Craving a hearty, delicious, and easy-to-make meal? This Instant Pot Turkey Chili is your answer! This recipe is designed for convenience without sacrificing flavor. It’s incredibly simple to prepare, bursting with savory goodness, and deeply satisfying, making it a perfect choice for busy weeknights or cozy weekends. We’ll also share instructions for adapting this recipe to your slow cooker or stovetop, ensuring you can enjoy this fantastic chili no matter your preferred cooking method.
Fall and winter are the seasons for comfort food, and chili ranks high on that list. Soups, hearty stews, comforting pastas, and, of course, the ultimate comfort food – chili!
For many, chili is the quintessential autumn comfort food. This Instant Pot recipe is a standout favorite! It features lean ground turkey, a delightful blend of beans, a complex flavor profile from various spices, and a selection of your favorite toppings such as sour cream and green onions. Whether you’re looking for a cozy night in or need to feed a crowd, this chili will deliver.
This healthy and fulfilling dinner has become a staple in our family’s regular meal rotation. We’ve made it countless times, and it consistently receives rave reviews from friends, family, and even our readers! Its ease of preparation and customizable toppings make it a hit with everyone.
Why You’ll Absolutely Love This Instant Pot Turkey Chili
This recipe has several advantages that will quickly make it a favorite in your household:
- Quick and Convenient: Traditional chili recipes often involve hours of simmering on the stovetop to allow flavors to meld. The beauty of multi-cookers like the Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot is that they drastically reduce cooking time by using pressure cooking. This accelerates the flavor infusion process, making it possible to enjoy deeply flavorful chili in a fraction of the time.
- Explosion of Flavor: This chili is packed with aromatic ingredients and a medley of spices, creating a rich, complex flavor profile that is incredibly satisfying. Every spoonful delivers a comforting and flavorful experience that will keep you coming back for more.
- Generous Portions: This Instant Pot turkey chili recipe yields a substantial amount, easily serving around 10 people. This makes it ideal for game day gatherings, family dinners, or simply preparing a batch for weeknight meals with plenty of leftovers. Leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day, or can be easily frozen for future meals.
- Dairy-Free Adaptability: For those on a dairy-free diet, this recipe is easily adaptable. We’ll provide simple substitutions and adjustments to make this recipe dairy-free, ensuring everyone can enjoy a bowl of delicious chili.
Key Ingredient Notes for Perfect Turkey Chili
A major advantage of this pressure cooker turkey chili recipe is the minimal prep work involved. Most of the preparation consists of dicing vegetables and opening cans. The Instant Pot handles the majority of the work, making it a breeze to get dinner on the table.
Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients:
- Bacon: The foundation of this chili’s flavor begins with the salty, crunchy goodness of bacon. Starting with bacon provides a deep, savory base that enhances all the other ingredients.
- Bell Pepper, Onions, and Garlic: These aromatics are sautéed to build layers of flavor. Diced red bell peppers (you can also use yellow bell pepper), yellow onion (red onion can be substituted), and minced garlic are essential for creating a flavorful foundation.
- Ground Turkey: It’s best to use ground turkey meat that is around 85% lean/15% fat for the best results. This small amount of fat is crucial for building flavors and preventing the meat from drying out. If you prefer ground beef, you can certainly substitute it for the ground turkey.
- Beef Broth: Using beef broth adds depth and richness to the chili. You can use your own homemade broth or a 14.5-ounce can of beef broth. If you don’t have beef broth, chicken broth can be used as a substitute, but be aware that it won’t have the same robust flavor.
- Canned Beans: We use a mix of one can each of pinto beans (or white beans), black beans, and red kidney beans. Feel free to use your favorite hearty beans to customize the chili to your liking.
- Canned Tomatoes: Canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes add an extra layer of flavor to this chili. You can use regular diced tomatoes as an alternative if you prefer.
- Tomato Paste: A small (6-ounce) can of tomato paste is used to thicken the chili and deepen the tomato flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce contributes a unique umami flavor, adding complexity and richness to the chili.
- Herbs and Spices: The final touches that make this pressure cooker chili exceptionally flavorful, rich, and hearty are the herbs and spices. Use oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste to create a perfectly balanced and delicious chili.
Customization: Ingredient Substitution Options
One of the best things about chili is its versatility. Here are a few substitution options to tailor the recipe to your preferences and dietary needs:
- Dairy or Dairy-Free: On its own, this chili recipe is naturally dairy-free. For toppings and garnishes, we typically use regular cheddar cheese and sour cream for those who enjoy dairy. However, it’s easy to substitute these with dairy-free sour cream and dairy-free cheddar cheese to accommodate dairy-free diets.
- Spice Level: This chili recipe is designed to be mild yet flavorful, making it accessible to a wide range of palates. Most of our recipes lean towards the milder side because it’s always easier to add spice than to reduce it. If you prefer a spicier chili, consider adding jalapeños, either directly into the chili during cooking or as a topping. You can also adjust the amount of chili powder or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.
- Vegetables: Feel free to boost the nutritional value and heartiness of the chili by adding more vegetables. Diced carrots, green peppers, red onions, potatoes, and even small chunks of butternut squash would be delicious additions. To make this a vegetarian chili, simply replace the ground meat with butternut squash and extra veggies. Ensure you balance the amount of vegetables you add with the amount of meat you’re removing to maintain the chili’s overall texture and consistency.
Easy-to-Follow Step-by-Step Instructions
Below are step-by-step photos and helpful cooking tips to guide you through the chili-making process. A comprehensive ingredient list and detailed instructions can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Start by pressing the Sauté function on your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, then add the bacon.
2. Sauté the bacon until it is crisp. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels to drain excess grease. Drain most of the grease from the pot, leaving about a tablespoon for flavor.
3. Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Sauté, stirring regularly, until the peppers soften slightly.
4. Add the ground turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon. As you do so, mix the meat with the sautéed vegetables. Cook until the ground turkey is browned, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. This step is essential to prevent a “BURN” notice during pressure cooking.
5. Add the beans (make sure they are drained), tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot.
6. Sprinkle in the oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Stir the ingredients together gently, just enough to mix in the herbs and spices. Avoid leaving all the tomatoes and tomato paste at the bottom, as this can cause your Instant Pot to display a “BURN” notice.
7. Seal and lock the pressure lid, ensuring the pressure release valve is in the SEAL/SEALING position. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) setting on your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi on high pressure. Set the timer for 20 minutes.
8. After the 20 minutes are up and the pressure cooker has finished cooking, allow the unit to Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes (leave it untouched for 10 minutes). Then, move the pressure release valve to VENTING to allow for Quick Release. Once all the pressure has been released and the pressure release indicator knob is fully down, carefully twist and open the lid.
Serve immediately with your favorite chili toppings. We love topping it with bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and/or sliced jalapeños.
Essential Kitchen Tools and Equipment
There are several options when it comes to making this delicious chili:
- Option 1: Ninja Foodi – This chili is a frequent creation in our Ninja Foodi. We use the 8-quart XL Deluxe Foodi, but it can also be made in the 6-quart Foodi. And yes, you might recognize our cookbook, The Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Meal Prep Cookbook in the first photo! 😉
- Option 2: Instant Pot – We’ve also made this recipe multiple times in our 8-quart Instant Pot. Many others have also found success making it in their 6-quart Instant Pot.
Note: While cooking times remain the same, the 8-quart multi-cookers may take a few extra minutes to come to pressure. Regardless of the size of your multi-cooker, always ensure that you never add ingredients above the Ninja Foodi/Instant Pot fill line.
- Option 3: Slow Cooker – If you prefer not to use an Instant Pot or don’t have a pressure cooker, you can easily make this chili in a slow cooker. It can also be made in a Dutch oven on the stove. Just make a few adjustments, which are noted in the NOTES section of the recipe card below.
To prepare this chili, you’ll also need:
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Can opener
- Strainer or colander
- Wooden spoon
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Absolutely! You can substitute your favorite plant-based meat alternative (such as Beyond Beef Crumbles) for the ground turkey. Alternatively, you can use chopped mushrooms and potatoes. Note that if you only use vegetables, there may be more liquid after cooking. To address this, you can turn your Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi to the sauté setting and stir regularly to cook off some of the liquid, or simply spoon out the excess liquid once the chili is cooked.
Leftover chili offers endless possibilities for delicious meals:
- Serve over tortilla chips and top with sour cream, chives, and bacon for delicious chili nachos. Or use our Sheet Pan Nachos recipe as a base.
- Enjoy classic chili cheese fries.
- Cook frozen tortellini and combine it with leftover chili for a comforting Tortellini Chili Soup. Add a couple of spoonfuls of starchy pasta water and mix for a soup-like consistency.
- Create a savory chili breakfast scramble by adding chili to scrambled eggs and topping with avocado and sour cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 4 or 5 days. For longer storage, transfer the chili to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.
Delicious Serving Ideas for Your Chili
This chili pairs wonderfully with tortilla chips or homemade bread for dipping. Serve it alongside Garlic Parmesan Knots or Garlic Rosemary Focaccia. Both are delicious and sturdy enough to hold up when dunked into the chili.
Alternatively, serve this chili with bright veggie sides like Air Fryer Broccoli or Radish Carrot Salad for a balanced meal.
Wine Pairings to Complement Your Chili
This ground turkey chili pairs well with a bigger red wine. Opt for a medium- to full-bodied red with high tannins and acidity to balance the spices.
A peppery Tempranillo complements the spiciness, as does an Argentinian Malbec.
You can also choose a full-bodied California red like a Zinfandel or Napa Valley Cabernet.
Explore More Delicious Pressure Cooker Recipes
- Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi Seafood Jambalaya
- Ninja Foodi Shrimp Scampi Linguine
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
- Dutch Oven Chili with Ground Turkey, Farro, and Stout
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