Instant Pot Texas Chili With Chicken Recipe

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Cooking With Anadi

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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?

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 favorite chicken chili recipe whenever you’re short on time, don’t feel like cooking, or you’re just craving it!

Equipment for Instant Pot Chili Con Carne

• Instant Pot
• Cutting board
• Sharp chef’s knife
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon
• Blender
• Garlic press
• Tongs
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Ladle

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!

• 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 flavor 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 flavor and add umami flavor to the chili.
• Garlic: Minced garlic cloves provide the best flavor.
• 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Add the brewed coffee and cocoa powder.

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.

You can slow cook the chili 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.

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.

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.

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

Enjoy!

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 flavor all lies in the variety of chilies. Make sure you get one of these authentic chili peppers for your chili from your local store to get the authentic color, texture and flavors 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 chilies well before soaking them and then sauteeing the puree again with the onions to intensify the flavors 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 flavor from the dry spices would be to saute them first. This helps to intensify the flavor 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.

More Instant Pot Goodness!

• Instant Pot Beef Chili
• Instant Pot Penne Alla Vodka
• Instant Pot Indian Black Eyed Pea Curry (Lobia Masala)
• Instant Pot Restaurant-Style Dal Makhani
• Instant Pot Red Kidney Bean Curry (Rajma Masala)
• Instant Pot Vegan Minestrone Soup
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

An Instant Pot Recipe That Never Uses Pressure

Here is the thing that surprises everyone who reads the method: the pressure function is never switched on. Every stage of this happens on Saute mode, and then the pot goes to Slow Cook, on High for 2 hours or on Normal for 4. There is no high pressure stage anywhere, no natural release to wait out and no remaining pressure to vent at the end. When it is done you simply take the lid off.

That is a deliberate use of the machine rather than a missed trick. Pressure is brilliant at making tough things tender quickly, but chili is not really a tenderness problem, it is a concentration problem: you want the chile paste, the spices and the meat to sit together long enough to stop tasting like separate ingredients. Pressure gets you there fast and flat. Four hours of slow cooking gets you there properly, and the total time on the card is 4 hours 45 for exactly that reason.

What the electric pressure cooker is genuinely earning its place for is everything that happens before that. It dry-roasts the chiles, renders the bacon, browns the chicken, softens the onions and blooms the ground spices, all on Saute and all in the same vessel, so none of the fond ever leaves the pot. A pan on the stove would do each of those jobs, but you would be transferring between it and a slow cooker four times. Do close the lid and set the valve to sealing for the slow cook itself, even though no pressure will build.

Ground Chicken, Not Beef in Cubes

A Texas chili is traditionally beef, and specifically stew meats like chuck cut into 2-inch cubes rather than anything ground. This recipe uses 1 1/2 lbs of ground chicken instead, which is a real departure and worth knowing before you start. It also explains the timings: cubed beef needs a long braise simply to become chewable, whereas ground chicken is tender from the moment it browns, so the hours here are buying flavor rather than texture.

Brown it properly all the same. The recipe has you cook it on Saute until it has lightly browned, stirring often and breaking up any big chunks, and then remove it from the pot before the onions go in. That order matters, because meat crowded in with onions releases water and steams instead of browning. One large red onion goes in next, not two medium onions, and it goes in with a good pinch of salt to draw moisture out and speed it along.

The bacon is doing double duty and deserves the same care. Five strips render down at the start, and you lift the crispy pieces out with a slotted spoon so all of the fat stays behind in the pot. That rendered bacon fat is the cooking medium for everything that follows, which is why the olive oil is listed as only if the pot needs extra grease. Scrape the dark bits off the base with a wooden spoon before you carry on.

The Chile Paste, Seasoning and Thickening at the End

The backbone is 5 ancho and 3 guajillo chiles, halved with seeds and stems removed, then dry-roasted on Saute for 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant. They then soak in chicken broth for 15 to 20 minutes and go into a food processor with that same broth. Do not pour the soaking liquid away. That cooking liquid is where a good deal of the chile flavor now lives, and it is what lets the paste puree smooth in the first place.

Salt in stages rather than all at the end. A pinch goes in with the onions, more goes in with the ground spices, and then you taste once the slow cook is finished. Kosher salt is the easier choice for this because the flakes are visible against a dark chili and you can judge what you have added, where a tsp salt of fine table salt disappears the moment it hits the pot.