Instant Pot Chili Con Carne: Gluten-Free One-Pot Recipe

This Instant Pot chili con carne — also called beef chili — is a simple, comforting recipe perfect for weeknight dinners. It’s naturally gluten free and made with ground beef, diced tomatoes, beans, onion, and warm spices. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream and a square of cornbread for a satisfying meal on a cold evening.

If you crave hearty, warming meals when temperatures drop, this Instant Pot beef and bean chili is an ideal choice. It’s packed with flavor, uses pantry staples, and cooks quickly in a pressure cooker. Leftovers taste even better the next day as the spices meld together.

This recipe is built for convenience: brown the beef in the Instant Pot, add diced onion, then stir in beans, tomatoes, and seasonings. Set the pressure cooker and walk away; you’ll have a rich, savory chili ready in under an hour. It’s also easily adapted to a slow cooker if you prefer low-and-slow cooking.

What you’ll love about this Instant Pot chili con carne

• Uses common pantry items like canned tomatoes, canned beans, and dried spices.
• Everything cooks in one pot, which means minimal cleanup.
• Quick and straightforward to prepare — perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

(Complete measurements and tips are listed in the recipe card below.)

• Ground beef – lean ground beef works well so you can skip draining excess fat.
• Onion – a sweet or yellow onion adds depth; any onion will do.
• Canned diced tomatoes – use undrained diced tomatoes; fire-roasted or chiles-added varieties boost flavor and heat.
• Canned beans – a mix of white beans, kidney beans, and black beans is used here. Pinto also works. Avoid dry beans unless pre-soaked and pressure-cooked separately.
• Spices – chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Fresh spices make a noticeable difference.

How to make Instant Pot chili con carne

(See the recipe card below for full measurements and times.)

1. Open and rinse the canned beans in a colander; allow them to drain.
2. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the ground beef. Break it apart and cook until it’s about halfway done.
3. Dice the onion while the beef cooks. Add the onion to the pot and continue cooking until the meat is fully browned and no longer pink.
4. Turn the Instant Pot off. Add the drained beans, undrained diced tomatoes, and all spices to the pot.
5. Stir everything until evenly combined, then secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing.
6. Set the pressure cooker to Manual/High for 20 minutes.
7. When cooking finishes, carefully release the pressure using the Venting position for a quick release. Once pressure is fully released, remove the lid.
8. Serve the chili in bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Topping ideas for chili con carne

Choose from many tasty toppings to customize each bowl:

• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream or plain yogurt
• Sliced or diced avocado
• Chopped green onion or diced red onion
• Tortilla chips or crushed corn chips
• Sliced jalapeño or a drizzle of hot sauce for heat
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Recipe tips and substitutions

• Do not drain the diced tomatoes. The tomato liquid helps the chili come together and keeps it saucy.
• If you don’t have diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or pulsed whole peeled tomatoes work well. Avoid plain tomato sauce as it’s too thin.
• The recipe lists 1 1/3 pounds of ground beef. You can use 1 to 1½ pounds depending on how meaty you like the chili.
• Try other proteins: ground venison, bison, or turkey are all good substitutions.
• Increase the heat by adding cayenne pepper, chopped fresh chiles, or a can of diced green chiles with the tomatoes.

If you make this Instant Pot beef chili, consider leaving a rating or a note about any changes you tried. It helps others and can inspire small tweaks to make the recipe your own.