Instant Pot Beef and Bean Chili

Instant Pot Beef & Bean Chili is one of our favorite meals. Ground beef, beans, onions, and spices are blended perfectly in this easy recipe for restaurant-quality chili that tastes like it was cooked all day. Serve it topped with shredded cheddar and chopped onions for a weeknight dinner.

Last Mother's Day, my kids gave me an Instant Pot Duo. I decided to make a pot of chili for my first pressure-cooker meal. I had to watch a how-to video on how to use the pot. There are a lot of buttons on an Instant Pot, such as venting, sealing, and keep warm. It was confusing for about 5 minutes. It's very easy to use.

Much to my surprise, my Instant Pot Beef and Bean Chili cooked in an hour, and it was fabulous!

What's an Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker that cooks with high pressure speeding up the cooking times of soups, stews, roasts, and even eggs. It even has a slow cooker setting.

What You Need to Make Chili in An Instant Pot

• Ground beef, look for grass-fed, 90/10 or 85/15 grass-fed beef
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Tomato Paste (canned without preservatives)
• Diced Tomatoes
• Kidney Beans (canned without preservatives)
• Homemade Bone Broth or water
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

I use homemade bone broth in this chili recipe because It gives the chili a deeper flavor. Plain filtered water works too!

Organic Beans in a Can

If you are buying beans in a can, try Whole Foods Market 365. Iberia organic beans and Goya organic beans do not contain citric acid and calcium chloride, which are preservatives.

There is also tomato paste and diced tomatoes in this recipe. Canned and jarred tomato-based products are also commonly preserved with citric acid so look for a brand, such as Cento, which only contains tomatoes.

What Kind of Beans Should I Use For Chili?

You can use a combination of dark or light kidney beans, black beans, white beans, or pinto beans.

How to Cook Dry Kidney Beans Fast

Try this method to speed up the process of soaking the beans. Rinse a half pound of uncooked kidney beans under cold running water to remove whatever dust they've collected. Discard the wrinkled and shriveled beans. I(f you find any stones in there, you can toss them too.

In a large saucepan, cover beans with water until it reaches about 3 inches above the beans and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer (right below the boiling point) and cook for approximately one hour, or until beans are tender, stirring every 15 minutes.

You can add a teaspoon of salt to the beans when they are almost tender, about the 45-minute mark. If you do not use salt in your cooking, you can leave it out.

How to Cook Chili in an Instant Pot

1. Open Instant Pot and add oil. Press SAUTÉ and adjust to Normal/Medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste.
2. Add ground beef, a little salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. 
3. Add beans, water or broth, tomatoes, and spices; stir to combine. Press CANCEL. Make sure sealing ring is in place. Lock the lid into place. Set pressure release valve to SEALING.
4. Set to PRESSURE COOK and adjust to high pressure for 15 minutes. Make sure the valve is in the SEALING position, and the KEEP WARM button is off.
5. When the bell rings and the cooking time is up, move the valve to the OPEN position allowing steam to escape, 2-3 minutes. Unlock the lid and press SAUTÉ on NORMAL/MEDIUM HEAT, and simmer chili, stirring occasionally, with the lid open, until the chili reduces a bit and thickens up, about 5-6 minutes. Press CANCEL.
6. The pot is very hot so remove when cool enough to handle. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Ladle into serving bowls. Serve hot with chopped raw onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar, parsley, and a side of hot sauce. Enjoy!
8. Portion into bowls or soup crocks and add your favorite toppings.

This recipe makes 2 quarts (8 cups) of chili.

Optional Chili Toppings

Top your chili with any or all of these toppings:

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• White or red diced onions
• Scallions
• Jalapenos
• Sour Cream
• Chopped parsley or cilantro
• Hot sauce, such as Cholula (our favorite)

How to Store Leftovers

The chili will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can freeze the chili in an airtight container or one-cup portion size containers for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stove in a small pan over medium heat for ten minutes.

Try These Florida Keys Favorites:

• Shrimp Cocktail
• Pico de Gallo with Faux Corn Chips
• Sauteed Skirt Steak
• My Mom's Spanish Rice