Did you know…
Some folks believe the first chili con carne recipe came from a ghostly Spanish nun dubbed the “Lady in Blue”? This claim has never been substantiated, but some argue that Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain was the first to pen a chili recipe. According to Jumano tribe legend, “La Dama de Azul” or the Lady in Blue, would go into trances for several days. When she awoke from these trances, she would claim to have traveled to faraway lands to spread the Christian gospel. Now, it is uncontested that Sister Mary never physically left Spain, but Native American tribes like the Jumano claimed to have seen her ghostly presence. Sister Mary reportedly received and wrote down her recipe for chili con carne which included venison or antelope meat, onions, tomatoes and chili peppers.
A ghost surely couldn’t have come up with chili though, right?
Fun ghost stories aside, most historians point to Texas as the birthplace of chili. Chili quickly became popular along the cattle trail campfires surrounded by predominantly Mexican cowboys and gold-seekers. Many would keep cuts of beef, beef fat, chili peppers and a variety of seasonings in their saddlebags on the trail. At the end of a long day, all they needed to do was dump the ingredients in a pot of boiling water to transform these ingredients into a nourishing meal. Kind of like the original dump-and-go recipe.
I stayed true to the dump-and-go origins of chili and decided to use my Instant Pot this time around. All I had to do was saute my veggies, brown my meat, and throw everything else in the same Instant Pot before letting it do its thing. After a long day in the office, that’s my kind of meal.
Full disclosure…
I almost didn’t want to post this chili recipe – primarily because some die-hard chili enthusiast would say using italian sausage is sacrilegious. But also because Americans enjoy chili in such different ways. I truly don’t think there’s a wrong way to make it. Scratch that. I’m sure there’s some gross recipes out there, but what I’m trying to say is that chili is one of those beautiful concoctions that can and SHOULD be customized the way you like. If you want to throw in some extra veggies, be my guest. Are you diametrically opposed to beans in chili? I won’t fight you on it. This is just the way I enjoy my chili. I’m pretty sure if you give it a shot, you won’t think I’m absolutely insane for liking it this way.
How to make this quick and easy chili
First, you’ll want to set your Instant Pot to high on the sauté mode. While your Instant Pot heats up, roughly chop your onion and red pepper.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to Instant Pot and throw in the onions and pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes until onions are slightly translucent.
Empty the pot and set the onion/pepper mix aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil and brown your meat. Depending on the size of the pot, this can take anywhere from 7-10 minutes.
Once browned, turn the Instant Pot to high on the slow cooker mode. Throw back in your onions and peppers, as well as the beans, tomatoes, chili mix, beef stock and Worcestershire sauce.
Mix everything together and put your lid on. Let cook for 3 hours. If you’re in even more of a rush, set the Instant Pot to “Bean/Chili” mode and let cook for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, load your bowl up with your favorite fixings. I like a little cheese, sour cream and diced jalapenos for mine, but feel free to get as creative as you like.
Instant Pot Chili
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs hot Italian sausage
- 2 cans chili beans (16 oz. each)
- 2 cans fire-roasted tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
- 1 packet chili mix
- 1 large red pepper chopped
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 1.5 cups beef stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Chili Toppings
- green or red onions
- dollop sour cream
- shredded cheese
- lime juice
Instructions
- Prep: Set your Instant Pot to high on the sauce mode. While that heats up, roughly chop the onions and red pepper.
- Saute: Add a drizzle of olive oil to the Instant Pot and throw in the chopped onions and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes until onions are slightly translucent.
- Brown Meat: Empty the Instant Pot and set the sautéed onions and peppers aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil and brown your meat. Depending on the size of the pot, this can take anywhere from 7-10 minutes.
- Combine: Once browned, turn the Instant Pot to high on the slow cooker mode. Throw back in your onions and peppers, as well as the beans, tomatoes, chili mix, beef stock and worcestershire sauce.
- Cook: Mix everything together and put your lid on. Let cook for 3 hours.
- Plate + Top: Once cooked, load your chili up with your favorite fixings. I like a little cheese, sour cream and diced jalapenos for mine, but feel free to get as creative as you like.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
- To store: Place the chili in an airtight container and refrigerate. If refrigerated, chili can usually last up to 3-4 days. This is also a great recipe to freeze and use later. If frozen, it can last for up to 4-6 months!
- Obviously ground beef is a tried and true protein option for chili, but I’ve also made this recipe with ground turkey and ground chicken before. They both work great.
- I was in a bit of a time crunch, so I just dumped everything in my Instant Pot and used the highest heat. However, this is the PERFECT slow cooker recipe. Something about letting all these flavors meld together low and slow over the course of the day really takes the dish up a notch.
