Instant Pot Bacon Jalapeño Beef Chili Recipe

I recently returned from a visit to Iowa to see my daughter Allie and her family. Watching the grandbabies play is one of my favorite pastimes. While there we enjoyed the region’s hearty food—plenty of beef and pork in farm country—and one dinner in particular inspired this Instant Pot beef chili recipe. The chili I had featured bold, smoky flavors and fresh jalapeño heat; I set out to recreate that profile at home.

This Instant Pot beef chili delivers medium heat, smoky bacon notes, and plenty of fresh vegetables. My family prefers a Texas-style chili without beans, but beans are optional if that’s your preference.

Cooking beef at high pressure in the Instant Pot makes it tender and flavorful. I like to use lean beef stew meat and pulse it briefly in a food processor to achieve a coarse, ground texture. If you prefer, substitute cubed beef chuck roast or use store-bought ground beef.

This recipe isn’t the fastest Instant Pot meal—it takes a couple of hours from start to finish—but the results are worth the time. I tested and refined it over a few nights and it was a hit with the family.

If you’ve never ground your own meat, it’s easier than it sounds. Chill the beef in the freezer for about 25–30 minutes, then divide it into 2–4 batches and pulse 10–20 times until you have coarse pieces about 1/4 inch in size. Smaller batches give you better control over texture.

While the beef chills, prep the vegetables: dice bell peppers and onion, mince or press garlic, and finely chop the jalapeños. Remove seeds for milder heat or leave some in for more spice.

If you prefer a stew-like chili rather than a thinner, soup-style result, prepare a simple thickener: pulse about 2 cups of tortilla chips in a food processor or blender until they measure roughly 2/3 cup of fine crumbs. Add these at the end to thicken the chili.

Mix the spice blend in a small bowl. For this chili I favor New Mexico chile powder for its medium heat and earthy, slightly fruity notes, but ancho or a standard chili powder will also work. Combine the chile powder with ground cumin, dried Mexican oregano, garlic powder, and a pinch of cinnamon to round out the flavor.

Cook a little bacon for depth of flavor. Cut 4 slices into 1/2-inch pieces and sauté in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the rendered fat in the skillet to cook the vegetables. I prefer browning the bacon, vegetables, and beef in a heavy skillet (a 12-inch cast iron works well) so everything can brown evenly before transferring to the Instant Pot, but you can use the Instant Pot sauté function if you prefer.

Sauté the onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic in the bacon fat until they begin to soften, then add the spice mixture and cook a few minutes more to bloom the spices. Add the coarsely ground beef, season with kosher salt, and cook over high heat until the meat is browned and partially seared. Stir the reserved bacon pieces back in and cook another minute or two.

Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to the Instant Pot, add a 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of beef broth, and stir to combine. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

When the cook time finishes, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15–20 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure and remove the lid. Stir in drained beans if you’re including them. To thicken, stir in the crushed tortilla chip crumbs and let the chili rest about 10 minutes; alternatively, use the sauté setting with the lid off to reduce liquid slightly.

Finish the chili with 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors. Let the pot rest for a few minutes so everything melds and the chili thickens just a bit.

Toppings are part of the fun—serve with tortilla chips or Fritos, shredded cheese, sour cream, diced white onion or pico de gallo, avocado, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. This recipe makes a comforting, flavorful beef chili that showcases smoky bacon, fresh jalapeño heat, and tender pressure-cooked beef. It’s a family favorite and one I’ll be making again.

Photos by Marsha Maxwell and Kiian Oksana/Shutterstock.com.

Disclosures: The author was not compensated for this post. The article may contain affiliate links; purchases through those links may earn a commission that helps support recipe publishing.