If you’re looking to make a big batch of hearty ground beef chili, this is the recipe for you. We love chili and can’t get enough of it – especially in the winter months. Now that I spend my days taking care of and playing with my little one – I try to cook in bulk in the evenings or during weekends while my husband Roby plays with our kiddo.
This recipe is bean-free, though you can add kidney beans if you want. We prefer our chili to be filled with lots of veggies: carrots, celery, bell peppers, and tomatoes. In my opinion, chili doesn’t need beans (unless you’re making a white chicken chili, that is – and even then, it’s optional).
I love making chili (and pretty much anything and everything) in my Instant Pot – it helps combine all the flavors in this dish in a short amount of time. You can make this chili in a slow cooker, too, if you want.
This recipe freezes well, so eat some chili today, tomorrow, all week and freeze for later! If it’s too much, you can certainly halve the recipe. But trust me, you’ll find a way to eat it all.
Ground Beef Chili (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker)
Ground Beef Chili (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons oil or fat of choice
- 2 red onions diced
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 8 carrots chopped
- 5 stalks celery chopped
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 1-2 jalapenos minced (remove the seeds and rib for a less spicy chili)
- 4 14 ounce cans organic diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot, and add the oil, onions and garlic to the pot. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, then cover and lock the lid.
- Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot, then press the “Bean/Chili” button to begin the pressure cooking. It will automatically be set for 30 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is closed.
- Once the chili is done, the Instant Pot will automatically switch to the “Keep Warm” mode. Allow the pressure to release naturally (I do not recommend using quick release as the pot is very full).
- Garnish with cilantro, cheese, or sour cream if desired.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Add oil to a pan and saute the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onions, garlic and beef to a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Julie says
Hi Ashley! We just got our instant pot and have made your Kale Chana Masala and LOVE it! thank you! I have a question: we love beans and would like to add about 3-4 cups of cooked beans to this chili recipe. Can we do that without altering the recipe otherwise? We have a 6 quart instant pot. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Julie, I’m so glad to hear that! As for this recipe, you can definitely add beans to this – I think it’ll be great. You may need to adjust the spices at the end if you feel it needs more flavor but I think it’ll be fine. I actually also have another chili recipe on my blog that calls for dried kidney beans if you’d like to check that out: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-ground-beef-kidney-bean-chili/
Elizabeth says
This was my first dish with my new instant pot. I’ve had chili seasoning for a while but hadn’t used it. One of my tomato cans had habañero peppers in it, so I skipped the jalapeños. It was fantastic! The instant pot really pushed all the flavors together so that it was almost as good the first night as the second.
My Heart Beets says
Elizabeth, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Thelma says
Great flavor, but is there a way to make it less watery?
My Heart Beets says
Thelma, thanks! You can always press sauté at the end to reduce/thicken the sauce.
Jennifer says
I have a 6qt pot and had to halve this recipe to have it able to fit into my pot. It turned out delicious! I served the chili over cauliflower rice that I had roasted in the oven.
My Heart Beets says
So glad you liked it! I actually make this in my 6 quart but it does end up really full. The liquid is below the mark though so as long as you naturally release pressure it’s fine 🙂 Halving the recipe works too!
Maddie says
this is a cooking noob question… (after having made your amazing instant pot taco meat …its part of my regular rotation now) — but…what happens if you don’t brown the ground beef first? is this a flavor issue or an actual cooking/food safety issue? (toddler mom here 😉
My Heart Beets says
Hey Maddie! I do it for flavor and to break up the meat, but you can skip this step to save time 🙂
WW says
If I want to add canned kidney beans, when do I add it to the pot? At the same time with the other ingredients after saute-ing the beef?
James says
This is fantastic chili. It’s winter where I am so have been eating my fair share of it 🙂 I’ve always made mine this way and I think the longer the cook the better and also one of those dishes that taste better the next day. It’s also very nice with an added cup of beef broth or a bottle of beer. Sometimes I use beans, sometimes not. A tin of corn goes nice as well. Lovely winter warmer, one of my favourites. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Thanks James! I’m glad to hear that you like the recipe 🙂 I love corn – I’ll have to try adding that next time I make this!
Linda says
I fell upon your website last year and then lost it. I am so happy to have found you again! I LOVE Indian food and can’t wait to try all your recipes. I am unable to access your videos. Are they not linked right now? Or is it something with my computer? Thank you!
Angelina says
Eating my second bowl of this right now! So YUMMYY!! Added a little more cumin and cayenne to spice things up 😉 Glad I found your website, can’t wait to bake your Italian Coconut Biscuits tomorrow!! Will be trying more and more…Love my instapot and you!
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that, Angelina! I’m so glad you found my website too! Let me know what you think of the biscuits!
Cait says
Next time I’ll only use 1 jalapeno and make sure to get rid of the seeds because it was too spicy for me. I added 1/2 an avocado to my bowl and that helped. This made a huge amount of chili, almost to the top of my instant pot, which is awesome because now I have leftovers in the freezer for a rainy day. 🙂 Thanks, Ashley.
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Cait! And I prefer 1 jalapeno too! My husband likes 2 (but truthfully, he’d prefer if I added 5 lol). Anyway, thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Neena | Paint the Kitchen Red says
This recipe is great for a cold wintry day! I really like your recipes Ashley. I am from Kerala and make Indian recipes similar to yours. Thanks for sharing!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Neena! 🙂