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Instant Pot Weeknight Chili

Serves 5–6Made 3 times
WeeknightHealthyOne PotInstant Pot

Lean ground turkey or beef + beans + pantry spices. Built to avoid burn alarms—with exact recovery procedures if it happens.

Ingredients (crew 5–6)

Produce

Optional veg boost: 1 diced zucchini or 1 cup corn (add with onions).

Protein

Spices & heat

Pantry & canned

Serve & finish

Pot size & settings

  • 6-quart: ensure at least 1 cup thin liquid in contact with the bottom.
  • 8-quart: ensure 1½–2 cups thin liquid.
  • Sauté Low on Duo-style models = Saute until the light under Less is lit.
  • Standard cook: High Pressure 10 min + Natural Release 10.
  • No-burn mode (safer if your pot is fussy): Low Pressure 5 min + NR 10.

Instructions (Instant Pot)

  1. Sauté. Press Sauté (Normal). Add oil, onion, bell pepper; cook 3–4 min. Stir in garlic 30 sec.
  2. Brown. Add turkey/beef; cook, breaking up, 4–5 min until no pink remains.
  3. Spices & paste. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, chipotle/cayenne, and tomato paste. Cook 60 sec to toast.
  4. Deglaze (prevents burn). Pour in broth and scrape the bottom completely smooth.
  5. Load & layer. Stir in beans and cocoa (optional). Do not stir after this: pour diced tomatoes and tomato sauce on top and spread gently so thick tomato is not on the bottom.
  6. Pressure cook. Choose your mode:
    • Standard: High Pressure 10 min.
    • No-burn mode: Low Pressure 5 min.
    Then Natural Release 10 min and quick-release the rest in short bursts.
  7. Finish. Stir well. If too thin, simmer on Sauté → Less (gentle simmer) 5–10 min. If too thick, add a splash of broth. Stir in vinegar/lime; adjust salt and heat.

⚠️ If you see “Food Burn”… it’s OK and fixable

This message often appears before anything truly scorches. Follow the exact steps below—use Branch A if it doesn’t smell burnt, Branch B if it does.

Branch A — No burnt smell (most common)

  1. Cancel → Quick release. Open the lid.
  2. Add thin liquid: 6-qt add ¾–1 cup; 8-qt add 1½–2 cups hot water/broth.
  3. Stir only the bottom inch while scraping so liquid touches bare steel. Bottom must feel glass-smooth.
  4. Thin the tomatoes: Mix the tomatoes/sauce with ½ cup water/broth; pour on top and do not stir.
  5. Cook safely: Low Pressure 5 min + NR 10 or finish on Sauté → Less for 10–15 min, stirring every 60–90 sec.

Branch B — You smell/see scorching

  1. Cancel → Quick release.
  2. Lift out the chili into a bowl, leaving the stuck layer behind.
  3. Clean the insert: scrape/rinse until smooth. Return to cooker.
  4. Add thin liquid to empty pot: 6-qt 1 cup, 8-qt 1½ cups. Deglaze thoroughly.
  5. Return the chili (avoid burnt bits). Stir the bottom inch only.
  6. Thin tomatoes with ½–1 cup water/broth and pour on top, don’t stir.
  7. Cook: Low Pressure 5 min + NR 10. If it warns again, use Pot-in-Pot: 1 cup water in insert → trivet → chili in a metal/oven-safe bowl → High 5 min + NR 10.

Note: If you added tomato paste earlier, hold it out after a burn warning—stir it in at the end on Sauté.

Gentle simmer to thicken (no rolling boil)

  1. Press Sauté until Less is lit. Lid off.
  2. Look for small, steady bubbles (gentle simmer). If nothing happens after 2–3 min, bump to Normal briefly, then back to Less.
  3. Stir the bottom every 60–90 sec; scrape clean spots.
  4. Simmer 5–10 min until a spoon dragged through leaves a channel that slowly fills.

Optional thickeners (stir in, then simmer 1–3 min)

  • Tomato paste 1–2 tbsp (add after pressure cooking).
  • Masa harina or fine cornmeal: whisk 1–2 tbsp with 2 tbsp water; stir in.
  • Crushed tortilla chips ~½ cup, very fine.
  • Cornstarch slurry (GF): 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water.
  • Instant potato flakes (GF): 1–2 tbsp sprinkled in.
  • Bean boost: mash 1 cup of the chili (mostly beans) and stir back.

Doneness & quick checks

  • Properly cooked: thick but spoonable; meat not pink; beans tender; flavors cohesive.
  • Safety: center of pot ≥ 165°F / 74°C for turkey or 160°F / 71°C for beef.
  • If bland: add a pinch of salt and 1–2 tsp lime juice or cider vinegar.

Prevent burn next time (summary)

  • Deglaze fully after browning—bottom must feel perfectly smooth.
  • Keep thick tomato products off the bottom; pour them on top and don’t stir.
  • Meet the thin-liquid minimums (6-qt: 1 cup; 8-qt: 1½–2 cups).
  • Consider No-burn mode: Low Pressure 5 min + NR 10.
  • Stir in tomato paste after cooking.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.
  • Reheat gently with a splash of water/broth; brighten with a little lime/vinegar.