Tom’s Chili Recipe in a Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

Instant pot chili recipe rancho gordo dried black beans

Chili has rightfully earned its place on my table. Day in and day out, this chili has it all: flavor, sustenance, and nutrition. Chili is also so versatile that it can be the center point to lead a meal or a quiet companion on the side.

I recently got into making chili when I learned that beans have the most fiber of basically any vegetable, and I wanted to find a way to enjoy their goodness. On my quest to find a go-to bean dish, I pursued and experimented with recipes from Bean by Bean and Cool Beans but eventually combined the inspiration to come up with this recipe.

Homemade chili dried beans recipe instant pot or pressure cooker eat with tom

After making this pot of chili at least once per week for over a year, I have become a big fan of dried beans. They take just a little more work to prepare, but I urge you to try! The Instant Pot or pressure cooker makes this a totally reasonable task and you will love the result. Not only will you know exactly what is your pot, but the soup (and pot liquor as the cool kids say) from high-quality dried beans cannot be beaten. I started with the bulk beans from the grocery store and then progressed on to true bean snobbery… and now I like to order the best beans in the world from Rancho Gordo in California. Yes, they do cost a bit more, but what else can enjoy that is “the best on the planet” for under $10?!?

This recipe is based on using whole dried chile peppers (what is the difference between chile and chili anyways?) and this definitely adds a bit of extra work to the whole process, but again, I urge you to try it out. They seem intimidating and even dangerous at first. Ummm… you want me to touch these large hot peppers with my hands?? Well, you can actually, and even live to tell the story! So long as you don’t cut the peppers and then touch your eyes, you should be in good shape. I have a selection of chiles included in this recipe, but I have found that you can really experiment with various combinations of different dried peppers and still end up with a nice chili. Whole chiles can be ordered online from your favorite spice shop and I have found them in bulk at our local Mexican grocery store Poco Loco in Austin, Texas.

bulk chiles anchos poco loco Austin TX Eat with Tom

When preparing the peppers, I rinse them first in warm water, and then slice them open to remove the seeds. This softens them just a bit and makes them a little easier to handle. Be careful with the seeds, because this is where the heat is hiding out. The traditional preparation for dried chiles typically recommends toasting the chiles in a skillet prior to use, but after I got distracted and burned them too many times, I just skip this step.

Let’s Cook!

Tom’s Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb dried black beans (Rancho Gordo)

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 lb hamburger beef (80 to 85% lean)

2 large onions diced

6 cloves of garlic (1 whole head)

1 – 15 oz can of tomatoes

1 New Mexico dried chile pepper (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 guadajillo chille pepper (optional)

3 ancho chile peppers (or 3 teaspoons dried)

1 dried Morita chipotle pepper

3 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon medium chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 bag of Fritos style corn chips

Cooking instructions

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Begin by cooking the beans. Rinse beans in cool water in a strainer or in the pot with a few changes of water. I choose to not soak my beans because it removes a bit of their essence and flavor. If you struggle with poor digestion of beans, the best cure I’ve heard of is to eat them regularly. Your body will adapt and the musical aspects will disappear.
Drain the rinse water, and then place the pot into the Instant Pot. Add 12 cups of water, bay leaves and olive oil. Set for high-pressure cooking for 32 minutes. After the time has passed, use the quick release method to vent the pressure.
While the beans are cooking, start preparing the other ingredients. Set a large frypan over medium-high heat and add butter. Once the butter is melted and the pan is warm, add onions. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions start to soften and become translucent. Add the garlic and beef. Break up the beef into bite-sized chunks with your spatula and continue cooking until the beef begins to brown. Add dry spices and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to activate the spices and the mixture starts brown and looks dry. Stir in one cup of water to deglaze the pan, remove from heat, and set aside.
If using whole dried chile peppers, cut off the hard stems, slice length-wise and remove seeds. Roughly chop peppers and add to a heat-proof mixing bowl such as metal or glass bowl. Boil 1.5 cups of water in an electric kettle or saucepan. Pour over the dried peppers and let stand for 10 minutes.
After the peppers have had time to soften for 5 to 10 minutes, add to a blender along with water. Blend until smooth. Add tomatoes and gently blend to create a smooth mixture.
When the beans have finished cooking, remove the lid, and add both the onion / beef mixture and chile / tomato mixture to the pot. Place the pressure cooking lid back on the pot and bring to pressure again. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Once completed, use a natural release method to finish.
Let’s Eat!

OPTIONAL:
After the pressure has released, remove lid, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes to 1 hour to develop a rich soup texture. Continue until the texture is as you like. Feel free to add more water at this point without any negative effects on the finished chili. Scoop into bowls, finish with a handful of Fritos corn chips.

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