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Pressure Cooker Ground Beef and Bean Chili Recipe

Daniel Gritzer

Unlike a lot of chili recipes that call for short cooking times but deliver terrible flavor, this classic ground beef-and-bean recipe saves time the right way, by using a pressure cooker, not by cutting corners.

Published: Last Updated:
Pressure Cooker Ground Beef and Bean Chili Recipe

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This classic beef-and-bean chili is loaded with tender ground beef, red kidney beans, and layer upon layer of flavor. We didn't cut any corners that mattered, but thanks to the high pressure and temperature of the pressure cooker, we reduced the cooking time significantly. For deeper flavor, a tiny dose of coffee, dark chocolate, and splash of fish sauce take this easy yet complex chili to even greater heights.

Why It Works

  • Searing only a portion of the ground beef develops lots of complex flavor but still leaves plenty of tender bits as well.
  • Coffee, dark chocolate, and fish sauce add subtle roasty and savory notes—don't worry; you won't taste any of them clearly.
  • Using a pressure cooker drastically shortens the cooking time while still fully tenderizing the beef.

Read more: Pressure Cook Your Way to Perfect Chili in Just 60 Minutes

  • Yield:Makes about 2 1/2 quarts, serving about 5 as a main course
  • Active time: 30 minutes
  • Total time:1 hour
  • Rated: 4.2

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil, plus more if needed
  • 2 1/2 pounds (1.1kg) ground beef, at least 15% fat
  • 1 medium (8-ounce; 225g) yellow onion, diced
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more if desired
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if desired
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) tomato paste
  • One 28-ounce (794g) can whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes crushed by hand, juices drained and reserved
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) strongly brewed coffee or espresso
  • 1/2 ounce (15g) dark chocolate
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3ml) Asian fish sauce
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 4 cups cooked and drained red kidney beans or two 15.5-ounce (439g) cans red kidney beans, drained (see note)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Sour cream, cilantro leaves, thinly sliced fresh chili or jalapeño, grated cheese, thinly sliced scallions, lime wedges, and more, for serving

Directions

  1. 1.

    Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat (or, if using electric pressure cooker, using sauté setting), until shimmering. Add about 1/4 of the ground beef, stirring occasionally, until very well browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove browned beef from cooker and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from cooker.

  2. 2.

    Add onion and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of cooker, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes (cooking time will depend heavily on your pressure cooker, especially electric ones where you can't control the heat level). Season with salt. Stir in garlic, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. (Add more oil at any time if cooker seems too dry.) Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute.

  3. 3.

    Return browned beef to cooker along with any accumulated juices. Add uncooked beef, crushed tomatoes, and stir well to combine. Season lightly with salt. Stir in coffee, chocolate, and fish sauce. Add bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, stirring well and scraping bottom all over. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, break up any chunks of ground beef. Scrape bottom all over once more before sealing the cooker.

  4. 4.

    Seal cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 20 minutes. Quick-release cooker and stir chili well, scraping bottom to make sure nothing is sticking.

  5. 5.

    Discard bay leaf. Stir in drained beans. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Taste chili and add more chili powder, cumin, or cayenne pepper to taste, if desired. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. If chili is too thick, stir in some reserved tomato juices (or bean-cooking liquid, if you have it) to thin to desired consistency. If chili is too thin, simmer until thickened to desired consistency.

  6. 6.

    Serve with the toppings of your choice.

This Recipe Appears In
Pressure Cook Your Way to Perfect Chili in Just 60 Minutes

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Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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