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2 November, 2021 by Ruthy Kirwan

Old School Beef Chili (Instant Pot, Crockpot, Stovetop)

Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

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Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

There are few recipes that work better as a slow cooker meal than chili.

It doesn’t matter if your chili is White Chicken Chili, veggie-heavy chili with sweet potatoes and black beans, something out-of-the-box like Apple and Sausage Chili, or a traditional old-school beef chili like this one; slow cookers, Instant Pots, and chili go hand-in-hand.

In this house, we LOVE chili. It’s one of my all-time my favorite freezer meals, since it stores so well, it’s super versatile (ingredient swaps galore!) and it tastes even better after it’s hung out in the fridge for a day or two. As a longtime work-from-home mom, I appreciate fewer things in this world than a grab-and-go lunch from my fridge, and chili is of my lunchtime rockstars.

This is a perfect recipe to have on hand for an easy prep sesh, too. Just dump everything in a bag or container, freezer, or chill until you need to eat, then dump it all right into a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.

And that’s exactly how I’ve written the instructions below in this recipe, too! As with all Prep Sesh recipes, if there are multiple ways to cook the ingredients, I’m gonna let you know. Once you’ve got the prep done, check out all the different cooking instructions, and pick the one that suits you best.

Some of my favorite ingredient swaps for this chili:

  • black beans instead of kidney beans (or a mix)
  • ground turkey instead of ground beef
  • stewed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes with green chilis
  • prepared taco seasoning instead of the paprika-cumin-red pepper flakes combo
  • beef broth instead of amber beer

Products Used:

Instant Pot
BUY on amazon
Baggy Rack
buy in pk shop
Reusable Food Storage Bags
buy in pk shop
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Old School Traditional Beef Chili

Ruthy Kirwan
Ground beef, beans, tomatoes and seasonings combine for a traditional chili made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Course Dinner

Equipment

  • 1 7 QT Slow Cooker
  • 1 Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced
  • 1.5 pounds ground beef
  • 1 14 ounce canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 14 ounce canned red kidney beans drained
  • 1 cup amber beer
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • .25 teaspoons red chili flakes

Instructions
 

Prep Ahead

  • Chop the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Place in a large, freezer-safe resealable bag or container
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the bag or container, leaving out the beer if desired.
  • Store in the fridge for 4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Prepare From Prepped

  • Combine the prepared ingredients in the pot and cook according to the instructions in the “Make From Fresh” section

Make From Fresh

    -Stovetop Method-

    • Sweat the onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until the onions have started to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
    • Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break it up, until the beef is cooked through.
    • Add the remaining ingredients (except for the toppings!) and turn the heat down to a simmer.
    • Cook 20-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked down and starting to thicken.
    • Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

    -Instant Pot Method-

    • Combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot and seal the lid.
    • Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes with natural release.
    • When the lid opens, stir the ingredients together to combine.,
    • Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

    -Slow Cooker Method-

    • Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and secure the lid.
    • Cook on low for 4 hours, high for 2, stirring occasionally to break up the ground beef.
    • Serve hot with your favorite toppings. 

    Video

    Notes

    This chili is great in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop. It’s super easy to prep ahead of time and freeze, or chill until you’re ready to eat! Swap out the beef for ground turkey, or the red kidney beans for black beans.
    And don’t forget to add your favorite toppings! We love adding a squeeze of lime, some sour cream, avocado slices, hot sauce, and maybe shredded cheese. Corn chips or tortilla chips are a great addition on the side!
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    0/5 (0 Reviews)
    Category: Beef, Dinner, Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Soups and Stews, StovetopCooking Type: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, StovetopMain Ingredient: BeefMeal Type: Dinner, Soups and Stews

    About Ruthy Kirwan

    Ruthy Kirwan is a recipe tester and developer living in NYC with her two small kids and hard-working husband. She created Percolate Kitchen in 2016 to help busy people get their act together in the kitchen. Learn more at percolatekitchen.com/about

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