This Instant Pot chilli con carne is my go-to when I want a hearty, flavour-packed dinner without babysitting the stove. Everything gets browned and loaded into the pot, and 20 minutes of pressure cooking does the rest.
What I love about this version is the balance — smoky paprika and cayenne bring the warmth, brown sugar rounds out the tomato acidity, and black beans add body without making it heavy. It tastes like a slow-simmered chilli but comes together in under an hour.
You can easily adjust the heat level to suit your family. Want it fiery? Keep the jalapeño seeds in and add extra chilli paste. Prefer a milder bowl? Swap the jalapeño for green bell pepper and dial back the cayenne.
If you own an Instant Pot and haven’t made chilli in it yet, this is the recipe to start with — it’s forgiving, endlessly customisable, and produces leftovers that taste even better the next day.
Instant Pot Chilli Con Carne
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Can opener
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 large jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1⅓ lb ground beef
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 15 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon jalapeño powder or finely diced pickled jalapeño
- 1 teaspoon chilli paste such as sambal oelek or harissa
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust after cooking
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and allow it to heat for 1 minute. Add the extra virgin olive oil and chopped red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the onion is lightly golden.
- Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned with no pink remaining. Drain any excess fat if needed.
- Add tomato paste and sauce, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, black beans, brown sugar, jalapeño powder, chilli paste, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir well to combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to Sealing.
- Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High Pressure and set the time to 20 minutes. The pot will take approximately 8-10 minutes to come to pressure before the countdown begins.
- When the cooking time is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Once the float valve drops, remove the lid. Stir the chilli and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with your favourite toppings.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Make-ahead: This chilli tastes even better the next day as the spices meld. Make a double batch on Sunday for easy weeknight meals.
- Substitutions: Swap ground beef for ground turkey or a 50/50 beef-pork blend. Use kidney beans instead of black beans. Replace jalapeño with green bell pepper for a mild version.
- For thicker chilli, remove the lid after cooking and simmer on Sauté mode for 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid.
- Drain and rinse canned black beans before adding — this removes excess sodium and prevents a murky liquid.
Nutrition
What Makes This Instant Pot Chilli Con Carne Special
Most Instant Pot chilli recipes dump everything in at once and hope for the best. This version builds flavour in layers — sautéing the onion and garlic first creates a fragrant base, browning the beef develops a Maillard crust that deepens the overall taste, and blooming the tomato paste before pressure cooking concentrates its sweetness.
The spice blend here is deliberately balanced. Paprika and cayenne deliver heat, dried thyme adds an earthy backbone, and a tablespoon of brown sugar tempers the acidity from the tomato sauce and paste. The result is a chilli that tastes complex and rounded, not one-note spicy.
Twenty minutes of pressure cooking does what two hours of stovetop simmering would — it breaks down the beef, softens the beans into creamy bites, and melds every flavour together into a thick, cohesive pot of chilli.
Equipment You’ll Need
- 6-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker — the core of this recipe. A 6-quart size gives enough room for the full batch without hitting the max fill line.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula — essential for scraping browned bits off the bottom during the sauté steps. This deglazing prevents the dreaded burn notice.
- Sharp chef’s knife and cutting board — you need clean, even dice on the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño so they cook uniformly under pressure.
- Can opener — for the black beans and tomato paste if not using a tube.
- Measuring cups and spoons — accurate spice measurement matters here since the balance between paprika, cayenne, and brown sugar is what makes the flavour work.
Tips for Best Results
- Brown the beef properly. Do not crowd it. If your Instant Pot runs cool on Sauté mode, let the beef sit undisturbed for 2 minutes before stirring to get a good sear. This step is where most of the depth of flavour comes from.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot after adding the broth. Any stuck-on fond from browning can trigger a burn error during pressure cooking. A quick deglaze solves this completely.
- Drain and rinse the canned black beans. The canning liquid is starchy and salty — rinsing gives you a cleaner-tasting chilli and lets you control the seasoning.
- Let it natural release for 10 minutes. Quick-releasing immediately can cause sputtering through the valve and results in slightly thinner chilli. The extra resting time lets starches settle and the liquid thicken naturally.
- Season after cooking, not just before. Pressure cooking can mute spices slightly. Taste the finished chilli and adjust salt, cayenne, or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten everything up.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mild version: Replace the jalapeño with a green bell pepper, omit the cayenne, and reduce chilli paste to ½ teaspoon.
- Turkey chilli: Swap ground beef for lean ground turkey. Add an extra tablespoon of olive oil since turkey renders less fat.
- Bean swap: Kidney beans, pinto beans, or a three-bean mix all work perfectly in place of black beans.
- Extra vegetables: Diced zucchini, corn kernels, or sweet potato cubes (½-inch dice) can be added with the beans for a heartier chilli.
- Smoky version: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika in place of regular paprika and stir in 1 finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
- Low-carb option: Omit the beans and brown sugar. The chilli will be thinner — simmer on Sauté mode for 5 minutes after cooking to reduce.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavour improves overnight as the spices continue to meld.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in portion-sized containers or heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 3 months. Lay bags flat to save space.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling. Add a splash of beef broth if the chilli has thickened too much. Microwave works in a pinch — cover and heat in 90-second intervals, stirring between each.
What to Serve With This
- Cornbread — the classic pairing. A wedge of buttery cornbread soaks up the sauce beautifully.
- Steamed white rice or cilantro-lime rice — stretches the meal further and balances the heat.
- Baked potatoes — split one open and ladle the chilli over the top with sour cream and shredded cheese.
- Tortilla chips — for scooping. Especially good if you are serving this as a casual dinner or game-day food.
- Fresh toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar, sliced spring onions, diced avocado, pickled jalapeños, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this chilli on the stovetop instead of an Instant Pot?
Yes. Follow the same sauté and browning steps in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After adding all the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes until the flavours are melded and the chilli has thickened.
Why does my Instant Pot show a burn notice with this recipe?
The most common cause is tomato paste stuck to the bottom of the pot. Always deglaze with the beef broth after browning and scrape the bottom thoroughly before locking the lid. Adding the tomato sauce last, on top of the other ingredients without stirring it down, also helps prevent scorching.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, but only if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot. Doubling in a 6-quart pot risks exceeding the two-thirds fill line for foods that expand. Keep the pressure cooking time the same at 20 minutes — the pot will simply take longer to come to pressure with more volume.
Do I need to soak the canned black beans first?
No. Canned black beans are already fully cooked. Simply drain, rinse under cold water, and add them directly to the pot. If using dried black beans, soak them overnight and increase pressure cook time to 30 minutes.
How do I make this chilli spicier?
Keep the seeds and membranes in the jalapeño — that is where most of the heat lives. You can also increase the cayenne to 1 teaspoon, add a second jalapeño, or stir in a finely diced habanero for serious heat. A dash of hot sauce stirred in at the end gives an extra kick without altering the flavour profile.
What is the difference between chilli and chilli con carne?
Chilli con carne literally means chilli with meat in Spanish. In practice, most people use the terms interchangeably. Traditional Texas-style chilli con carne contains no beans or tomatoes — just dried chillies, beef, and spices. This recipe is a modern Tex-Mex adaptation that includes both beans and tomato, which is the version most home cooks know and love.
A Brief History of Chilli Con Carne
Chilli con carne traces its roots to the border regions of Texas and northern Mexico. The earliest written references date back to the 1500s, when Spanish missionaries documented indigenous peoples cooking wild game with local chilli peppers. By the 1880s, chilli queens in San Antonio were selling bowls of spiced beef stew from open-air market stalls, turning it into a cultural icon.
The dish gained national fame at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where a San Antonio chilli stand introduced it to visitors from across the country. From there it spread rapidly. Canned versions appeared in the early 1900s, and by mid-century, chilli cook-offs had become a competitive tradition across Texas and the American Southwest.
Today, chilli has evolved into countless regional variations — from the beanless Texas originals to Cincinnati-style chilli served over spaghetti. This Instant Pot version sits squarely in the modern Tex-Mex tradition, combining beef with beans and tomato in a pressure cooker that would have astonished those 1880s chilli queens.
If you try this Instant Pot chilli, I would love to hear how it turned out — drop a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts or any tweaks you made!
