Instant Pot - Smoky Chili con Carne - Lexa's Recipes (2024)

I don’t know about you, but I love Chili! I tried and experimented with so many different Chili recipes and this simple pressure cooker chili con carne is my favorite version. I hope you will enjoy this hot and smoky Chili variation with dark chocolate just as much as I do.

The first time I cooked chili con carne, or rather helped, was with my Mom in the 90ies. Over the years, I experimented with different ingredients and spices and reviewed and tried at least a dozen recipes.

One day, I worked as a server at a birthday party. The birthday girl was originally from Mexico and had spent days in the kitchen to prepare the whole buffet for 30+ guests herself! 😟

One of the dishes she had prepared was a tenderly cooked pork in mole sauce. I was intrigued when she explained, that the sauce contained chocolate but is traditionally served with meat. She let me try a bite before the party started and the flavors can be best described as sweet but savoury, spicy and rich. In short, it was absolutely fantastic!

A few days later, I thought about her sauce and wondered if dark chocolate would give my chili con carne the rich and smoky taste I was aiming for. I tried it, loved it and have ever since cooked it like this! I would have never thought about adding chocolate to my chili if it had not been for that evening, working at this particular birthday party.

Here's what you need

The Ingredients to make this pressure cooked chili are listed below. Detailed measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red kidney beans
• White kidney beans
• Canned tomatoes
• Sweet ground paprika
• Smoked ground paprika
• Ground cumin
• Ground black pepper
• Salt
• Red thai chilies or chili powder
• Dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa)

Why I use dried beans

I choose to use beans in a dried form for three reasons. The first is very simple, the price. Dried beans are usually much cheaper compared to canned beans. If I don't have the time to soak the beans myself, I certainly refer back to the can.

The second reason is, that preboiled canned beans loose a lot of their starch content while they sit in the liquid in the can, waiting to be cooked. Consequently, canned beans will thicken your liquid less than dried beans and you may have to add additional starch as a thickener in order to reach a nice and creamy consistency.

And number three and most important, I simply think that the taste is better. But that is just my personal opinion. Your chili con carne will turn out to be delicious, no matter which type you use.

Can I use any type of chocolate?

That is a simple NO. I mean you sure could, but the result may not be what you expect it to be. I use chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa content. Often you can find a dark chocolate with high cocoa content in the baking section.

We want to add a rich and smoky flavour to the chili con carne, not make it sweet. Therefore, we need a chocolate which a low sugar content, which is rather bitter. Any type of milk chocolate or one with low cocoa content is therefore not recommended.

Could I use pure cocoa powder without any sugar? Yes, you can, but the little bit of sugar serves as a natural flavour enhancer and balances the acid from the tomatoes. If you choose to use unsweetened cocoa powder, I would recommend to add a teaspoon of brown sugar as well!

How to make it

Prepare the Beans in advance

Soak dried beans: If you use dried beans for your chili, soak the beans in water with a teaspoon of salt. The beans should be covered with water completely.

Soak for a minimum of 8 hours.

Rinse the beans: Just before you start cooking your chili con carne, strain the beans and rinse them with fresh water. This step is applicable whether you use soaked dried beans or canned beans.

A) Cook Chili in the Instant Pot

Fry the beef: Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat with the onions. Stir while frying and make sure that the ground beef does not stick together in large clumps. Separate the meat with your cooking spoon if necessary. You can also use the saute function of your Instant Pot for this step.

Add seasonings: When the meat is mostly cooked, season with paprika, cumin, chili powder or fresh chili peppers, garlic, salt, as well as ground black pepper and fry for another minute while mixing the seasonings into the stir fried beef.

Bring it all together: Fill the meat into your Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. Add the strained and washed beans to the meat along with the canned tomatoes. Stir all ingredients and try to crush the tomatoes a little, using your cooking spoon.

Settings: Close the lid of your Instant Pot and set it to the "Beans/Chili" setting or high pressure for 30 minutes.

The chocolate: Release the steam from your Instant Pot and fold in the chocolate until melted. Add more salt and pepper and/or chili peppers to your liking.

B) Cook Chili on the Stovetop

Fry the beef: Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the meat with the onions. Stir while frying and make sure that the ground beef does not stick together in large clumps. Separate the meat with your cooking spoon if necessary.

Add seasonings: When the meat is mostly cooked, season with paprika, cumin, chili, garlic, salt and pepper and fry for another minute while mixing the seasonings into the stir fried beef.

Bring it all together: Add the strained and washed beans to the meat along with the canned tomatoes. Stir all ingredients and try to crush the tomatoes a little, using your cooking spoon.

Simmer: Close the lid and simmer all ingredients on medium low heat for about 60 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

The chocolate: Lastly, turn the heat to low and fold in the chocolate until melted. Add more salt and pepper and/or chili peppers to your liking.

What to serve with smoky Chili con Carne

There are soooo many options. I personally like my Chili con Carne like a stew, just by itself with some toppings and a slide of fresh bread. Common sides however are:

• Rice on the side
• Nachos
• Oven baked potatoes (my second favourite)
• Tortillas
• Fresh bread or buns

Toppings

That is the fun part, so many toppings you can choose from or load it up and top your chili con carne with all of them. Personal go-to's in this category are crumbs of goat feta cheese (soooo good!!!) or the classic sour cream. Find a list of toppings below and pick whichever you like, or be creative and make up your own 😉

• Feta cheese
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese, such as Cheddar cheese
• Make it extra spicy with thai chilies on top
• Avocado slices
• Chopped Jalapeños
• Cilantro

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