Description
This Instant Pot Award Winning Chili Recipe is a hearty and flavorful dish combining ground beef, crispy bacon, three types of beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and a blend of spices. Prepared quickly in an Instant Pot, it offers a perfect balance of smoky, spicy, and savory flavors, topped with fresh garnishes like sour cream, cilantro, cheese, and lime for an authentic chili experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Bacon
- 1 ½ Pounds Ground Beef
- 6 Strips Bacon, good quality, chopped
Beans and Tomatoes
- 1 Can Kidney Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Pinto Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Black Beans, 15 ounces, drained
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, 15 ounces, with juice
- 1 Can Tomato Paste, 6 ounce
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 Red Onion, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 Jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 Cups Beef Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
For Garnish
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
- Cheese, shredded
- Lime, fresh (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring often, until the bacon is crisp and evenly cooked. Once done, remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
- Sauté the vegetables: In the same pot with the bacon fat, add the chopped red onion and red bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Brown the ground beef: Add the ground beef to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Cook until the meat is browned all over. Drain off any excess grease by tilting the pot and using a large spoon to remove it carefully.
- Add beans, tomatoes, and seasonings: Incorporate the drained kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, minced jalapeño (if using), beef stock, dried oregano, ground cumin, kosher salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic into the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly. Add 3/4 of the cooked bacon to the mixture and stir again.
- Pressure cook the chili: Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and set it to the ‘chili’ setting. If your model does not have a chili setting, use the manual pressure cook setting for 18-20 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes, or perform a quick release using the vent.
- Serve and garnish: Open the lid carefully. Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish each serving with the reserved bacon, sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges if desired. Enjoy your flavorful, hearty chili!
Notes
- Cooking times may vary; if the flavor is not fully developed or the beans are not tender enough, feel free to pressure cook the chili for a few more minutes.
- To freeze, cool chili completely, then store in a large Ziploc bag or FoodSaver bag with air removed, lay flat, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Stovetop alternative: Follow the recipe up to adding all ingredients, then simmer on low heat for 3 hours.
- Slow cooker alternative: Cook bacon and vegetables separately as described, brown the meat, then combine everything (reserving some bacon for garnish) and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
