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    Home » Instant Pot

    Homemade Instant Pot Chili (using Dried Beans)

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.    

    Published: Sep 19, 2017 | Updated: Jul 30, 2021 | Author: Paint the Kitchen Red | 193 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    Instant Pot Chili Pinterest pin with image of chili with shredded cheddar surrounding sour cream, topped with green onions. On a green cloth with pieces of corn bread. From Paint the Kitchen Red

    Homemade Instant Pot Chili, made using ground beef and dried unsoaked beans, is the perfect comfort food for a fall or wintry evening.  It’s also a great dish to feed a crowd, or for game day.  The addition of Masa Harina (cornmeal) in this chili recipe thickens the chili and gives it a corn flavor.  Add your choice of toppings to take this homemade Instant Pot chili recipe over the top!

    Instant Pot Chili in white bowl on green cloth with cornbread; topped with cheese, sour cream and green onions - Paint the Kitchen Red

    Table of Contents


    1. INTRODUCTION
    2. TIPS
    3. INGREDIENTS
    4. STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
    5. RECIPE CARD – PRINTABLE
    6. RELATED RECIPES AND GUIDES

    Introduction

    Did you know that October is National Chili Month? It’s not yet October, but the leaves are changing color, the weather’s turning cooler and I’m starting to make soups, stews, and other comfort foods.  I love the advent of fall and I thought it would be appropriate to post an Instant Pot Chili recipe to observe this occasion!

    Chili is derived from Chili con Carne (translated as ‘chili with meat’ in Spanish), which originated in Texas. During the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, the San Antonio Chili Stand helped popularize Texas chili to other parts of the United States. What’s Cooking America has a fascinating article about the origins of chili, in case you’d like to find out more!

    Chili purists might say that chili should not include beans and/or tomatoes. Well, my recipe for Instant Pot Chili has both beans and tomatoes. Because I happen to like both in my chili.  

    You might be tempted to use canned beans because they’re convenient: no pre-soaking, no long cook times, just open the can and pour.  But the Instant Pot allows you to use dried beans without the inconveniences.

    The hands-on time for this Instant Pot Chili with dried beans recipe is about 10 minutes.  For the rest of the time, the Instant Pot is doing the cooking while you get other important things done!

    TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS


    Beans

    This recipe uses dried beans instead of canned beans. Dried beans are much more economical and don’t have added salt and preservatives.

    The dried beans should be pre-soaked, but I’m going to show you a shortcut.  I sometimes (always!) forget to soak my beans, so here’s a tip for you that works like a charm with any recipe that uses pre-soaked dried beans.  Do a quick Instant Pot pre-soak while you’re cutting up the vegetables and preparing your ingredients.


    Masa Harina (Corn Flour)

    This recipe calls for masa harina (pronounced ‘maasa areena’) which is a finely ground Mexican corn flour used to make tortillas.  Added to the chili after pressure cooking, the masa harina will thicken the Instant Pot chili and give it a slight corn flavor.

    Please keep in mind that the recipe needs a certain amount of liquid to avoid sealing issues and the burn message. If you choose not to use the masa harina, the chili may be runny or thinner than you want.

    Masa Harina can be found in the Latin/Mexican section of your grocery store or at a Latin grocery store.  If you can’t find it, you can either substitute corn meal or take a few corn tortillas and powder them in a mini food processor.


    Chili Powder

    If you’ve never cooked homemade chili before, it’s important to note that the chili powder called for in this Instant Pot Chili recipe is Mexican chili powder commonly available in American grocery stores which is a mixture of different spices including cumin and garlic.

    Please don’t use cayenne pepper or ground chili pepper that you get from Asian, Indian, Mexican, and ethnic markets – you won’t be able to eat this chili; it’ll be too spicy!  So be sure to check the ingredient list.  I like to use McCormick chili powder.


    Toppings

    Ladle the cooked Instant Pot Chili into bowls and serve with your choice of the following toppings:

    • sour cream
    • shredded cheddar cheese
    • diced shallots or red onions or green onions
    • sliced jalapenos
    • hot sauce
    • cilantro
    • cornbread to crumble over the top
    • my personal favorite: Fritos corn chips!

    If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.

    • Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
    • Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual

    Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans – Ingredients

    Instant Pot Chili Ingredients - Bell peppers, tomatoes, pinto beans, onions, chili powder, garlic, beef broth, masa harina, oregano, cumin, cocoa powder, salt, papper, ground beef - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Bell peppers
    • Tomatoes
    • Pinto beans
    • Onions
    • Chili powder
    • Garlic
    • Beef broth
    • Masa harina
    • Oregano
    • Cumin
    • Cocoa powder
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Ground beef

    How to Make Chili using Dried Beans in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)

    1. Soak Beans
    2. Turn on Saute Mode
    3. Saute beef
    4. Saute vegetables
    5. Add spices, broth
    6. Pressure cook
    7. Do a natural release of pressure
    8. Stir in masa harina
    9. Serve with your choice of toppings

    Soak Beans

    Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans Instructions collage - dried beans, quick soaked in Instant Pot - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Soak dried beans for 4 to 8 hours or use my preferred method: Instant Pot Quick Soak Beans.

    How to Turn on Saute Mode

    Instant Pot Ultra Duo Saute Function collage - arrows pointing to Saute in Duo and Ultra - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Instant Pot DUO:  Select the Saute function.
    • Instant Pot ULTRA:  Select the Saute function and press Start.

    Saute Beef

    Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans Instructions collage - oil, beef, cooked beef - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Once Instant Pot is hot, add vegetable oil to the inner pot.
    • Add ground beef to the inner pot.
    • Stir with a wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces and saute until meat is browned, about 3 minutes.

    Saute Vegetables

    Instant Pot Chili Instructions collage - onions, bell peppers, garlic - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Add onions to beef and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
    • Stir in bell peppers.
    • Stir in garlic.

    Add Spices, Broth

    Instant Pot Jambalaya Instructions collage - deglaze, add spices and broth - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Add chili powder, oregano, cumin powder, cocoa powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
    • Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    • Add beef broth, tomatoes and pre-soaked dried beans (whether using quick Instant Pot pre-soak or countertop pre-soak).

    Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 20 minutes

    Instant Pot Duo Manual mode 20 minutes collage - close lid, press manual, press + -, display says 20 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
    • Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘20′ (20 minutes).

    Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 20 minutes

    Instant Pot Ultra pressure cook 20 minutes collage - close Instant Pot Ultra, set time to 00:020 and select Pressure Cook, press start - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Close the lid.
    • Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 20 minutes (00:20).
    • Press Start.

    Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)

    Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooking collage - display shows On, float valve is down, display shows L0:00 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    Instant Pot Ultra pressure cooking collage - Ultra display shows On, float valve is up, display shows 00 00 - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Instant Pot display will change to On.
    • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
    • The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00  or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.

    How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA

    Instant Pot Duo natural release cancel and open collage - float valve is down, arrow pointing to Cancel, lid is open - Paint the Kitchen Red
    Instant Pot Ultra Natural Release Cancel and Open collage - arrow pointing to float valve down, press cancel button, lid is open and Instant Pot Ultra display shows Off - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
    • Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.

    * After 15 minutes, if you wish to, you can release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure release to the venting position.

    Stir in Masa Harina and Add Toppings

    Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans Instructions collage - chili cooked, masa harina added, stirred - Paint the Kitchen Red
    • Select Saute mode.
    • Stir in masa harina.
    • Cook until chili is thickened, about 5  minutes.
    • Press Cancel.
    • Allow the Instant Pot chili to rest for 5 more minutes before serving; it will thicken some more.
    • Ladle chili into serving bowls and serve with your choice of toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onions, shallots or green onions, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, diced avocado, or Fritos chips (not the healthiest, but my favorite!)
    Instant Pot Chili in white bowl on green cloth with cornbread; topped with cheese, sour cream and green onions - Paint the Kitchen Red

    Homemade Instant Pot Chili (with dried beans)

    This Instant Pot Chili, made using ground beef and dried beans, is the perfect comfort food for a fall or wintry evening.  It’s also a great dish to feed a crowd, or for game day.
    4.82 from 80 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 279
    Author: Paint the Kitchen Red
    Prevent Screen from Going Dark

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    • Medium Bowl
    • Wooden Spatula

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 1/2 cups  dried pinto beans
    • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
    • 2 cups onion chopped
    • 1 cup bell pepper chopped
    • 2 Tbsp garlic minced
    • 3 Tbsp Mexican chili powder
    • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
    • 2 tsp cumin powder
    • 2 tsp cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp salt or to taste
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
    • 4 cups beef broth
    • 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
    • 1/4 cup masa harina e.g. Bob’s Red Mill brand
    • Your choice of toppings: sour cream shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onions, shallots or green onions, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, diced avocado, or Fritos chips

    Instructions
     

    To pre-soak pinto beans in the traditional way in a bowl:

    • Rinse pinto beans and drain.
    • Place beans in a medium bowl and add enough water to be 1 inch above the level of the beans.
    • Let bowl sit on countertop for 4 to 8 hours.
    • Drain and set aside.

    To do a quick pre-soak of pinto beans in Instant Pot:

    • Rinse pinto beans and drain.
    • Add pinto beans to inner pot of Instant Pot and pour in enough water to be 1 inch above the level of the beans.
    • Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
    • Do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR), about 12 minutes. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
    • Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot; drain the beans and set aside.

    Instant Pot Chili Instructions:

    • Select Saute mode.
    • Once the Instant Pot is hot, add oil to inner pot.
    • Add ground beef to inner pot.
    • Stir with a wooden spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces and saute until meat is browned, about 3 minutes.
    • Stir in onions and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
    • Stir in bell peppers and garlic.
    • Add chili powder, dried oregano, cumin powder, cocoa powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    • Stir in beef broth, tomatoes and pre-soaked pinto beans (use either countertop or Instant Pot quick pre-soak method from above).
    • Close Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
    • Do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR), about 15 to 18 minutes. ** [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
    • Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
    • Select Saute mode
    • Stir in masa harina.
    • Cook until chili has thickened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
    • Press ‘Cancel’.
    • Allow the Instant Pot Chili to rest for 5 more minutes before serving, it will thicken some more.
    • Ladle chili into serving bowls and serve with your choice of toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onions, shallots or green onions, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, diced avocado, or Fritos chips (my favorite!)

    Notes

    • Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
    • If you choose not to thicken the chili with masa harina, your chili will be soupy.  Please keep that in mind before you omit the ingredient.
    • * The chili powder called for in this dish is Mexican chili powder which is a mixture of spices including cayenne and garlic.  Don’t use ground chili pepper!
    • ** After 15 minutes, if you wish to, you can release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting position.
    • See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.  You don’t want to miss any!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 279 kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 53 mg | Sodium: 630 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine American
    Main Ingredient beans, beef
    Have you made this recipe? I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed or #PaintTheKitchenRed!

    Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!

    I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

    If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. overmedium

      February 12, 2023 at 10:48 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this is an incredible recipe! I am new to Instapot, and this is my third or fourth dish I made. What great flavors and consistency, really is impressive. I did your 5 minute ‘bean soak’ and that worked out great – beans cooked perfectly. The only changes I made to the recipe was that I used a plant based hamburger, and I used 3 different beans instead of one type. Thank you for this winner!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        February 12, 2023 at 11:11 pm

        Hi there, thank you so much for your feedback – I’m glad that you liked the recipe!

        Reply
    2. David

      January 04, 2023 at 6:12 pm

      20 minute pressure cooking is not very long. My beans came out crunchy.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 04, 2023 at 9:48 pm

        David, did you soak them beforehand? If not, you need extra time. Or sometimes older beans end up not cooking properly no matter how long.

        Reply
    3. James

      December 23, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      5 stars
      I didn’t have a green pepper so just used a bit more onion. I didn’t have beef broth so substituted water. I didn’t have ground beef so threw in a bit of ground pork sausage, only a quarter pound or so. Since I didn’t have as much meat, I added a couple of teaspoons of canola oil to the sauteing process. And with all those changes it still came out great. This recipe is bulletproof.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        December 27, 2022 at 9:49 am

        Thank you, James! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    4. Narnz

      June 19, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is a wonderful recipe. I made alterations because I found our garden whole tomatoes and jalapeños in our freezer. I pretty much followed your recipe and hubby loved it. Thank you for sharing 🥰

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        June 21, 2022 at 5:30 pm

        I’m glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    5. Wendy

      May 30, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      This is the best Chile. I use soaked black and pinto beans and fire roasted tomatoes. Anaheim chili and a Serrano. Because we love spice. Shared with some friends.

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        May 31, 2022 at 3:34 pm

        Thanks so much, Wendy! I’m glad you liked the recipe.

        Reply
    6. Jenni

      February 19, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Am starting to learn how to use dried beans with success as well as the Instant Pot and this recipe was superb! I did the Instant Pot bean “soak” and it worked great.
      Did a lot of changes to the recipe because I had leftovers to use up but used the spice ingredients (except the chocolate….sure wish I had that but …didn’t). and sauce ingredients as written. I added 1cup large chopped celery (put in with the beef)) and added 4 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo and cut the cayenne in half.. After it cooked, I added 2 charred red bell peppers as the masa harina was added.

      I thought all the Chipotle would make it too hot but it was perfect!

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        February 20, 2022 at 6:19 pm

        Thanks for sharing your modifications, Jenni. I’m so happy you liked the recipe.

        Reply
    7. Carol

      January 22, 2022 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      Great flavor, just the right amount of spice and easy to make. I used pink beans because that’s what I had and combined all the spices before putting them in. Delicious

      Reply
      • Paint the Kitchen Red

        January 22, 2022 at 5:12 pm

        Thanks, Carol! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to make it with what you had on hand.

        Reply
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