and the reminder today to rate what we make!) I had the recipe in the back of my mind all summer, but this past weekend I came down with a cold and knew that it was finally chilli time. This was delightfully easy to make and can be customized to one’s own spicyness preference. I do have one question, though: Do you drain or rinse your beans before adding them to the pot? Apologies if you’ve already answered this in the comments–I haven’t read through them yet. Again, thanks for all you do. I love your recipes! 🙂
Awe, you are so welcome! So happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes, Heidi! No worries. Yes, you always want to drain and rinse canned beans. I make mine from dried without soaking in Instant Pot now. Hope you are feeling better.:)
I have a 3 qt instant pot. Do you think this recipe could work for me?
For sure! Just cut the 6 quart ingredients amount in half. Same cooking time. Please let me know how you liked the chili. Would love to know!:)
Made this in my 6 Qt. Power Quick Pot and it is delicious! Perfect for a rainy day dinner (except for the trip to the store for ingredients). Thanks for the details, pictures and notes. I’m used to making chili in slow cooker after browning the meat and cooking the onions on the stovetop. It was so easy just to make it all in the pressure cooker and so much faster. I’ve got leftovers in the fridge and some in the freezer, too. I’ll be looking at your other recipes for next week!
Good thing you didn’t have to walk to the store.:) So happy to hear you liked it. That’s what Instant Pot is for – to save time. Common mistake people make is browning the meat and veggies. And cooking too long. Please let me know what other recipes you try.:)
I have only made chili 2 times prior because it gives me horrible indigestion. I found this recipe and decided to try it with my new IP. It was a HUGE hit in my house tonight. I soaked 1 cup of red kidney beans last night and cooked them today in the IP. I was trying to keep the sodium lower. The cooking of the beans was so easy and worth it!! I did 3 C water with 1 C chicken bone broth I had left over from Christmas cooking. I changed the seasoning only a tad because I used canned chili tomatoes (Wal-Mart brand) and since I am new at this I didn’t realize it was already seasoned with chili powder. I thought it meant they were just cut small and puree for the chili texture. LOL…I said I was a Chili Newbie!! I did add only 1/2 of the recipe chili powder and cumin for that reason. I did add more ground turkey that was already fully cooked prior to add more consistency to the mix. Thank you for posting this recipe!!! It was amazing and def making it again!!!!!!!
Well that was a pretty great success for a chili newbie. Too funny. I know the name “chili” can be confusing. Was to me for a while too. Good job!
This looks great! I have a Wolfgang Puck pot that works similar to the Instant Pot. Can I follow the same time requirements to cook this? Thank you!
Yes for sure. Just make sure it’s on high pressure.
Thank you so much! I am a new IP cooker, so I looked for an simple and delicious recipes with a proper directions.
This one is my whole family favorite!
Awesome!:) Simple is best – makes you love cooking more.
Finally an Instant Pot chili recipe that doesn’t burn. Thanks for the tip about tomatoes.
Now I had to buy an instant pot. Lol. You’re never allowed to take this blog down!! Lol (I ordered one of those lodge Dutch ovens that will be here tomorrow – hope I won’t be needing anymore kitchen ware. Haha)
Thanks for the bouillon cube recommendation I’ve been looking for one that has no MSG forever!