Beef and Beer Chili Instant Pot Recipe

This Instant Pot Beef and Beer Chili Recipe is one of our favorites. It’s a crowd pleaser for a reason and it just got even better.  With the addition of a good, dark beer, it’s magical. If you prefer to leave out the beer, don’t worry, it’ll still be delicious! It’s chili that tastes like it lazily simmered away half of the afternoon in 30 minutes.

My original intention with this chili was bison instead of ground beef, however I didn’t embrace the idea of a $12 serving of chili.  When did that happen?  I’m used to paying a little more for food, but the price of bison has gone up quite a bit since the last time I purchased it. Once I regained my composure and wiped away my tears, I set off toward the ground beef.

Instant Pot Chili Recipe

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Dark Beer Chili Recipe

Beef and Beer Chili

Like most people, we are on a budget.   The thought of spending as much on bison as I would for TWO substantial trips to the vegetable market made me cringe.  I couldn’t do it.  As much as I wanted bison, I wasn’t willing to part with that much moolah for it.  I also didn’t feel like getting any disgruntled messages about the cost like I’m sure I’ll get from the whole of Texas explaining that chili shouldn’t have beans.  I’m a Northerner, deal with it.

Beef and Beer Chili Recipe

I have this thing with local products.  If an area is known for something that they produce, I must try it.  I did my research before my first trip to Texas and of course it was on the list.  I usually go for small batch craft beers, but it’s Shiner.  Let me clear about something here – the Shiner folks don’t even know I exist.  They didn’t sponsor this post, nor have I received anything from anyone (although I wouldn’t turn down free beer).  To reiterate, it’s my own personal preference.   The love affair started on my first visit and I haven’t looked back.

Speaking of beer… I was at a wine/beer store and decided to put together a random 6 pack.  If you are like me and you enjoy trying new things, this is the best way to do it.  I usually pick things that have crazy names or a cool label, because I like to be surprised by new finds.  However, this bottle of Bohemian Black Lager was sitting all by itself and I thought “Hmmm, I’ll bet you are super tasty”. I waited and waited for the perfect occasion to crack open this bottle and it was well worth the anticipation.  It made magic in this chili.  The only thing I would do differently next time is make a double batch.

Instant Pot Chili Ingredients

Used to make Beer Chili:

Don’t forget to pin it to your chili board!

Yield: 7

Beef and Beer Chili Instant Pot Recipei

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 29 oz. can red beans, I used Goya small red beans
• 1 1/2 cups bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup poblano pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups celery, diced
• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, canned
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 4 Tbsp chili powder
• 4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 bottle Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, or other dark beer

Instructions

1. Choose the "Sauté" setting on the Instant Pot and let it heat up. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Shut off the Instant Pot, remove the pot from inside and drain the fat from the beef.
2. Put the pot back inside and again choose "sauté". Add canola oil, peppers, onions, garlic, celery, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to the beef. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, just until they begin to brown. Press "cancel" to shut off sauté function.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans and beer. Put lid on, make sure that the lever is set to "sealing" and press "manual". Set timer to 30 minutes, go put your feet up and relax for the next half hour.
4. I let the pressure reduce on it's own for about 15 minutes, then I run out of patience and move the lever to "venting". Use a kitchen towel to protect your hand from the steam, if you are concerned you might get burned.

Notes

This serves 6 VERY generously, 7 "normal" servings or 8 servings with copious amounts of cheese, avocado, sour cream and crackers 😉
Bell peppers- I used orange because I had it. Red or yellow would also work, but I tend to stay away from green pepper. Again, personal preference.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

7
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390 Saturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 66mg Sodium: 1562mg Carbohydrates: 31g Fiber: 11g Sugar: 8g Protein: 26g

Nutrition information calculated by a third-party company as a courtesy. It is intended as a guideline only.

What else can I serve with this chili?

• Corn Casserole – I’d serve this like cornbread with the chili
• Clementine Cake – You’ll want a light dessert, nothing too heavy after chili