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!
Table of Contents
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.
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, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide, or Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
Instant Pot Chili with Dried Beans – Ingredients
- 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)
- Soak Beans
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute beef
- Saute vegetables
- Add spices, broth
- Pressure cook
- Do a natural release of pressure
- Stir in masa harina
- Serve with your choice of toppings
Soak Beans
- Soak dried beans for 4 to 8 hours or use my preferred method: Instant Pot Quick Soak Beans.
Turn on ‘Saute’ Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Beef
- 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
- Add onions to beef and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in bell peppers.
- Stir in garlic.
Add Spices, Broth
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
* 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
- 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!)
Homemade Instant Pot Chili (with dried beans)
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
- 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
Equipment
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 Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ mode for 5 minutes.
- Do a Natural Pressure Release (NPR), about 12 minutes.
- 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. **
- 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.
- * 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
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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Michael
My kitchen smells incredible!!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Awesome! Thanks for rating the recipe 🙂
Kim
This was good chili. I lean toward more tomato based chili that is not so thick, but I enjoyed this one. I would describe it as a homemade version of canned chili. Thick, hearty and light on the tomato taste. It was very helpful to have the instructions for dried beans.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kim. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe albeit with less tomato than you like. I would add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to the top (and not stir in) before pressure cooking, for a more tomato flavor.
Lesley Maple
This was very tasty. I found your blog when I was looking for an Instant Pot recipe (though I use an off brand multi-cooker) for chili since I’d forgotten that I promised my husband chili and I had NOTHING for it. I had dried beans but hadn’t soaked them.
The recipe was great and the spice level was right where I liked it. I’ve bookmarked your blog for further perusal.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so happy to hear you stumbled upon my blog, Lesley! I love the quick-soak option because I’m usually like you, don’t remember to plan ahead 🙂 Give my red beans and rice recipe a try – it’s so good!
Wendy
Made this today with ground turkey and no masa harina and it was great. Can you say how many servings it makes? You give calories for 1 serving but if I don’t know how much 1 serving is it doesn’t help me much.
Lesley
Wendy,
The recipe says it makes 8 servings.
Jade
what if I don’t have corn flour (masa harina)? I want to make it today.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jade, sorry if this is too late. You have a few options. You can take half cup of the cooked beans and mash them up and add them in to thicken the chili, or cook on saute mode to reduce, or add a cornstarch slurry.
Shawn Quinn
You can also crush tortilla shells in the blender since they are basically all masa harina….
John Dannunzio
Probably the best chili I’ve ever made and I am 59. Placed some corn chips on bottom of bowl, added chili, cheddar cheese, lettuce and topped with some sour cream. Awesome.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh wow! Thank you, John – that’s really kind of you to say. I’m really happy you liked it. It’s kind of a coincidence, but I just finished making this tonight 🙂
Preston Plew
This is my go to recipe when I make chili. I have it bookmarked. Love using dry beans. So much cheaper!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for the comment, Preston. I’m glad to hear you liked it!
Joy
Best chili ever! Loved using dried beans. Will definitely be making this again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Joy, so easy to use dried beans right? I’m very glad to hear you liked the recipe. Thanks for your comment!
Liz Patee
Absolutely 5-star amazing!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay, thanks Liz!
Jacquelyn Hackett
This recipe is a solid 5 Stars! I took it to a potluck tonight and the chili lovers said it was the best. The proof was in no left overs!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for your comment and rating, Jacquelyn – that was a great way to start the year 🙂
Matthew Beauchamp
Made a double batch of this in my 8 qt Instant Pot, had to omit about 2 cups of broth due to it being real close to the max fill line, but it still came out great.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for sharing, Matthew! Glad to hear the doubling worked with less liquid.
Louise
I haven’t made it yet so can’t rate but wondered why your notes say to use American Chili Powder but your ingredient list says Mexican Chili Powder. I went to the store to get my ingredients today and purchased Mexican Chili Powder. Should I use less?
Paint the Kitchen Red
What I really mean to say is Mexican chili powder. So you should be all set. Thanks for letting me know – I will get that corrected!
Kim
Thanks for making sure this gets corrected – I was confused too! Looking forward to trying they recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kim, it’s been corrected – thanks!
Sheena
I’ve tried many instant pot chili recipes, and this was my favorite so far. I didn’t have masa harina so I used corn meal, it gives the chili such a great texture! And I love that it uses dried beans instead of canned. It drives me nuts that so many of the IP chili recipes use canned beans, it negates one of the huge benefits of using an instant pot!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks so much, Sheena. I do love the secret ingedient of masa/corn meal. I used to crumble corn tortillas, and that works well too.
Amber
This is my go to for instapot chili. It’s simple, easy, quick and the fact it uses dry beans instead of canned is a plus for me! This is second time I have made this recipe and my hubs and I love it. Kids are not biggest fans of chili but they get over ruled for it, lol. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Amber. I do love this chili too – haven’t yet made it this fall, need to get on that 🙂
Pat
Loved this chili! It will be my new go to recipe when a pot of chili is calling. Nice rich flavour and more economical using the dried beans instead of canned. I added corn to it just cause I like corn in my chili.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you so much, Pat. I’m happy you liked the recipe!
Al
I made a pot of your beans and it’s the best!
Becky
This was delicious! I didn’t have any masa harina and neither did my local grocer, so we topped each serving with crumble tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sor cream. Next time I go to Kroger, I’ll get some masa harina.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Becky, you could also use corn meal, finely chopped corn tortillas too. Thank you for the comment and rating – much appreciated!
Amber Hutchingsq
Absolutely delicious. I did not have masa harina and didn’t have time to run buy some so I used what I had on hand–arrowroot powder and a little coconut flour. Strange, I know, but I didn’t want it to taste like a gravy (adding regular all purpose flour) and I didn’t have corn flour. It was still so yummy! I like that substituting still produced a delicious turn-out. Hopefully that helps someone else needing to substitute with odds and ends they have on hand.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Amber, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. I love this chili so much too!
Terence Tchen
The chili was fine, but was not something that the family raved about. There is another Instant Pot chili recipe out there that I made before this one, and the family raved about that chili. As a result, a 4 star rating.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Terence, fair enough – you gotta keep the fam happy always 🙂 Thanks for the feedback – much appreciated.
Janet
This chili was so good that my family ate the whole batch the first night and insisted that I make it again the next night. I used the quick method for preparing the beans. What a time saver!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe – it means a lot to me 🙂