If you’re looking for a chili recipe that’s quick to make with little prep time, our steak chili recipe made in the Instant Pot will be your new go-to dish for the cold weather months. Our version has just 3 simple steps to keep the active cooking time minimal (let the pressure cooker do the work for you!). If you’re short on time but want fork-tender chunks of beef, this is the best recipe.
We serve this stew meat chili at tailgates, potlucks, and prep it in advance to eat for dinner during a busy week. Most recipes simmer for hours to develop a deep flavor profile. Thanks to an electric pressure cooker, this satisfying recipe is ready in just 90 minutes! If you love a hearty soup, also try our minestrone soup and vegetable soup, also both made in the pressure cooker!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Perfect for game-day or a party. We always whip up a batch of this steak chili recipe for a party. It’s so easy to serve a crowd and can stay on the “keep warm setting” throughout the whole game.
- Freeze for a busy weeknight. This is a great prep ahead recipe for busy weeks. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. Dinner is served in no time!
- Simple ingredients with only 25 minutes of prep. Forget a complicated chili recipe, we keep the ingredient list easy so you aren’t stuck prepping the recipe for hours.
Tips for Busy Cooks
When serving this chili to a crowd, we love to create a taco-style toppings bar. Toppings transform a hearty bowl of stew meat chili into a family-friendly affair. Our favorite garnish options include sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sliced avocado, pickled jalapenos, or fresh cilantro for an extra burst of flavor.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Stew meat – If you can’t find pre-cut stew meat, cut a chuck roast into 1-inch cubes and trim the excess fat. This kind steak chili recipe benefits from slow cooking methods, but the instant pot cooks it quickly.
- Celery, onion, and garlic – Add a base of sweet vegetable flavor that is essential.
- Tomatoes, paste, and puree – By using all three, we add a robust tomato flavor to every bite.
- Black beans and kidney beans – Add heartiness to pair with the chuck roast pieces.
- Beef Broth – Is the flavorful liquid for the base of the broth. Store-bought beef broth can be high in sodium, which is why we recommend reduced-sodium.
- Spices – We love all the classic chili spices like chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper add plenty of flavor to the broth. If you want an easy substitute you can look for a chili spice blend mix at the store.
How to make Instant Pot steak chili recipe
1. Brown the meat
- Set your instant pot to sauté, let the pot heat up and then add the oil. Meanwhile, dry the meat chunks with a paper towel to ensure the meat will caramelize. Moisture creates steam which prevents caramelization!
- Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Add beef chunks in a single layer and brown the meat on all sides. The beef chunks are ready to flip when they release gently from the pan. Don’t be afraid to let them get dark brown for a deep, rich flavor!
- Use the tongs to transfer the seared meat onto a clean plate, then repeat with the leftover meat.
2. Deglaze the pot and saute the veggies
- Add chopped onions and celery, stirring frequently, until the veggies turn translucent. Add a splash of broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Doing this releases all the flavor that’s stuck to the pot.
- Stir in the seasoning.
- Add tomato paste and garlic, sauté for another minute or so.
- Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and beans. Give the mixture a good stir, then add the beef chunks with their juices and the broth. Stir one more time.
Be sure to deglaze the pot well, scraping any pieces that’s stuck to the bottom. You don’t want anything stuck on the bottom, or you’ll get a “BURN” notice and the pot won’t come to pressure.
3. Pressure cook
- Cover the pot, set the valve to sealing, and set the Instant Pot for 25 minutes on high pressure. Remember, it takes time for your instant pot to come to pressure. For my Instant Pot, it takes about 14 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, which means let the pot sit untouched. Then carefully turn the valve to venting. Once the pin drops, carefully open the lid – it’s extremely hot!
- Taste and season if necessary. Enjoy with delicious toppings!
Expert Tips:
- Make it spicy. If you like spice, add a can of green chiles the same time as the tomatoes and beans. You can also serve with hot sauce.
- For a mild chili. Reduce the chili powder to one tablespoon.
- Pat the meat very dry before you sear it with paper towels. This ensures the beef will caramelize when it hits the hot pan. Excess moisture will cause the meat to steam.
- Give the meat some space when searing it. If you overcrowd the meat pieces, the beef won’t brown properly. If you need to brown the steak in batches, this is ok too.
- If the steak chili tastes too acidic, you have two options. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acid or a tablespoon of sugar to mellow it.
- For a chunkier chili, replace the tomato puree with diced tomatoes.
- When you deglaze the Instant Pot with beef stock, be sure to really scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan so you don’t receive the “burn” notice from the Instant Pot. This is a foolproof tip to make sure the chili cooks correctly.
- Chop the veggies in advance. Even if you don’t have time to make the chili early, you can always chop the veggies! Chop the celery and onions, mince the garlic, and drain the beans. Store everything in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
Storing Tips
Homemade steak chili can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing the chili also works great too. Freeze the chili in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 6 months. We often even like to store the chili in individual portions so everyone in the family can reheat at different times after school, work, and other activities.
For easy thawing, store the chili in shallow containers or laid flat in plastic bags. Defrost the frozen chili in the fridge overnight or thaw in hot water, then reheat in a saucepan on low heat or in the microwave.
Whether it’s a busy weeknight or you’re wanting to get ahead when entertaining a crowd, this Instant Pot chili recipe is easy to make in advance. In fact chili tastes even better on day two! All the flavors sit and permeate the broth and beans. Make it a day in advance then all you need to do is reheat.
What to do with leftover steak chili
There are so many great options of how to put a twist on chili the day after cooking. Here are some of our favorites.
- Chili cornbread bake – Whip up a store-bought cornbread mix. Scoop the chili into small ramekins and top with cornbread batter. Bake at 350 degrees until the cornbread is done.
- Chili cheese dogs – Top hotdogs with the leftover chili with shredded cheese, and diced onions.
- Baked potato – Top a hot baked potato with shredded cheese, warm chili, and sour cream.
- Chili mac – Simply scoop the chili onto homemade or store-bought macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
Steak chili topping ideas
Stew beef chili is the perfect vehicle for savory, spicy, or crunchy toppings! Try one or all of these toppings to kick things up a notch.
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Pickled jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Cheddar cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced avocado
- Guacamole
- Green onions
FAQs
Stew meat is typically made from a chuck roast with lots of connective tissue. When it simmers for a long period of time in a liquid, the connective tissue breaks down and the meat becomes tender.
This is why it’s perfect for beef stew or chili. In this Instant Pot recipe, the pressure makes the meat tender in a short amount of time.
This zesty chili recipe doesn’t need a side dish! If you can’t resist, a slice of cornbread, a baked potato, white rice, mixed green salad, or grilled cheese are great options.
You can simmer the chili in the pot uncovered for a longer period of time which will reduce the liquid in the pot and make it thicker.
Be sure the lid is sealed before starting the pressure cook. If it isn’t sealed then the pot will never come to pressure. You want to also scrape all of the borwned bits up off of the bottom of the pot so that the “burn” signal doesn’t come on when it’s time to pressure cook.
Easy Instant Pot Chili
Instant Pot Steak Chili Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lb stew meat Note 1
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth or water
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can tomato puree Note 2
- 14.4 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can light kidney beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
To brown the meat:
- Set Instant Pot to “sauté” on high heat.
- Once the Instant Pot display reads “HOT”, add oil and heat it for a minute.
- Working in batches, add beef chunks in one layer and brown the meat on all sides, 3-4 minutes, removing the seared meat onto a clean plate and continuing with the remaining beef.
To sauté the veggies:
- Add chopped onions and celery into the now empty pot. Cook stirring frequently until onions begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add splash of broth (or water) to the pot and deglaze the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. (TIP: You don’t want anything stuck on the bottom, or you’ll get a “BURN” notice and the pot won’t come to pressure.)
- Stir in salt and spices and continue to cook for a minute.
- Then add tomato paste and garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes and beans. Stir everything well and then add beef chunks with all the juices and broth. Stir everything once again.
To pressure cook:
- Cover the pot, make sure the valve is set to “sealing” and set the Instant Pot for Manual/Pressure Cook for 25 minutes on high. (NOTE: It took about 14 minutes for my Instant Pot to come to pressure.)
- Once the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes, and then carefully turn the valve to venting. Once the pin drops, carefully open the lid. Taste and adjust the salt if needed and serving with your favorite chili toppings.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
- Homemade chili can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- To increase it’s shelf life, freeze the chili in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 6 months.
- For easy thawing, store the chili in shallow containers or laid flat in plastic bags.
- Defrost the frozen chili in the fridge overnight or thaw in hot water, then reheat in a saucepan on low heat or in the microwave.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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