Easy Instant Pot Chili Recipe

It’s chili season! This easy Instant Pot chili recipe is our family’s favorite dinner when the weather gets cool.

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Easy Chili with a Chocolate Ingredient

This Instant Pot chili recipe is a little different from the usual recipes you may have seen.

Adding chocolate chips to this chili recipe gives it a silky flavor you can’t get from chocolate bars or cocoa. The stabilizers in the chips allow the chocolate to coat the beef in a luscious way.

We don’t drain the fat from the ground beef. We use Niman Ranch 80% lean ground beef, so there’s only minimal fat in it.

Plus, the fat activates the dried spices and brings out more of their flavor. So, don’t drain your meat!

Here’s a list of the ingredients in this easy chili recipe:

• 80% lean ground beef
• kidney or pinto beans
• ground cumin
• ground chili powder
• jarred salsa
• chocolate chips
• salt and pepper

Can I substitute any of the chili ingredients?

You can absolutely substitute or change most of these ingredients.

We alternate our jarred salsa between the mild flavor and medium flavor. You can easily substitute milk chocolate chips for dark chocolate. And feel free to use the beans your family enjoys!

Can I make this a different way?

This chili recipe can easily be made on the stovetop. Use a heavy cast iron pot to make sure it’s able to maintain perfect heat for simmering.

Place the pot on medium heat to brown the meat, stir in the seasonings, add the salsa, then place on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

How To Make Instant Pot Chili The Easy Way

Set your Instant Pot to sautee. Once it’s ready, brown your beef in the Instant Pot.

Add your chili powder to the ground beef. Do not drain the fat. The spices will attach to the fat, and enhance the flavor.

Add in ground cumin, salt and pepper. Stir into the ground meat.

Add in your beans. We love to use pinto beans, but you can use any bean your family enjoys. Top with the full jar of salsa. Gently stir everything together (you don’t want to break up the beans).

Turn your Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Put on the top, turn to sealing, and let it cook!

Once it naturally releases, add in your chocolate chips. Stir and serve. It’s that simple, friend.

Want the full Instant Pot Chili recipe, including all of the measurements? Check it out below.

Easy Instant Pot Chili

8 servings

1. 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
2. 4 tablespoons chili powder
3. 3 tablespoons ground cumin
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6. (optional) 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
7. 24 ounces mild or medium jarred salsa
8. 1 cup pinto, kidney or black beans
9. 1 teaspoon milk chocolate chips

Instructions

• Turn Instant Pot to sautee mode.
• Once it’s ready, add your ground beef, and cook until it’s completely brown. Do not drain the fat.
• Add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne (optional) to ground beef. Stir together.
• Add beans to ground beef mixture. Gently stir together.
• Mix in jarred salsa.
• Set Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Allow Instant Pot to naturally release.
• Once the pressure is naturally released, remove top, add chocolate and stir together.
• Serve chili with chips, shredded cheese, rice or any of your favorite chili toppings.