Instant Pot Steak Chili
This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy Instant Pot Steak Chili that’s made with stew meat is hearty, mouthwatering, and deeply flavorful. You’ll cook everything right in the Instant Pot and end up with a delicious meal ready in about an hour. Or try our Slow Cooker Steak Chili instead.
Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Steak Chili
- Depth of flavor – Thanks to a combo of high impact ingredients like fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, a few pantry seasons, and fresh lime juice, this chili is rich-tasting with complex flavors in every bite.
- Super Easy – We love the ease of Instant Pot meals around here. But…only if they are good. I assure you, this one will not disappoint.
- Freezer-friendly – There are two simple ways to make this into a freezer meal. So, double up on the ingredients and prep two batches–one for dinner tonight and one for dinner later! Or make this as a freezer meal for a new mom.
- Instant Pot Dump & Go Recipe: Drop in the ingredients, press a button, and dinner is (pretty much) done. Just serve with a variety of chili toppings, like avocado, green onions, cheese, sour cream, etc, and you’ve got a one-pot dinner!
Ingredients and Variations
For this Instant Pot chili with stew meat, you’ll need the following ingredients…
Ingredient Notes:
- Beef stew meat – Find this short-cut ingredient at or near the meat counter. Or substitute with a chuck roast that is cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes – This is one of those high-impact ingredients I mentioned. It’s easier and easier to find canned fire-roasted tomatoes in stores, but you can always sub in regular diced tomatoes.
- Tomato sauce – Look for plain tomato sauce in a can (preferably low sodium). If you can’t find that ingredients, a good substitute is canned tomato puree.
Find all the ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom.
Variations:
- More Vegetables: If you’d like to up the nutrition ante, add in chopped bell peppers, cauliflower rice, frozen or canned corn, or diced sweet potatoes. Just chop and drop it in.
- Vegetarian: Leave out the stew meat and use another can of kidney beans or garbanzo beans instead. Use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. Add a splash of soy sauce to add in a little more umami flavor.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours), until onions are very soft and beef shreds easily. Shred the beef chunks with two forks (you can do this right in the slow cooker; no need to remove them). The chili will thicken as it sits. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.
- Stretch This Chili: Add another can of beans to make the chili stretch even further. Could also add another 1/2 pound of stew meat.
- Like It Spicy? Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
Pro Tips for Success
-
- I highly suggest shredding the beef instead of leaving it in cubes. It makes the chili thicker and every bite is perfectly balanced with just a little shredded beef.
-
- Canned Items: Since you’re using some canned items, be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
-
- Let’s Talk About Beans: Many recipes have you add beans at the end, but we found that the dark kidney beans hold up to the long cook time and get infused with flavor while sitting in the chili all day. Black beans will also work instead, but America’s Test Kitchen noted that the light kidney beans break down more quickly.
-
- Lime wedges at the end are a must! They lend some acid to the chili at the table that brightens the flavor and accentuates the heat of the spices.
How to Make Instant Pot Steak Chili
- Turn on the Saute mode and heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Saute the beef until browned on one side, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper as it cooks.
- Remove the beef and saute onions and garlic until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the lime) to the pot and stir. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Then, shred the beef in the pot and enjoy with lime wedges and your favorite chili toppings.
Shortcut Dump-and-Go Method: While you won’t get quite as much flavor, it will work to simply dump all the ingredients (except the lime wedges) into the Instant Pot and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure. Then, use a 10-minute natural release, shred the beef, and serve.
Steak Chili Topping Ideas
I’d suggest serving this chili straight out of the Instant pot. Set out some bowls and several of these toppings to go along with it:
- lime wedges
- cilantro leaves or chopped parsley
- diced red onion
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sliced green onions
- diced avocado
- pickled jalapeños
- tortilla chips or Fritos
- Pickled Red Onions
What to Serve with Steak Chili
These are some of my favorite side dishes to go with chili:
Make It a Freezer Meal
Chili freezes really well! You can either prep and freeze before cooking OR you can freeze leftovers.
Here’s how to freeze this steak chili with stew meat:
Freeze For Later:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Add all ingredients, except lime wedges, to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze the bag in a round container that’s the shape of the Instant Pot.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook the chili and let it cool completely. (Tip: It can sit out up to 2 hours and then needs to be transferred to the fridge to continue cooling down.) Freeze in a freezer bag, SouperCubes, or freezer containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Saute the frozen meal in the Instant Pot for 5-10 minutes to release some liquid. Then, lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Shred the beef and serve.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw the chili in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on the microwave. Warm gently in the Instant Pot, on the stove top, or in the microwave. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and your favorite chili toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours), until onions are very soft and beef shreds easily. Shred the beef chunks with two forks (you can do this right in the slow cooker; no need to remove them). The chili will thicken as it sits. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.
Be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Steak Chili
A hearty, beefy, deeply flavorful Instant Pot Steak Chili that requires very minimal time and effort. A delicious dinner is ready in an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil (sub: olive oil)
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds stew meat, trimmed of excess fat (sub: chuck roast, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (sub: regular diced tomatoes)
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (sub: canned tomato puree)
- 1 cup beef broth (sub: chicken broth)
- 1 can (15.5-ounce) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (sub: black beans)
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles (I used mild)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Lime wedges, served on the side
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Turn on the Saute mode and heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Saute the beef until browned on one side, about 3-4 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper as it cooks.
- Remove the beef to a plate and set aside. Add the onions saute until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds of cook time.
- Add back in the beef and all the remaining ingredients (except the lime) to the pot and stir. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Shred the beef in the pot using two forks. Serve and enjoy with lime wedges and your favorite chili toppings.
Freeze For Later:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Add all ingredients, except lime wedges, to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze the bag in a round container that’s the shape of the Instant Pot.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Fully cook the chili and let it cool completely. (Tip: It can sit out up to 2 hours and then needs to be transferred to the fridge to continue cooling down.) Freeze in a freezer bag, SouperCubes, or freezer containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Saute the frozen meal in the Instant Pot for 5-10 minutes to release some liquid. Then, lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Shred the beef and serve.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Thaw the chili in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on the microwave. Warm gently in the Instant Pot, on the stove top, or in the microwave. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side and your favorite chili toppings.
Notes/Tips
- Shortcut Dump-and-Go Method: While you won’t get quite as much flavor, it will work to simply dump all the ingredients (except the lime wedges) into the Instant Pot and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure. Then, use a 10-minute natural release, shred the beef, and serve.
- More Topping Ideas: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, diced red onion, sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, pickled jalapeños
- I highly suggest shredding the beef instead of leaving it in cubes. It makes the chili thicker and every bite is perfectly balanced with just a little shredded beef.
- Canned Items: Since you’re using some canned items, be sure to read the ingredients. Look for the ones with the fewest and the most recognizable ingredients (i.e. try to avoid additives). Organic versions are usually “cleaner”.
- Cost: All the ingredients cost me $20 at Walmart or about $4/serving (as of 3/1/24).
- Let’s Talk About Beans: Many recipes have you add beans at the end, but we found that the dark kidney beans hold up to the long cook time and get infused with flavor while sitting in the chili all day. Black beans will also work instead, but America’s Test Kitchen noted that the light kidney beans break down more quickly.
- Lime wedges at the end are a must! They lend some acid to the chili at the table that brightens the flavor and accentuates the heat of the spices.
- Stretch This Chili: Add another can of beans to make the chili stretch even further. Could also add another 1/2 pound of stew meat.
- Like It Spicy? Add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and/or use medium heat green chiles if you like your chili spicy. I tested it this way, and my husband and I really liked it. But it’s definitely got a kick to it that might be too much for children and/or picky eaters.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Leave a Comment