Instant Pot chili is keeping me warm during this nippy time of the year.

And topping it with all the cheese and all the sour cream I could get my hands on. (Sorrynotsorry).

I often talk about my winter blues on this blog. This year, while there has been some vast improvement, I still find myself in a seasonal slump. I think a lot has to do with the ongoing greyness in the weather. Most recently, Montreal has been hit with freezing rain, and it hasn’t helped the situation.

When I’m feeling all cooped-up indoors, there’s nothing I enjoy more than developing a new recipe. Lately, I’ve been on an Instant Pot kick and so came about my Instant Pot Chili.

My recipe is a hybrid between a stew and a chili, giving it a more liquid consistency than traditional. This makes my Instant Pot Chili the perfect pairing with corn bread (or even crackers)!

What’s the best part to my Instant Pot Chili? Oh em gee, it is totally the garnishings. Totally. In fact, if you’re looking to thicken up the consistency, the sour cream topping definitely gives it some more oomph.

So while I wait for spring’s arrival, I’ll be getting cozy with a warm bowl of my Instant Pot chili.

How to Make Your Own Instant Pot Chili

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
½ cup beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes (28 fl oz, about 3 ¼ cups)
1 can kidney beans (about 2 ¼ cups), undrained
1 can tomato sauce (about 2 cups)
¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, for garnishing
Sour cream, for topping
Green onions, chopped, for garnishing

Yields: 4-5 servings

Directions

Set Instant Pot on the sauté setting and add canola oil.

Once the Instant Pot starts to heat up, add ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the beef is completely cooked. (Helpful tip: You’ll want to keep on mixing the ingredients to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the inner pot).

Scrape off any browned bits off the inner pot. This step is vital – scraping off any cooked bits off the bottom ensures that your Instant Pot properly gets to full pressure. I also suggest using a wooden spoon so as not to scratch up the bottom of your inner pot.

Add water and beef broth and continue to scrape any browned bits. (So get workin’! It may seem repetitive but trust me, it’ll help you prevent from getting the “Burn” warning while you’re cooking.)

Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and tomato sauce on top. No need to mix! You’ll want to keep as much of the liquid at the bottom so that the Instant Pot comes to full pressure.

Set Instant Pot to manual pressure on high for 15 minutes.

Once the time is up, allow for a natural pressure release, according to your Instant Pot’s directions.

Remove the lid from your Instant Pot and mix all of the ingredients.

Serve in separate bowls and add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with green onions and cheddar cheese.

How are you keeping warm this winter? Have you ever tried making chili in your Instant Pot?