Instant Pot Turkey Chili

With bold Tex Mex flavor and a simple ingredients list, this Instant Pot turkey chili is hands off to cook thanks to the Instant Pot! Cozy up with a bowl of this hearty, yet healthy chili.

If you ask me, chili is the ultimate one pot meal with the perfect balance of protein and veggies. From slow cooker smoky turkey chili to Instant Pot vegetarian chili, there are so many different ways you can play with the ingredients and flavors.

When it comes to chili, I'm a bit of a snob: it has to have the perfect bean: meat ratio, the spices have to be perfectly balanced, and it can't be 'too saucy' or 'too tomatoey'. After 5 attempts, I finally nailed this Instant Pot turkey chili.

Ingredient notes

• ground turkey- pick a mixture of light and dark turkey meat for the best flavor: typically, ground turkey can be found at the store simply labelled ‘ground turkey’. This is a mix of light and dark meat, and works perfectly well for turkey chili.
• kidney beans- I suggest red kidney beans, but feel free to swap for black beans or pinto beans, if you like an extra 'beaney' chili, consider adding two 15 oz cans.
• tomato sauce- not to be confused with ketchup, this is pureed tomatoes and is occasionally called 'passata'.
• diced tomatoes- for extra flavor, use fire roasted tomatoes; make sure to include the juices

Step by step directions

Scroll to the recipe card for ingredient amounts.

1. Sautée onions- Select the sautée function of the Instant Pot. To the stainless steel insert, add olive oil and onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
2. Add ground turkey- Break the turkey up with a spatula, and cook until no longer pink, 7-10 minutes.
3. Sautée garlic- Make a space in the middle of the turkey/onion mixture, and add the garlic. Sautée for 1 minute.
4. Add spices- Add the chili powder, cayenne, coriander, cumin and salt, and stir everything up.
5. Add remaining ingredients- Add the stock, and stir everything up. Add the corn and kidney beans. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes on the very top and do not stir.
6. Pressure cook- Set the Instant Pot to cook for 5 minutes, and allow a 10 minute natural pressure release. After the 10 minutes are up, carefully release the remaining pressure.

Recipe notes

Adding the spices

You'll notice in the directions above that we specifically toss the turkey/onion/garlic mixture in the spices. The reason for this is that it helps infuse the meat with the flavors while it cooks. When the chili was cooked skipping this step, the turkey noticeably lacked flavor.

To make this step go seamlessly, have all your spices measured out into a small bowl. This way you can add them all at once, and not worry about the spices sticking to the pot and burning.

Avoiding a burn warning

This is a thick chili, so we need to be careful to avoid the burn warning. When adding the stock to the pot, take the time to scrape the bottom of the pot, ensuring that nothing is stuck.

Tomato products are notorious for triggering a burn warning, which is why we add them last. Do not be tempted to stir them in!

10 minute natural pressure release

When cooking soups or stews in the Instant Pot, I like to give them a 10 minute natural pressure release. This helps the liquids settle, preventing them from spurting through the valve while the pressure releases.

What a 10 minute natural pressure release means is that we will let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes after the timer beeps. At this point, you can release any remaining pressure.

For more information on quick versus natural pressure release, check out Instant Pot 101.

Instant Pot models that work

This recipe was tested in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot and it works great in both. I have not tested in a mini, and believe that you would need to cut the recipe in half to get it to fit. If you try, leave us a comment below so we know how it goes!

Serve it with

Instant Pot turkey chili is great with a variety of toppings:

• tortilla chips, strips or cornbread (my fave)
• sour cream or Greek yogurt
• cilantro, green onions, avocado or guacamole
• shredded cheese and jalapeno slices

Storage and reheating

This turkey chili tastes even better on day 2, so it's a perfect candidate for meal prep! Here's how to safely store and reheat after cooking:

• Fridge- cool completely, then portion out into meal prep containers or large jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Freezer- cool completely, then portion out into freezer-friendly meal prep contains, souper cubes, or plastic/glass freezer jars. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw- thaw overnight in the fridge, or immerse the jars partially in water to speed the process. Once thawed enough to get the chili out of the jar, you can heat in a pot on low heat.
• Reheat- heat a large batch in a pot over medium heat on the stove until warmed through. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot. Do not reheat more than once.

Check out my favorite freezer containers.

More Pressure Cooker soups + stews

• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Rustic Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Stew
• Incredible Instant Pot Lentil Soup