Making pasta dishes in the Instant Pot is so darned easy and convenient. And this recipe for Instant Pot chili mac is perfect for a quick, easy weeknight meal. With under 5 minutes prep, just one pot, and no veggies to cut up, it’s perfect for feeding a hungry crowd on short notice.
You’ve probably read again and again how easy the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker is for making any number of recipes, which is so true. And i’ll be the first to admit, i’m often good and dreaming up elaborate meal plans early in the day, but when work is over and i’m hungry, and the kids are hungry, I just want something quick and fast. That’s when the Instant Pot becomes my best friend!
Easy cleanup – one pot only!
While I love to make pasta dishes, sometimes the thought of using a large pot to boil the pasta, then a colander to drain, then another pan to brown the meat, by the time i’m done cooking i’ve got a sink loaded with dishes to clean. But with the Instant Pot, all the magic happens in one place. With the saute mode we brown the meat, then the pressure cook mode does the rest. No draining, no extra pots or pans – all in one pot!
Just a few simple ingredients
This chili mac recipe is perfect because it’s full of delicious flavors and uses just a few simple ingredients. We start with 1 lb of 85% lean ground beef. I really like 85% lean beef for pressure cooking. It always provides the most flavorful and tender results. With the Instant Pot on saute mode, be brown the beef, which takes about 5 minutes or so. After the meat is browned, we drain the fat and it’s time to layer on the rest of the ingredients – not stir anything together. This is important! We sprinkle our seasonings right on top of the beef. Next we add the macaroni, then 3 ½ cups of water. Once the water is added, we can push down the macaroni to make sure it’s all submerged with some room to spare. Next, we dump a can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies right on top. Again, no stirring. We then secure the lid, set the vent to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes are up we do a quick release of the pressure.
Sauce will thicken and then add cheese
When we remove the lid, we use a large spoon and stir everything really well for about a minute. At this point the liquids will begin to thicken. We then add 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese and stir some more and we’re ready to serve!
Instant Pot Easy Chili Mac
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 4 min
- Total Time: 25 min (total time with pressure cooker)
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Instant Pot
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious, full flavor chili mac that is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
- 2 ½ cups elbow macaroni
- 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 8oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- 3 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to saute mode and add ground beef and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir often until all the beef is browned. Should take about 5 minutes. Press cancel and drain fat.
- Sprinkle chili powder, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt on top of the browned meat. Then add macaroni on top (don’t stir). Add 3 ½ cups water and make sure all macaroni is submerged. Add cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes right on top in the center. Do not stir!
- Secure lid, make sure vent is set to sealing and pressure cook (“manual” on some Instant Pots) on high for 4 minutes. When timer is complete, quick release the pressure.
- Remove lid and stir contents well. Everything will begin to thicken. Add 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese and stir it in so it melts into the sauce.
- Serve with additional shredded cheese on top and enjoy!
Roger
Made this today. Needed a double batch with penni pasta and it turned out fantastic. I like mine a bit spicy, so added a big pinch Cayenne pepper. Will be making this one again.
Mary
Absolutely delicious! I have the small Instant Pot, so I just cut everything in half. There’s enough for tomorrow’s dinner, but I’m thinking the leftovers won’t make it till then! Yum!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thanks Mary! it’s one of our favorites too. 🙂
Doreen
Do you have to use elbows or would any pasta work? I like Rotoni
RecipeTeacher
You can use other pasta. Just make sure the level is directly/slightly above the pasta.
Clancy
Best chili mac recipe for IP I have eaten. Cook time was spot on and elbows weren’t mushy. I added an extra can of tomato sauce when it was finished because I like a saucier sauce. Cooked 5 quarts thinking I’d freeze the rest. Nope, entire 5 quarts eaten in two days. Thanks for the best chili mac ever!
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Thank you, Clancy!! It’s one of our favorites too. Perfect for a big meal and you can pretty much customize any way you want too. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Linda
That would be great, look forward to see what you come up with
RecipeTeacher
Since you mentioned this i’ve been CRAVING a good blooming onion! I’m working on this for sure. 🙂
Linda
Do you have a recipe for blooming onions in the airfryer
RecipeTeacher
I don’t but that’s a really good idea! Maybe I’ll play around with that this weekend.
Linda
It worked great and we liked the recipe
Next time I would put onions and green peppers
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Great, Linda! Yeah you can really go to town with customizing this recipe. Kinda a whatever you got, goes in. Thanks for the feedback!
Linda
Can i use ancho chili powder instead of regular chili powder
RecipeTeacher
Hi Linda, yes you can use ancho chili powder. It’s not quite the vibrant, tex-mex flavor of regular chili powder. It has more of a smokey flavor. But i’m sure it would still be tasty.
Jen
Is the macaroni cooked already when you put it in the instant pot?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Jen. No it cooks in the Instant Pot.
Elisha
Hi. Would a double batch fit in the 6 qt, or should I make a batch in each of my two IPs?
RecipeTeacher
Ahhh part of the 2 IP crowd… I love it!! So to answer your question, I’ve not specifically doubles this recipe. But for your first time making it, maybe go with the 2 batches. Let us know how it goes!
Elisha
Lol. Yes, it was a bit of serendipity, though. I ordered the older one for a gift. As I got the confirmation that it was en route, I also got notification that the newer version was on sale for the same price. I ordered the newer one for the gift and kept the older version for myself.
I am going with two pots, then. Also, I’m about to make fresh pasta, so I’m thinking I’ll do 2 min QR, then add the pasta and do 1 min QR.
RecipeTeacher
That’s very cool, Elisha! So I’ve not actually done fresh pasta as opposed to fresh, but yes, your times sound right. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
David Mccorcle
If you double a recipe the time does not change this goes with most recipes.
Marquetta Ann Gouvan
What size pot are you using/ I wish everyone would add that to there recipes.
Thank you..
Will be making this..
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi Marquetta, this recipe was made originally in a 6qt Instant Pot the everything will be the same for 8qt as well.
Tracy
awesome quick tasty recipe 😁
★★★★★
Kyra Peacock
Super easy to follow and tastes great!
★★★★★
Maroe
AWESOME! My husband sounds just as pleased as yours on the video! Recipes a KEEPER! Thank you so much for sharing! DELISH!!
★★★★★
Sherrill Ferrera
I made this in a regular pot and the same time as lid fit tight! It turned out soooo good! However I could use more cumin and chili powder! You can season as you like! Very easy and a nice recipe for our working people.
Hel
I agree, I doubled the seasonings and tripled the salt!
★★★
John
If you double the recipe do you change the pressure cooking time?
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Hi john. No. Keep the cooking time the same.
Marty
I do not have an instant pot. I used a dutch oven on the stovetop and followed the directions as given (mostly) I actually browned lean ground beef with some chopped onion & peppers. I used only 2 cups of pasta & 2 1/2 cups of water. Everything else was the same. It took just a little longer for the pasta to cook. Total time was only incteased by 10 or 15 minutes. Just one pot used.
★★★
Marcia
U would think u wouldn’t add as much water if u were using any other cooking method if ur cooking the noodles separate
Tena
This was quick, super easy and delicious! It goes on my favorite board.
★★★★★
RecipeTeacher
Awesome, Tena! Thanks for the feedback!
Tracey
I don’t have an instant pot. How do I modify
this to make on the stovetop or in the oven?
I guess just cook everything separately
and mix together? That takes the easy part
of it away…LOL!
RecipeTeacher
Hi Tracey… you are correct, you’d need to do it in 3 steps. Brown the meat in a skillet first, then in a large heavy pot on the stovetop, add the tomatoes, water spices and cooked beef, and cook over low heat and let simmer for about an hour. Then cook the macaroni separately and add at the end. Then stir in the cheese and enjoy!
Tia
If I wanted to do this in a slow cooker what would be the time frame for that?
RecipeTeacher
Hi Tia. So to make this with a slow cooker, you’d actually need to make the ground beef in a skillet on the stove first, then add it to a slow cooker with all the other ingredients, except for the macaroni or the cheese. So add the seasonings, water, tomatoes, cooked ground beef to the slow cooker for 4 hours on high, 6 on low. Then at the end add the COOKED macaroni (cook separately), then add the shredded cheese.
John
Amazing meal so fast only thing different I did was add mushrooms