My life has changed drastically since buying a pressure cooker. I’m constantly amazed by how quickly it cooks ingredients with traditionally long cooking times. This recipe for Instant Pot Chili is made with dry kidney beans, but only takes 15 minutes of actual cooking time! It’s packed with warm and velvety flavors from a mixture of awesome spices, including cocoa powder (trust me, it works). Since the bulk is made from dry beans, it’s super inexpensive to make and much healthier than a majority meat chili.
I plan on making this weekly to get me through the winter. It’s like eating a big bowl of cozy- it’s so hearty and satisfying and warms you to the core. Mmm, mmm. I got an Instant Pot for Christmas, and I’ll admit: it took me a while before I felt confident using it. There is a bit of a learning curve associated with it, as with any new cooking technique or kitchen gadget. But after only a few uses, I can officially say that I’M OBSESSED. It’s amazing for cooking tough cuts of meat to perfect juicy tenderness (think: pulled pork or pot roast). But I have to say, I like using it to cook pulses the best.
Have you heard of the term “pulses” before? Pulses are the superfood group made up of beans, chickpeas, dry peas and lentils. They are high in fiber and low in fat. They have tons of protein and nutrients. And my favorite part: they are CHEAP. Having a half cup of cooked pulses three times a week can be super beneficial for your health- you can sign up for the half-cup habit challenge here! This Instant Pot chili recipe is a delicious, easy, and cheap way to get a hearty serving of pulses. I used dried kidney beans for this recipe, and they came out perfectly cooked. They held their shape and didn’t turn mushy, but weren’t too firm either. Here’s how I did it:
There’s so much to love about this recipe. First of all, it’s CHEAP. Dry beans are one of the least expensive, most nutritious foods you can buy, and because they make up the bulk of this chili, you’ll be able to spend more on high quality, lean ground beef, which makes the entire recipe healthy. I definitely recommend using lean beef for this recipe because you sauté it directly in the pot without draining the fat- the chili might be a bit too greasy otherwise. Furthermore, this recipe makes a TON. One batch will feed 8-10 people- it’s extremely hearty and filling. And since it’s freezable, you can save some for an easy meal (or two) later.
So. You have three tasks in front of you:
Other Pressure Cooker Soups and Stews
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup Instant Pot Fish Stew Pressure Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup Instant Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili
Check out all my Instant Pot Recipes here! Here’s the printable recipe for this Instant Pot Chili made with dry beans and ground beef. Finally, if you don’t have a pressure cooker, don’t fret- I included instructions for a slow cooker as well :-)
