Why I never stir the tomatoes into my Instant Pot chili
When fall weather rolls around with all the football games and tailgating, I always think of one thing… chili. But, I don’t want to spend a ton of time slaving over a pot on the stove.
So, I got to work coming up with a faster and easier way to make it in the Instant Pot. And thanks to the pressure cooking process, you get ultra-tender beans, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and concentrated flavor you would expect from hours in a slow cooker.
But, in a fraction of the time.
The thing that makes this Instant Pot Beef Chili work is the order you build it. Fresh jalapeños go in with the onion so you set the heat, homemade chili seasoning does the flavor work, and the crushed tomatoes go on last and never get stirred.
A reader named Richard hit a burn notice four times in a row and told me about it. Another reader, Brandon, came back and posted what finally worked for him.
So this update gets a full cup of beef broth instead of a half, plus a whole section on what to do if your pot still throws a BURN.
Try this Instant Pot Turkey Chili, Pumpkin Chili, Sweet Potato Turkey Chili, or Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili if you want to change things up a bit!
For those of you getting burn notices, try it next time using the chili/bean button instead. That worked for me.
– Brandon
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: This is the traditional meat, but you can also substitute ground turkey, venison, or chicken. For a vegetarian pot, leave the beef out and add extra beans.
- Garlic: Finely minced garlic is essential for a punch of flavor.
- Onion: A small, sweet onion is used, but you can choose a yellow or white one if you prefer.
- Jalapeños: This is where you set the heat, so use more or fewer depending on your crowd. Swap in poblanos if you want it milder, or habaneros if you want it hotter.
- Red kidney beans: Just like most chili recipes, red kidney beans are used here. You can sub in black beans, and canned is easiest if you don’t want to cook your own.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste: Both are called for, and together they give the chili its body. Diced tomatoes work if that’s what you have, but it won’t be as thick.
- Beef broth: The Instant Pot needs the liquid to come to pressure, and beef broth adds flavor while it’s at it. Water or chicken broth both work.
- Homemade chili seasoning: This blend of cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, and cinnamon is so easy to make at home. A store-bought packet works too, but taste it and adjust before it goes in.
- Worcestershire sauce: Slightly salty and earthy, this sauce adds a unique depth of flavor. Check the label if you’re eating gluten-free, since not every brand is.
- Brown sugar: A hint of sweetness really balances out the savory flavors of the chili. Maple syrup or agave work instead, or you can leave it out.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Chili
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Brown the beef.
Pour the oil into a 6-quart Instant Pot, turn it to sauté, and let it heat up. Add the ground beef and cook until it’s browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. It’s ok if it isn’t cooked all the way through.
Sauté the veggies and stir in the seasoning.
Add the diced onion, jalapeños, and garlic to the browned meat and cook until the onion is tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Stir in the tomato paste, chili seasoning, cayenne, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
Scrape the bottom like you mean it
Every browned-on bit left stuck to the bottom is a burn notice waiting to happen. Once the broth goes in, drag a wooden spoon across the whole bottom of the pot until nothing catches.
My all-time FAVE spice jars!
I got these cute spice jars to organize all of my spices and dried herbs and now it’s SO easy to find exactly what I need!
Plus, they come with blank labels so you can add your own personalized ones for your homemade seasoning mixes.
Layer the tomatoes and beans on top.
Rinse and drain the kidney beans, then pour them and the crushed tomatoes over the meat mixture. Do not stir.
Do not stir, seriously
The crushed tomatoes have to sit on top where they aren’t touching the bottom of the pot. Stir them in now and they’ll scorch against the hot metal, and your Instant Pot will throw a BURN message before it ever comes to pressure.
Pressure cook, stir, and serve.
Lock the lid on and make sure the pressure release valve is sealed, then use the manual function to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally if you have time, or do a quick release if you don’t. Give the chili a stir and ladle it into bowls.
The Instant Pot I L❤️VE!
Not all pressure cookers are the same. The 6-quart Duo Plus is the one I reach for, since the sauté function does real work before the lid goes on and the controls are simple enough that you don’t need the manual.
Oops! What went wrong with my chili?
My chili came out watery. How do I thicken it?
Turn the pot back to sauté and let it bubble with the lid off for a few minutes, stirring so the bottom doesn’t catch. If it still needs help, I walk through every method in my post on how to thicken chili.
My chili is too thick and paste-y.
Stir in a splash of beef broth or water after it finishes cooking, a little at a time, until it loosens up. It thickens more as it cools, so leave it slightly looser than you actually want it.
It came out way too spicy.
A dollop of sour cream or a handful of shredded cheese cools down each bowl without changing the whole pot. Next time, use fewer jalapeños and skip the cayenne.
It isn’t spicy enough.
Leave some of the jalapeño seeds in, or stir a chopped chipotle in adobo into the pot before you seal the lid. A little more cayenne works too.
My beef stuck to the bottom while it was browning.
That’s normal, and it’s exactly what the broth is there to lift. Pour it in and scrape until the bottom is clean before anything else goes in.
FAQs
It can, and it usually comes down to two things: not enough liquid, and tomatoes touching the bottom of the pot. Use the full cup of beef broth, scrape every browned bit off the bottom after you pour it in, and layer the crushed tomatoes on top without stirring. If your pot still throws a BURN message, hit cancel, quick release, scrape the bottom again, and reseal.
Just use the manual or pressure cook function and set it to high pressure for 20 minutes. If you do have a Chili/Bean button, it’s worth a try: a reader who kept getting burn notices on the manual setting said the Chili/Bean button worked for him every time.
This one cooks on high pressure for 20 minutes. Add the time it takes the pot to come to pressure and however long you let it release, and you’re looking at about 50 minutes start to finish.
Keep leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Chili freezes really well. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 to 6 months, and know the beans come out a little softer once it thaws.
To reheat, warm it back up on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it thickened up in the fridge.
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Instant Pot Beef Chili Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15 or 90/10
- 2 tablespoons oil avocado or olive
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers seeds removed, diced
- ½ cup beef broth regular sodium
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons chili seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 1 can red kidney beans rinsed, drained
Instructions
- Brown the Meat: Add oil to a 6-quart Instant Pot along with the ground beef. Cook the beef for 5-6 minutes, or until browned. It doesn’t have to be all of the way cooked through.1 pound ground beef, 2 tablespoons oil
- Saute Veggies: Add the onion, jalapenos, and garlic cloves. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is tender.1 small sweet onion, 2-3 jalapeno peppers, 3 cloves garlic
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the broth, tomato paste, chili seasoning, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, and peppers. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits or pieces that might be stuck. Add in the crushed tomatoes and beans. Do not mix. You want the tomatoes to stay on the top of the pot.½ cup beef broth, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 tablespoons chili seasoning, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 1 can red kidney beans
- Cover and Pressure Cook: Close the pot with the lid and ensure the pressure release valve is sealed. Using the manual function, set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. You can either do a quick pressure release or a natural pressure release, depending on the amount of time you have available.
- Serve with Toppings: Give the chili a good stir before serving with additional toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
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Video
Notes
- Burn notice: The two things that cause it are not enough liquid and tomatoes touching the bottom of the pot. Use the full cup of beef broth, scrape the bottom clean after you pour it in, and layer the crushed tomatoes on top without stirring.
- Chili/Bean setting: No Chili setting? Use manual or pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. If your pot has a Chili/Bean button, it is worth trying, since some pots come to pressure more gently on that setting.
- Heat level: The jalapeños are where you set the spice. Use fewer and skip the cayenne for a mild pot, or leave some seeds in and add a chopped chipotle in adobo for a hotter one.
- Substitutions: Ground turkey, venison, or chicken all work in place of the beef. Leave the beef out and add extra beans for a vegetarian pot. Swap the brown sugar for maple syrup or agave, or leave it out.
- Prep ahead: Mix the chili seasoning together and dice the onion the day before.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Chili freezes really well. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 to 6 months. The beans come out a little softer once it thaws.
- Reheat: Warm it on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it thickened up in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with Instant Pot chili
Cornbread is the obvious answer and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. My Honey Jalapeño Cornbread is the one I make most, though Mini Cornbread Muffins are easier to hand around at a party.
For a bigger spread, ladle it over Instant Pot White Rice or split an Air Fryer Baked Potato down the middle and pile it on. Both of those cook while the chili is coming to pressure.
Then set out the toppings and let everyone build their own bowl. Shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, tortilla chips, and a few Pickled Jalapeños for anyone who wants more heat.
And if you end up with more chili than you can eat in a week, Chili Cornbread Casserole is a great place for the leftovers to land.
More chili recipes
Chili season doesn’t have to mean the same pot every single week. Here’s where I go when I want to change it up.
For those of you getting burn notices, try it next time using the chili/bean button instead. That worked for me. Same goes with rice, I would always get the burn notice with any rice dish I made until I used the rice button instead.
Thanks so much for sharing this tip, Brandon! Instant Pots can definitely vary when it comes to triggering the burn notice, so it’s helpful to hear what worked for you. Using the Chili/Bean setting is a great suggestion for others who may be running into the same issue. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
looks great going to try today thanks
You’re so welcome! I hope you love it — let me know how it turns out once you dig in.
that’s great thanks
Burn notice. Followed everything to a T.
Scraping the bottom and adding more liquid did not help. Tried 4 times. Had to cook on Saute after.
Hi Richard! I’m so sorry to hear this- that can be SO super frustrating. A few thoughts come to mind to help you troubleshoot in the future: 1) This can happen if the tomatoes were mixed in before cooking. I know it seems counterintuitive, but it’s super important to NOT stir it all together in Step 3 or else this could happen. 2) If you didn’t mix it, another thought I have is that maybe the pressure release valve wasn’t sealed all of the way and excess moisture escaped? 3) If all of that was ok, I’d try adding more liquid to your pot next time. It could just be a difference in models! Thanks again for your feedback and best of luck on it if you try the recipe again 🙂
Good recipe but I had a hard time with my instapot as it did not pressurize – I will try again and try adding the liquid when the pot isn’t hot so that he doesn’t evaporate.
I’m sorry to heat that, Laura! I hope it works this time.
I have to say it is very delicious thank
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
‘Pour in the broth, tomato paste, chili seasoning, cumin, sugar, salt, and peppers.”
The cumin is in the chili seasoning recipe, I don’t think additional is needed correct (not listed in chili ingredients) and this is an error.
Thank you for catching that! It should be cayenne powder. It should be good now!