Instant Pot Texas Chili With Chicken Recipe

About this recipe

Hearty Instant Pot Texas Chili with Chicken is quick, easy, and packed with bold Southwest flavor. Perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner the whole family will love.

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Happy National Chili Day! I admit that I’m not always familiar with these food celebration days, but woohoo I made it for this one!

For quite some time I’ve always wanted to have an authentic Texas Chili. When I heard that National Chili Day was rolling around, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity!

However, I have to admit something about myself - I really have a hard time deciding on what I want! The dark red color and the spiciness of a Texas chili intrigued me, yet I was craving some chicken in my chili. Furthermore, I love tomatoes and beans and wanted to toss those in there too! This chili starts out with a Texas-style base but we’ve got tons of greatness going on here! Featuring cocoa powder and brewed coffee to add even more depth to our chili sauce, a rich pepper paste from bold Mexican chilies, and tender chicken, slow-cooked to an addictive chili that will have you wanting seconds or even thirds!

As I describe in my free motivational guide, Make Cooking Fun!!, having a theme can really inspire you to try new recipes! No need to stop at only a single day to make chili! If you’ve loved this Texas-Inspired Chicken Chili recipe, then definitely try different chili variations! There are so many possibilities, and the Instant Pot is the perfect tool to make awesome chilies! If the southwest is a destination unseen for you and you want to explore that cuisine more, then this chili is totally a great first step, and I certainly recommend you try out this super scrumptious Instant Pot Texas Chili with chicken recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get the free guides by signing up to my newsletter and my new recipes will be delivered right to your inbox!

Check out the video at the bottom of this post to see how all of our components come together in the Instant Pot to make our Texas Chicken Chili! I’d really appreciate if you’d subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and please hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! I love to make the video recipes to give you a full picture of what exactly is going on so you’re guaranteed for success! Let’s get cooking!

What Is Texas Chili and What Makes Texas Chili Different?

Texas chili, also known as Texas Red Chili, or Texas Chili con Carne (or even simply chili con carne) means chili with meat. This chili is basically a bold chili that consists of dried chilies, bacon, chunks of beef (stewing or chuck beef), and spices, to give the iconic red color of the chili.. To make it clear, an authentic Texas chili does NOT contain beans. Moreover, Texas chili does not contain tomatoes.

Why does a Texas chili omit the beans and tomatoes? The reason is simply because the Texans created the chili to celebrate the goodness of the meat and the spices, and they really pride themselves in those elements being the star of their chili recipe.

As you can already see, my chili recipe will indeed have tomatoes and beans. However, I loved the essence of Texas Red Chili so much that I wanted to use some of its elements with my own preferences, which include beans and diced tomatoes. This is why I’m not claiming that this recipe is an authentic Texas chili by any means, rather, it’s a Texas-INSPIRED chili! For all the chicken, bean, and tomato lovers out there who still want to enjoy those bold chilies and the incredible red color, then you’re sure to love this recipe!

One of these days I will make a true authentic Texas chili, but for now I’m going to take the ideas to get that rich, bold color from the chili paste and bacon but switch things up my way! I’ll have to fight to omit the beans, but hey! I wanna see what a true Texas chili is all about! Are you team beans or not?

Bowl of Texas-style chili with chicken, topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions, garnished with crispy tortilla strips.

What Chilies Should I use For This Instant Pot Texas Chili with CHicken?▼

The best chillies you can use to prepare a Texas style chili really depends on your preferences when it comes to flavour and heat levels. However, if you need some suggestions, you really can’t go wrong with chillies that are smoky, have a rich deep flavour with mild heat levels. Here are my top 3 suggestions, you can use any combo of these in your chili:

Ancho chili peppers: Sweet, slightly smoky flavor. Mild to medium heat level. Mexico
Guajillo chili peppers: Slightly sweet, smoky flavor. Mild to medium heat level. Mexico
New Mexico chili peppers: Slightly fruity, earthy flavor. Mild to medium heat level. Southwestern U.S.

Is Texas Chili with Chicken Spicy?▼

Usually Texas style chili is spicier than other types of chilies. This is mainly because Texas chilies combine a variety of chilli peppers to provide a depth of flavour in the dish and the spice levels can range from mild to spicy. For this recipe, I would rate the spice level for this chili to a medium level, but then again, what’s medium for me, may be mild to you. However, I promise you, this is nothing off the charts, and the spice level should be manageable for most. The only aspect that’s out of this world is the flavour.

How to Make the Chili Sauce Thick?

Chili can be thickened in a number of ways and for this recipe the chili paste made of the Guajillo and Ancho chilies helps add a lot of body to the sauce to get the right consistency. At the end of the cooking process, if you still find the chili can be thicker, you can mix up some Masa Harina, which is a type corn flour with water and add it to the chili. Mix it well to ensure there are no lumps.

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Chicken Chili

It’s got beans: I was almost about to omit the beans here but deep down I really wanted beans in my chili recipe! If you’re a bean lover then this is the recipe for you! I’ll be incorporating the elements of a classic Texas-style red chili but adding my own twist with some satiating beans that will add body and more flavor!
Loaded with tomatoes: Again, sorry die-hard Texas chili advocates, but I really wanted tomatoes in here! They’ll definitely enhance the thick sauce and give a super deep red color.
Easy to follow: Pretty much all of the work is done in the Instant Pot here! Outside of the Instant Pot, we’ll need to blend up our chilies, but that’s it! The rest of the method is all in the Instant Pot, so the procedure won’t have you using lots of pots and pans and getting confused!
Slow cooked to perfection: With this recipe, all the magic happens in slow cooking. This allows for all the flavors to take the time to release throughout the dish!
Make-ahead friendly: As I did when I made the recipe, you can cook this in the morning and have it ready for dinner time. In addition, our Texas Chicken Chili can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, and you can even freeze it for a few months! The bigger the batch you make the better so you’ve got it on hand and can enjoy your new favourite chicken chili recipe whenever you’re short on time, don’t feel like cooking, or you’re just craving it!

How Long Will Our Texas-Style Chicken Chili Cook For?▼

The longer you let this chili cook, the better it will be. I would recommend slow cooking in the Instant Pot on the Normal mode for 4 hours. However, if you are hungry, 2 hours slow cook on High is the minimum recommended cooking time.

Equipment for Instant Pot Chili Con Carne

Ingredients for Instant Pot Texas Chili with Chicken

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for all ingredient quantities and the recipe instructions. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many portions you want to make! I really recommend you maximize the large volume of your Instant Pot pot to go ahead and make a ton of this chili because you’ll want it again and again! All individual ingredient quantities will be automatically adjusted for you!

Ingredients laid out for Texas chili including spices on a plate, beans, bacon, canned goods, and dried chiles in a bowl.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Just a few from the can to really enhance the flavors.
Ancho chilies: One of our two stars here! If you can’t find these at your regular grocery store, find them online or at a Mexican grocer.
Guajillos chilies: To be blended with the ancho chilies to make our paste.
Bacon strips: Any bacon of your choice will work here. I used maple bacon for extra flavor!
Olive oil: For sautéing all of our ingredients in the Instant Pot. You can use any neutral oil of your choice if you don’t have olive oil.
Onions: Any onions will work, but I’m using red onions that will be chopped.
Ground chicken: Ground turkey will also work here.
Diced tomatoes: To help create a rich tomato broth as the base of the chili sauce. While this is a big no-no for an authentic Texas chili, I’m a tomato lover and I really wanted to add them in here!
Chicken broth: You can use any type of broth you’d like if you don’t have chicken broth on hand. Used to soak the ancho and guajillos chilies. I like to use no salt added chicken broth so that I have more control in adjusting the salt.
Masa harina/corn flour: This is the flour used to make tortillas and other baked Mexican recipes. We’ll use our corn flour as a thickening agent for our chili sauce.
Cocoa powder: Cocoa adds a really rich flavour that helps offset the heat from the peppers. If you can, be sure to use Mexican chocolate!
Water: To thin out the chili sauce since it will become significantly reduced.
Brewed coffee: Some recipes use beer. You’ll use your coffee for some extra flavour and add umami flavour to the chili.
Garlic: Minced garlic cloves provide the best flavour.
Canned pinto beans: You can also use dried beans and cook them in advance. Other excellent bean options include red kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, or any mixture of these!
Spices: The spices that will go into our chili include oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, cinnamon stick, allspice, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and paprika.
Salt: Always season to taste! My personal preference is Himalayan pink salt because it contains less sodium than table salt.

How to Make Texas-Style Instant Pot Chili

Break or slice the chili peppers in half and remove all of the seeds and stems.

Hands holding a knife slicing a dried red chili pepper in half to remove seeds and stems.

Hand holding a dried red chili pepper in half with seeds visible, with a glass bowl of peppers in the background.

Hands holding a halved red chili pepper with seeds being removed over a white surface.

Hands holding halved red chili peppers with seeds and stems removed, showing interior flesh and yellow seeds.

Hands breaking dried chili peppers in half over a white surface with seeds scattered.

Hands removing seeds from a halved dried red chili pepper over a white surface.

Then set the Instant Pot to Saute mode on the Normal setting and add all of the chilies to the Instant Pot. Saute and dry roast for 5-8 minutes or until the chilies become fragrant and soften a bit.

Transfer the chillies to a large bowl and fill halfway with chicken broth. Submerge the chillies and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.

Dried red chiles soaking in chicken broth in a white bowl, softened and rehydrated for chili sauce.

Dried chiles soaking in chicken broth in a white bowl with a yellow spoon nearby.

Dried red chiles soaking in chicken broth in a glass bowl to soften before blending into chili sauce.

Dried chiles soaking in chicken broth in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

In the meanwhile, add chopped bacon to the Instant Pot and turn it back to Saute mode. Let the bacon gently render out its fat and stir often until the bacon pieces become crispy. Set the bacon aside and leave the bacon fat in the Instant Pot. Using a wooden spoon, remove any dark bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Bacon pieces and ground chicken cooking in an Instant Pot on saute mode

Bacon pieces being stirred in an Instant Pot with a yellow silicone spatula as fat renders.

Add the ground chicken to the Instant Pot and continue to cook on Saute mode until the chicken has cooked and has browned lightly. Make sure to stir often and break up any big chunks of meat.

Browned ground chicken cooking in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon stirring it.

Browned ground chicken being stirred in an Instant Pot with a yellow spoon during the sauté step of chili preparation.

Remove the meat from the pot and then add the chopped onions along with a good pinch of salt to the Instant Pot. Add olive oil if the pot needs extra grease and also add in the chopped garlic, cinnamon stick and allspice. Continue to cook with the onions until the onions have softened, stir often.

Chopped red onions sautéing in an Instant Pot with minced garlic and oil during Texas chili preparation.

Diced onions and minced garlic cooking in an Instant Pot with ground chicken and spices.

Diced onions being stirred in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon during the sautéing step.

In the meanwhile, add the soaked chillies to a food processor, along with the chicken broth and puree until smooth. Add extra chicken broth if needed to puree.

Blender containing dark red chili paste made from soaked chilies and broth, ready to be added to the Instant Pot.

Once the onions have softened, add the chili paste to the Instant Pot and mix well. Saute for 3-5 minutes.

Chili paste being stirred into sautéed onions in an Instant Pot with a yellow spatula.

Add all of the ground spices, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander oregano and salt. Also add 2-3 chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce and mix well to lightly roast and cook out the spices, about 5-6 minutes.

Spices and chili paste being mixed in an Instant Pot during the sauteing step of Texas chicken chili preparation.

Chili paste and ground spices being stirred together in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon.

Add the brewed coffee and cocoa powder.

Pouring brewed coffee into a pot of spiced ground chili mixture in an Instant Pot

Dark chili mixture with coffee and cocoa powder being stirred in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon.

Mixing cocoa powder and brewed coffee into spiced chili mixture in Instant Pot with wooden spoon

Mix well and then add in the cooked chicken from earlier and the chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, water, pinto beans. Mix really well and then set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode.

Instant Pot with ground meat, beans, and red tomato sauce being stirred together with a wooden spoon.

Ground chicken and cocoa powder being mixed into browned chili base in Instant Pot

Wooden spoon stirring dark reddish-brown chili mixture in Instant Pot with visible ingredients and liquid.

Instant Pot Texas chili with chicken, coffee, and cocoa powder being stirred together with a wooden spoon.

You can slow cook the chilli on High for 2 hours or on Normal for 4 hours. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode during the cooking duration.

Hand opening Instant Pot lid filled with cooked Texas chili during slow cooking process

Instant Pot Duo Plus set to 2 hours on slow cook mode for Texas chili recipe.

After the chili is done slow cooking, remove the lid and mix well. Taste and then adjust for any seasonings or spices to your preference. Check the consistency/thickness of the chili.

Thick, rich brown chili simmering in an Instant Pot, being stirred with a ladle.

If it needs to be thickened, add a heaping Tbsp of Masa Harina to a bowl/measuring cup with some water and whisk until smooth. Add this slurry to the chili and mix well and let the chili come up to a simmer.

Masa harina whisked with water in a measuring cup to create a smooth slurry for thickening chili.

Whisking masa harina slurry in a measuring cup to thicken chili

Thick, rich brown chili being stirred in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon.

Top the chili with chopped grated cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream and crispy bacon.

Texas chili being scooped from a white bowl with a crispy tortilla chip, showing meat and broth in rich brown sauce.

Texas chili topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, and crispy bacon in a white bowl.

Enjoy!

A spoon lifts a bite of Texas chili topped with melted cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions from a white bowl.

Toppings for Chili Con Carne

There are plenty of delicious topping ideas to finish up your amazing Texas-Style Instant Pot Chili Chicken! Here are a couple of ideas:

sour cream
chopped cilantro
scallions
shredded cheddar cheese
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
chopped red onions
jalapeño
sliced tomatoes
chopped bell pepper

Serving Suggestions for Texas Chicken Chili

You can certainly enjoy our Texas-Inspired Chicken Chili on its own, but if you want to have a complete meal for yourself or to serve this at a party, then here are some options where you can create your own spread!

Rice: Chipotle-Style Cilantro-Lime Rice would be amazing here, but you could also add an Indian flair with Cilantro-Lemon Rice, Turmeric Rice. You can’t go wrong with simple Steamed White Rice!
Bread: Cornbread and buttermilk biscuits is an iconic side dish to enjoy with chili.
Homemade Guacamole and/or Pico de Gallo with tortilla chips.
Garlic Creamed Spinach
Sautéed Broccoli
Air Fryer Cajun Potato Wedges

Tips for a Memorable Instant Pot Texas Chili:

The flavour all lies in the variety of chillies. Make sure you get one of these authentic chilli peppers for your chili from your local store to get the authentic colour, texture and flavours that make up a Texas chili:

Ancho chili peppers
New Mexico chili peppers
Guajillo chili peppers
Cascabel chili peppers
Pasilla chili peppers.

Make sure you dry roast the chillies well before soaking them and then sauteeing the puree again with the onions to intensify the flavours and develop a complex base for the chili.

While traditionally in chilies, dry spices are added straight to the chili as it is simmering, a better approach to extract the most amount of flavour from the dry spices would be to saute them first. This helps to intensify the flavour and effects of the spices.

An authentic Texas red chili is usually made without beans, however, if you want it, who can stop you? But, if you are going for it, you know what to do. Same thing goes for the diced tomatoes, don’t add these for an authentic chili, but go ahead if you really want it.

I Don’t Have an Instant Pot! Can I Make this Chili Over the Stove?▼

Of course! This recipe can be easily adapted to prepare over the stove top, the principles are still the same. Just adjust the heat level based on the instructions to Low, Medium-Low or Medium to coordinate with the Instant pot instructions.

How to store Instant Pot Texas Chili Chicken▼

First let the chili cool completely before storing. Then, transfer it into airtight containers in the refrigerator without any toppings. Due to the meat in our chili, it will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, depending on how fresh your meat was.

Our Texas-Style Chicken Chili is definitely freezer-friendly! Simply divide the chili into individual portions in freezer-safe airtight containers. This chili can be frozen for up to four months.

When eating from frozen, make sure to naturally thaw your chili in the refrigerator overnight. The best reheating method would be to add your desired portion in a pot on medium-low heat with the pot covered - or you can even use your Instant Pot! However, most likely you’ll be in a rush and want to eat ASAP, so you can reheat your chili in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Ensure to stir occasionally to make sure that the chili is evenly warmed through.

More Instant Pot Goodness!

Recipe by Anadi Misra