Instant Pot Beef Chili in 30 Minutes

This is the best (and easiest) Instant Pot Beef Chili ever. It’s packed with flavor and so easy to make… plus it’s a great way to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes. It’s healthy comfort food at it’s best!

Why Make This Beef Chili

This Instant Pot Beef Chili takes me back to my childhood. Seriously, growing up in Hawaii there was a local restaurant chain that served great plate lunches and the best chili – which was served on top of bowl of white rice. This is Hawaiian style. We serve EVERYTHING over white rice.

But since moving to California nearly 20 years ago, I’ve missed my Zippy’s chili. It was so comforting to eat on cold days – and heck, even in warm weather. Garnished with some freshly chopped onions and cheese… yep, I’m drooling now.

As much as I loved that chili, I don’t love all the ingredients in it. I don’t know where the beef is from. I have no idea where the spices or vegetables are sourced. And frankly, I’m always up for the challenge to make a real-food version of my favorite childhood recipes.

So What Makes This Best Instant Pot Beef Chili?

It took some testing, but I came up with a delicious, comforting – and dare I say – best Instant Pot Beef Chili recipe ever. My secret umami ingredient is gluten-free tamari (soy sauce) that gives it that special flavor that’s so yummy. My other secret ingredient is cinnamon (or even pumpkin pie spice). It gives the tomatoes a slightly sweet flavor without any added sugar.

We like to serve this Hawaiian style with white rice, but you can also serve it up with cauliflower rice or even spaghetti squash for low-carb options.

How to Make This Beef Chili – Step By Step

This Instant Pot Beef Chili recipe is so easy to make. First, brown the meat with the saute function, and then add the chopped onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and spices. I have two secret ingredients with this recipe.

It’s all done in 30 mins, no fuss and little clean up!

Instant Pot Option

1. Set Instant Pot to saute mode. Add olive/avocado oil, onion, garlic, and beef. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add Coconut Aminos or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano and salt. Cook until beef is browned (doesn’t need to be fully cooked).
3. Add tomatoes and juice from can to a blender and pulse until it become tomato sauce. Add to Instant Pot with beef mixture.
4. Close lid and set to Manual high pressure / pressure cooking for 20 minutes. It will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach high pressure, then it will cook for 20 minutes.
5. When timer goes off, let sit for 1-2 minutes. Then set to Quick Release to vent steam. Remove lid and add beans.
6. Serve with white rice, Cauliflower Rice, or cooked pasta noodles, and garnish with cheese, onion and sour cream.

Stovetop Option

1. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the olive/avocado oil, onion, and garlic for 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, Coconut Aminos or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano and salt. Cook until beef is browned (doesn’t need to be fully cooked).
3. Add tomatoes and juice from can to a blender while the beef is cooking, and pulse until it become tomato sauce. Add to the pot.
4. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Drain the beans and add to the pot. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve with white rice, Cauliflower Rice, or cooked pasta noodles, and garnish with cheese, onion and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Option

1. In a slow cooker, add olive/avocado oil, onion, garlic, ground beef, Coconut Aminos or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, salt. 
2. Add tomatoes and juice from can to a blender, and pulse until it become tomato sauce. Add to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours.
4. Drain the beans and add to the slow cooker. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve with white rice, Cauliflower Rice, or cooked pasta noodles, and garnish with cheese, onion and sour cream.

Can I use frozen ground beef?

You can use frozen ground beef in this recipe. Just set the Instant Pot cook time to 30 minutes instead of 20. For the stovetop, cook for an extra 5-10 minutes. For the slow cooker, it should be fine with the current time. For all methods, you will need to break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon or spatula a bit before you add the beans.

Can you make beef chili ahead of time and freeze it?

Yes. This Instant Pot beef chili is the perfect dish to make ahead and freeze, or even make an extra batch (double the recipe) to freeze leftover chili. Be sure the beef chili is completely cooled down, and then freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.  The freezer time shown is for best quality only – cooked chili that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe for at least 5 months.

Note: Do not freeze toppings like tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, and avocados along with the chili. Serve it up fresh when you reheat the chili.

How can I make this beef chili thicker or thinner?

This beef chili will thicken up as you add toppings like cheese, sour cream, and avocado chunks. You could also add 1/2 to a full can of drained beans as well. If it’s too thick, add 1/4 cup of bone broth or chicken stock.

What is best to serve with this Instant Pot chili?

When the beef chili is done and beans are mixed in, add your favorite fixings like a side of rice (Hawaiian style), cornbread, tortilla chips, green onions, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese.

Top Tips for This Instant Pot Chili

• You can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef.
• When you saute the ground beef, you just need it to brown, don’t worry about cooking it through.
• For the canned tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor, and you can blend the tomatoes for a sauce instead depending on how you like the texture of your chili.
• Wait to add the beans after the chili is done so they don’t get too soggy… or you can opt to omit completely. I like to use a mix of black beans and pinto beans.

More Healthy Comfort Food Recipes You Might Like

• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Three Bean Chili
• Instant Pot Taco Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Tacos
• Instant Pot Refried Beans

Did you try this Instant Pot Beef Chili? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how you like the recipe. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

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