If you love recipes that are as simple as they are delicious, then you have to try this Instant Pot chili. It's smoky, spicy, savory, and SO easy to make!
This Instant Pot chili delivers everything you love about regular chili–a smoky tomato broth, tender peppers, and hearty beans–but it has the added bonus of being a set-it-and-forget-it recipe. I won’t argue that regular chili is difficult to make (I call my recipe Easy Vegetarian Chili, after all), but it does require you to stay nearby the kitchen if not in it, close enough to adjust the heat of your stove from time to time to maintain a lively simmer.
For most of my life, I loved that aspect of making chili or soup. I wanted to hang out in the kitchen, enjoying the smells and sounds of the bubbling pot. But now that we have a kiddo in the house, I’ve found a new appreciation for recipes like this Instant Pot chili. I am thrilled that once I secure the Instant Pot’s lid, I can walk away, stealing a few moments outside as a family before the sun sets or reading a book before we sit down to dinner. Maybe you can relate?
In any case, this Instant Pot chili recipe is a great way to enjoy a flavorful meal on a busy night. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Instant Pot Chili Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Instant Pot chili recipe:
- Onion and garlic – They create the chili’s flavorful base.
- Bell peppers – A chili essential! I use one red and one green, but feel free to experiment with any colors you like.
- A jalapeño – For heat.
- Chili powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano – They add earthy, aromatic flavor.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – Along with a little water, they create the chili’s tangy broth.
- Avocado oil – It adds richness and brings the flavors together. No avocado oil on hand? Olive oil works too.
- Tomato paste – It thickens the chili and enhances its savory, umami flavor.
- Pinto and kidney beans – Or any beans you like! I prefer to use dried beans in this recipe because we’re cooking them in the Instant Pot, but I offer instructions for making it with canned beans too.
- A dried Guajillo chile – Optional, but highly recommended. With a mild-medium spice level, the chile adds a distinct smoky flavor and a bit of heat to this recipe.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chili in the Instant Pot
It’s so simple to make chili in the Instant Pot! Here’s how I do it:
First, sauté the veggies. Select the Sauté function on your pressure cooker. Set the heat level to medium and the time to 10 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 8 minutes. Then, stir in the spices and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for the remaining 2 minutes.
Next, pressure cook. Add the garlic, beans, tomatoes, water, and dried chile to the pot, and give everything a good stir. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 45 minutes if you’re using dried beans or for 20 minutes if you’re using canned ones. When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally.
That’s it! When you’re ready to eat, stir the chili again, pressing the dried chile against the sides of the pot to release its flavor. Remove the chile, then season to taste and enjoy.
Instant Pot Chili Serving Suggestions
Like any chili recipe, this Instant Pot chili is best with toppings! Here are some of our favorites:
- Avocado slices
- Sliced radishes or jalapeños
- Cilantro leaves
- Green onions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- A dollop of sour cream or vegan sour cream
Load up your bowl, and dig in! Enjoy this Instant Pot chili as a meal on its own, or pair it with jalapeño cornbread or regular homemade cornbread, a baked potato or sweet potato, or tortilla chips.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the chili for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Soups and Stews
If you love this Instant Pot chili recipe, try one of these soups or stews next:
- Easy Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Instant Pot Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ cup dried pinto beans, or 1 (14-ounce) can, drained and rinsed*
- ½ cup dried kidney beans, or 1 (14-ounce), drained and rinsed*
- 1 cup water*
- Dried Guajillo chile, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
Serving options:
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Sliced radishes
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeños
Instructions
- Select the Sauté function on your Instant Pot. Set the level to medium and set the time to 10 minutes. When the Instant Pot is preheated, drizzle the avocado oil into the pot and add the onion, red and green bell pepper, and jalepeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, and tomato paste and sauté, stirring, for the remaining 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, water, and dried chile, if using. Stir, then secure the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. When the float valve drops, remove the lid and stir, pressing the dried chile, if using, against the sides of the pot to release its flavor. Remove and discard the chile. Season to taste and serve with desired toppings.
Not sure what i did wrong. I didn’t have kidney beans, so I subbed black beans which cook faster. I even soaked my beans for 2 hours in advance because I like soft smooth beans and bith the black beans and punti beans were still crunchy at the end.
Hi Tori, so sorry to hear that! Did you change anything else about the recipe? Or do quick release instead of natural release for the pressure?
Great recipe. I doubled it, but didn’t have twice the bell pepper on hand, so I substituted some carrot and celery. Loved it!
So glad you loved it, Joe!
A pound of red beans take 1 hr 15 minutes to cook to the right texture. Pintos an hour and 10 minutes. Both take 8 cups of water.
Where do I find the nutritional breakdown? If you don’t provide it, I am OK. just let me know. Thanks
Easy and very good, combine it with some basmati rice on the side, excellent.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I am from Central America with both Hispanic and Caribbean influences but that more of the Caribbean. So cooking beans is an almost everyday thing for us. We barely use can beans for it can never compare to the real taste of cooked stove top beans. If you want the flavor of the beans never drain it. The juice from the beans is actually the tastiest part of the beans, so if using can beans do not drain and rinse beans because the real flavor lies in that juice. Dried beans when cooked on stove top cooks for about 2hrs with constant stirring. From that same stwed beans we also make our own refried beans and no part of it is never thrown out. Our family eats stove top cooked beans at least 2 to 3 times a week.
I’m making this now with canned beans. I keep getting a burn notice on my instant pot, so I’m going to try adding another 1/4 cup of water. Any tips or suggestions? If all else fails, I’ll just let it simmer on the stove 🙂
I actually ended up putting it in a pot on the stove. I gave it a good stir before adding another 1/4 cup of water and it was burnt to the bottom of the instant pot. I didn’t want to ruin lunch, so I put it in a pot and it’s simmering on the stove.
The only way I can keep chili from burning on the bottom in the instant pot is by using a basket. Everything solid goes in the basket. The liquid of course sinks to the bottom. My basket came with my pot. It’s almost the same size as the inner pot. It has legs on the bottom which raises it just a little so nothing burns. It’s kind of tricky to get the solids out of the basket since it has little holes all over. I take the basket out and sit it in a pan or pot and ladle it all together in the inner instant pot to stay warm. It’s easy and does not burn on the bottom.
Sorry that happened! In the future, you can start with another 1/4 cup water in the Instant Pot, and the chili should still come out well (with no burn notice!).
Accidentally used a cup of water with canned beans, but still got the burn notice. Happened last time I cooked chili in the IP too. My last solution was setting it to slow cook for 5 hours instead. Turned out great. But this time it’s 8:30pm. Hmmm…
This was easy and super tasty. I did not have any dried chilis but it was still very flavourful and delicious. My kidney beans didn’t fully cook (compared to the pintos) so I put it on for another 10 min and it was good. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love chili and all of its varieties, it seems like there are many more chili varieties than anything else, it’s nice to try different tweaks in my continued quest in making the best possible chili!
I made this tonight for myself and it was delicious. I didn’t find it very spicy even with the jalapeño and dried chili. I thought it might be so I didn’t top it with sliced jalapeños but I will with my leftovers tomorrow. Chili is one of my favorite dishes to eat and I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t cook with chili, a personal preference. Can I still make this recipe?
Hi Susan, you could use more of the cumin and coriander if you wanted to leave the chili powder and chili pepper out. It might not taste like chili, but more of a tomato stew.
Do you have to soak or prepare the bean if you are using dry?
Hi Diana, no, I don’t soak my pinto beans. In my experience, my soaked pinto beans fell apart too much in the Instant Pot.