Not gonna lie, once the cooler weather hits our friends ask to come over to watch the Bengals came and demand I make this Instant Pot Chili Recipe. I am going to give you fair warning: It’s packed full of flavor!

We eat a low carb/keto lifestyle for the most part. I quit counting marcos a few years ago as I know what my body can and can’t handle. If you are on a keto or low carb way of eating, this chili recipe is definitely approved!
What is the chili setting on the instant pot?
The “Bean/Chili” button on the Instant Pot is a default button. It sets a high pressure cook for 30 minutes. You can select the “more” feature for a high pressure cook on 40 minutes or the “less” for high pressure and a cook time of 25 minutes.
How do you make instant pot chili without burning?
The trick to cooking with an Instant Pot is to make sure there is enough liquid in the inner pot to whatever recipe you are making. A good tip that I use if I am making a recipe that doesn’t have much liquid, I’ll add a cup of water, chicken or beef broth, etc. to ensure that the burn feature doesn’t show up and stop the cooking process.
How long does it take to cook chili in an instant pot?
Once you have browned the beef, onions and place the remaining ingredients in the inner pot I set the Instant Pot to 12 minutes. Keep in mind it will take about 20 minutes total as the Instant Pot needs to come to pressure.

What ingredients do I need to make Instant Pot Chili?
- Ground beef – you can also use ground turkey, mild sausage or chorizo to up the flavor
- onion
- rotel tomatoes
- crushed tomatoes – if you have diced tomatoes on hand you can use them instead of the crushed
- cumin
- chili powder
- curry – if you’ve never had curry powder in your chili, it’s a game changer
- beef broth
- salt and pepper
How do you make Instant Pot Chili?

Start by turning your Instant Pot onto saute. This allows the Instant Pot to create heat so that you can brown the hamburger and cook the onions.

Everyone ALWAYS ask me how I get the hamburger broken down so well. The trick is the Mix N Chop. I use to be a Pampered Chef consultant and this is one the tools that I swear by. It’s not only great for breaking down meats, but, it’ll mash just about anything!

Once the hamburger is browned and cooked through, add in your remaining ingredients.

Secure your Instant Pot lid and make sure that the valve is set on SEALING. This is how the Instant Pot builds the pressure and allows the chili to cook.
Set the Instant Pot to Chili Button and make sure the time is set to 12 minutes.
Once the chili has cooked allow the Instant Pot to do its natural release. Once there’s no more steam, you can now set your valve to Venting and do a Quick Pressure Release to remove any more pressure. Remove the lid, stir and serve.

How do you thicken chili in an Instant Pot?
If you prefer a thicker chili, you can add a 6 ounce can of tomato paste after the cooking process. Make sure that you stir the tomato paste around so that it breaks down and heats through.

How do you serve chili?
We are from Cincinnati, home of the 3 way! If you aren’t on a keto or low carb diet, you can totally serve this easy chili recipe over spaghetti noodles, top with cheese, onion and/or sour cream. The kids and Jay enjoy this recipe with spaghetti noodles, shredded cheddar cheese and saltine crackers.
Is chili better reheated the next day?
In my opinion, I love chili reheated the next day. It’s like all of the flavors marry together and you get a better tasting chili. To reheat my chili, I’ll put it in a microwave safe bowl and just reheat it for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until it’s heated through.

Can I make this Chili Recipe if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
Yasss! Simply brown your ground beef and onions in a large sauce pan or dutch oven. Once the meat has browned and cooked through and the onions are translucent dump the remaining ingredients in. Bring to a boil over medium low, cover and set on low until you are ready to eat! I recommend using the Instant Pot as it breaks the hamburger down and results in the beef being tender.

Instant Pot Chili Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 LB 90/10 ground hamburger
- 1 small onion diced
- 10 oz rotel tomatoes
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes or diced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 28 oz beef broth
- 6 oz tomato paste optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to Saute mode. Add in hamburger and onion, cooking through.
- Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, curry powder and beef broth to the Instant Pot.
- Without stirring, add the lid to the Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is set to the SEALING MODE.
- Turn the Instant Pot on by hitting the CHILI/BEAN BUTTON and adjusting the time to set to 12 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to cook and release naturally. Once there is no more steam you can set the valve to release.
- If the chili isn't as thick as you'd like, add in the tomato paste and stir to ensure the tomato paste breaks down and heats through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition

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