Instant Pot Firehouse Chili

This Instant Pot Firehouse Chili is a hearty chili recipe that is packed with bold flavors and ready in less than 30 minutes. This amazing chili tastes as if it has been in the slow cooker for a long time but is made quickly using the pressure cooking method. 

This Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup is another recipe made in the pressure cooker and is one that the whole family will enjoy. 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's easy to make - It takes little time to make in the Instant Pot and it takes minimal effort from start to finish.
• Bold flavors - This firehouse chili recipe has great flavor and is great comfort food.
• It's quick to make - With the use of a pressure cooker, this chili is ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. 
• It's customizable - Top with your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, onion, sour cream, and tortilla chips. 
• Great for cold nights - Serve with cornbread or buttermilk drop biscuits.

Ingredients in Firehouse Chili

The ingredients in this chili are straightforward and easy to find at your local grocery store. 

• Lean ground beef
• Yellow onion, chopped
• Green bell pepper or red pepper
• Kidney beans
• Stewed tomatoes
• Beef broth
• Chili powder
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Garlic cloves
• Oregano
• Salt

See the recipe card for ingredient amounts and the full directions. 

How to Make Instant Pot Firehouse Chili

There are only a few simple steps to making this firehouse chili recipe in the Instant Pot. 

1. Set the Instant Pot to Saute and add the ground beef, garlic, green peppers, and onions. Brown beef, crumble the meat, and drain grease if necessary.
2. Sprinkle in the chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and oregano and stir to combine.
3. Pour in the beef broth, and layer with kidney beans and stewed tomatoes. DO NOT STIR. Stirring can result in getting a burn notice. 
4. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK on high pressure for 10 minutes.
5. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to release any remaining pressure.
6. Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing together water and cornstarch before stirring it into the pot to thicken the chili.
7. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced jalapeño pepper if desired. 

TIP: A garlic press minces garlic easily.

Substitutions in Instant Pot Firehouse Chili

Meat substitutions - In place of ground beef, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner twist than a beef chili version.

Broth - You can use chicken broth in place of the beef broth. 

Make it vegetarian - Chili is very versatile and it can be easily made vegetarian. To make a vegetarian chili, omit the ground beef and add extra kidney beans and black for added protein to make the chili fuller. Also, consider chopping up a sweet potato to add texture to the chili.

Swap out the beef broth for vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian. 

Variations In Firehouse Chili

This hearty chili recipe has a lot of variation options and there are many different ways to enjoy chili. 

Add more beans - Make this a delicious bean chili by adding canned beans such as chili beans for more flavor and more varieties of beans. 

Change the beans - Add some extra kidney beans or add to them by stirring in black beans, pinto beans, or your favorite types of beans to this recipe. 

Make a spicy chili - Adjust the spice levels of this chili by adding more chili powder and adding some cayenne pepper to the seasonings. 

Make a mild chili - Reduce the amount of chili powder if you prefer a milder chili flavor. 

Check out this Instant Pot No Bean Chili for a vegetarian chili recipe. 

How To Store Chili

Storing chili is easy to do and reheating the next day will give this firehouse chili a chance to deepen in flavors. 

To store chili to keep it tasting fresh and the texture nice, transfer the chili from the Instant Pot liner and add it to a storage container to allow it to cool down. Once the firehouse chili is at room temperature, cover it tightly with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure to cool the chili first, as storing warm chili will cause the beans to turn mushy because of condensation build-up. 

When ready to enjoy the chili, reheat the chili on the stovetop or heat it in the microwave until warm. Remember to stir to make sure it is heated through before eating. 

To freeze chili, transfer the warm chili to a freezer safe container and allow it to cool to room temperature before covering and freezing. For an easy meal later on, portion the chili out into a smaller airtight container or bags. Label and date your chili and freeze it up for up to 3 months. When ready to reheat, heat it on medium heat on the stove top and add a little beef broth to the chili while reheating so that the chili can thin out a bit while reheating. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prevent the 'burn' message when making chili in an Instant Pot?

To avoid the burn notice, make sure to deglaze the inner liner of the pressure cooker after using the saute function to remove any stuck-on bits. Any food stuck on the bottom of the liner will cause this notice to appear. 

Laying the ingredients add not stirring the broth or liquid into the ingredients will allow the pressure to build easier than if the broth is stirred into the mixture. 

Is it possible to cook frozen chili in an Instant Pot, and if so, how?

Yes, you can reheat the chili in the Instant Pot! To do this, make sure the chili is frozen into a shape that will fit into the liner of the Instant Pot. Add broth to the bottom of the pot an pressure cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.  Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to release the remaining pressure.

How do you Thicken Chili?

A cornstarch slurry is a great way to thicken chili without altering the flavor of the chili itself. Stir a ⅓ cup of water together with ⅓ cup of cornstarch then slowly stir it into the chili and allow it to thicken. This tip is especially helpful when making an Instant Pot chili recipe. 

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