This Instant Pot vegetarian chili packs a flavor punch that’s truly hard to believe, especially since it comes together in just about 30 minutes. Brimming with vibrant peppers, onions, beans, tomatoes, and a blend of spices, it’s the ideal dish for a filling dinner any day of the week.
I absolutely love using the Instant Pot for chili recipes. The pressure cooking process takes all the ingredients and brings the flavors together in such a short time.
This Instant Pot vegetarian chili recipe uses a combination of fresh and canned ingredients and pressure cooks it all together for a truly delicious meal.
Perfect Beginner Recipe
If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking and aren’t sure where to start, this is the perfect first recipe! It’s super straightforward: just chop up some veggies, throw them in, sauté for a bit, and let the Instant Pot do the heavy lifting. In about 30 minutes, you’ve got yourself a pot of chili that tastes like it’s been simmering all day. It’s a great way to get comfortable using your Instant Pot, and you end up with a delicious meal to boot. Perfect for anyone who wants to dive into Instant Pot cooking without the fuss.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is simple and will create a chili that eats like a meal with a robust flavor. The only prep you really need to do is to mince some garlic and chop up an onion and two bell peppers – one green and one red. The rest of the ingredients will be a mix of spices and canned goods. We’ll use the convenience of canned fire-roasted tomatoes, canned crushed tomatoes and canned beans.
The Secret Ingredient
The secret ingredient is the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce. Just a tablespoon of this wonderful sauce will bring the perfect balance to the other ingredients and really bring the flavor profile to life!
Sauté and Pressure Cook
We start be sautéing chopped onion and green pepper. We let them get all nice and vibrant for a few minutes until the onions start to get translucent and then we add some minced garlic for the final minute or so. Garlic can burn quickly so we only want it to sauté for about 1 minute after adding it.
Next, press cancel to stop the sauté process and then stir in the spices. By stirring in the dry ingredients while there’s still the residual heat, we’re bringing those flavors to life by “blooming” them. If the bottom of the pot gets a little sticky, that’s ok.
Then we pour in the vegetable broth and scrape any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This step is called deglazing.
Now it’s time for the canned ingredients to be added. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and both cans of beans. But make sure those beans have been drained and rinsed first!
Give everything a gentle stir, secure the lid and select pressure cook (“Manual” on some appliances) on high pressure for 10 minutes. When the pressure cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before quick releasing the rest. Carefully remove the lid. Stir the chili and let it rest for a few minutes to thicken a bit.
Serving
With our Instant Pot vegetarian chili now ready to serve, you have a number of delicious options for toppings and garnishing. These include shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and especially tortilla chips! Yep, break up a few tortilla chips and add them into the chili. You won’t believe how unbelievable the whole dish is!
Storage and Reheating
Chili is one of those recipes that is awesome the next day.
Simply let the chili cool and store it in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Chili is also great for freezing. Again, let cool and store in freezer safe containers for up to 6 months.
Reheating Vegetarian Chili
- Refrigerated Chili:
- Microwave: Place the chili in a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap (leaving a corner open for steam to escape), and heat on high for about 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Stovetop: Transfer the chili to a pot and reheat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s hot all the way through. You may need to add a little water or vegetable broth if it’s too thick.
- Frozen Chili:
- Thawing: It’s best to thaw frozen chili in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before you plan to eat it. However, if you’re in a rush, you can use the defrost setting on your microwave or reheat it directly over the stove on low heat, gradually increasing the temperature.
- Reheat: Once thawed, reheat the chili on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s completely hot. If it’s too thick, add a little water or vegetable broth to reach your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
The adobo sauce is a unique flavor and highly recommended. But, you can recreate some of the flavor by mixing 1 tbs of cider vinegar, ½ tbs smoked paprika, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cumin and a pinch of cayenne. Mix it into a paste and use it that way.
This stuff is great in so many other wonderful recipes. Chop it up and add to barbecue sauce to really pump up the flavors. Here’s some other recipes which use it from Taste of Home.
This is chili. There’s really not much you can’t add! I love to add an additional red, yellow or orange pepper.
You sure can! Use a large pot or Dutch oven and place it over medium heat on the stovetop. Follow steps 1-4. When everything is finally added, cover and let simmer over low heat for at least 45 minutes.
You might also like…
We’ve got a lot of other great Instant Pot recipes that are easy and delicious too.
Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo: This is another personal favorite of mine. The Instant Pot takes care of everything – no boiling or draining, everything takes place right in our favorite pressure cooker!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup: I love this recipe! Another easy Instant Pot recipe with outstanding results every time.
Easy Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup: You’ve got to try this recipe! It makes one of the best soups you’ve ever had!
PrintRecipe
Unbelievable Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Total Time: About 30 minutes
- Yield: About 7 cups
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is packed with hearty beans, fresh bell peppers, and bold seasonings, all enhanced by a touch of smoky adobo sauce. It’s an easy and satisfying meal, perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbs chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tbs adobo chipotle chili sauce *(see notes below)
- 1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5oz) diced fire roasted tomatoes (not drained)
- 1 can (14.5oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can (14.5oz) pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 4oz can diced green chilies
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- Salt to taste (usually about 1tsp)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot and press sauté. Once hot, add onion and green pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.
- Add garlic and continuing sautéing for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Press cancel and then add all dry ingredients (chili powder, cumin, oregano). Mix well for about 30 seconds.
- Add vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get up any stuck-on bits.
- Add in diced tomatoes, adobo sauce, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and pinto beans, and gently stir it all together. Add salt.
- Secure lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When time is complete, let pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before quick releasing remaining pressure.
- When pin drops, carefully remove lid and stir. Chili will thicken within a few minutes.
- Serve with favorite garnishes including crushed tortilla chips, jalapenos and cilantro.
Notes
Use adobo sauce from a can (usually 7oz) of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Save remaining sauce and peppers for other recipes. Substitute adobo sauce with 1 tbs of cider vinegar, ½ tbs smoked paprika, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cumin and a pinch of cayenne.
Add an additional red, yellow or orange pepper for even more flavor and goodness!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min (+5 min to build pressure and 5 min release time)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Lisa says
I have had much success with your recipes and look forward to making this chili for my vegetarian and pescatarian coworkers. A tip for those reluctant to purchase a can of chipotle chilies in adobo for just one tablespoon: you can portion out the peppers in plastic wrap or parchment, freeze the individual portions in a labeled ziplock bag, then just take out what you need for a recipe and let it thaw while you gather the rest of your ingredients. I have been doing this for years. The chipotles in adobo add a unique depth of flavor that is essential and hard to duplicate.
RecipeTeacher says
Thanks Lisa! And you’re absolutely right. That sauce adds a whole dimension to the chili that no other ingredient can. Your idea for saving it is a great one.
Rana says
Made this last night, and it was a big hit. Instead of using the separate spices, I used a lime and jalepeno taco seasoning mix. Super easy dump and go recipe. Will definitely be keeping this for later.
Bernie says
I hate to open a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce just to spoon out a tablespoon of the sauce. I noticed that Tapatio® sells an 8oz packet of Adobo Sauce. Looking at the ingredients it’s just Tapatio Hot Sauce® and spices (cider vinegar, tomato paste canola oil, garlic powder, onion powder & salt). I have Tapatio Hot Sauce and it seems I could put a few drops in a tablespoon, fill the remainder with cider vinegar and add a dash of onion and garlic powder.
BTW, everyone in this household thinks your Best Damn Pork Tenderloin is exactly that!
RecipeTeacher says
Hi Bernie! So the can of chipotle peppers with adobo sauce is SO worth it for this recipe. In fact, I always wind up using 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sauce. And, it stays well in the fridge. You can also use it for this recipe…
https://recipeteacher.com/air-fryer-chipotle-chicken-breast/
I’ve also found the cans in 3.5oz for under $1.00. It’s great stuff. Thanks so much for the feedback and i’m glad you guys like the pork tenderloin!!
Bernie says
Made this tonight for Tex-Mex Tuesday. We plan the week’s menu on Fridays so next chance I would have been able use a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce would be a week out. Used 1 tsp of Tapatio Hot Sauce® and 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar instead. I was also surprised when I went to get a can of fire roasted tomatoes and was all out. Had a can of Rotel® diced tomatoes with green chili peppers which I used instead. That’s a nice way to get the 2 tsp of diced green chilies with out having around another almost full can to use. It’s not like we’re a Mexican restaurant. Rotel® comes in 10 oz cans instead of the 14 oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes. I was concerned there wouldn’t be enough liquid but the opposite was true. I added the extra 1/3 cup of stock since I used the tomato paste substitution. Wouldn’t do this next time since we like our chili thick.
Heat and taste were spot on. I’m thinking something like brown lentils might be just what this needs to achieve that thicker texture. The family really loved this. Only 4 stars because we have a red lentil recipe that scores slightly higher by family vote; mainly because the texture was so spot on with that recipe.