This past week has been so strange in Northern California. We’ve had a huge cold front that has included snow in areas that normally do not snow! It’s been gloomy and wet, which honestly is the best reason for some warm chili.
This chili recipe is another one I’ve been perfecting over the past year or so. For a long time I made chili in my slow cooker and let it cook all day. I’d use dry beans and it would smell amazing and make quite a bit of food for my crew. However, now that the older kids have moved I’ve found that I don’t need to make quite as much food as I used to. This is still hard to get used to sometimes, but I’m adjusting. I might need to readjust again soon, because the 10 year old has quite an appetite and LOVES spicy food. He actually had two big bowls of this chili!
For this recipe I use canned beans, but I also try to use as much low sodium products as possible. I always buy my canned beans with low sodium, same with my broth. You can find low sodium canned tomatoes as well. The sherry is used to deglaze the pan, because I add the spices to the browned meat and sort of heat up the spices. No worries though, the sherry loosens all the bits and so does the tomato juices. You might think some of the ingredients are interesting, like cardamom, nutmeg, cocoa powder and brown sugar. You have to trust me on this, these ingredients create an intense depth of flavor that really compliments the heat and spices. It’s really so, so good! Mr. Harris describes it as a consistent flavor throughout the chili that is often missing in others. I like a really chunky and thick chili, if you prefer more liquid you can add a bit more broth to yours. Maybe up the measurement anywhere from 1 cup to 1 cup and a half.
Begin by adjusting the Instant Pot to Saute mode and browning the meat in a bit of grapeseed oil, then adding the onions to soften them.
Once the onions begin to get a bit fragrant and soft, the bell pepper gets added to the mix.
Here’s the fun part. This is where we add all of the spices and sort of heat them up with the browned meat and sauteed veggies. This part needs to be quick, because we don’t want to end up with a burned pot. So have your Sherry and beef broth on hand to add quickly. The Sherry will deglaze the pot quickly and remove and bits on the edges.
Once you add the Sherry and stir, then add the beef broth to the mixture.
Then stir in the tomato paste and garlic. I just buy a big jar of minced garlic from Costco and always have it on hand so I don’t have to worry about peeling garlic. You can never add too much garlic though, am I right?
Now add both cans of tomatoes, including the juice in the cans. I like my chili pretty chunky and thick, so that bit of juice in the cans is needed.
Once everything is all stirred together, add the beans. Make sure you thoroughly rinse and drain your beans for a few minutes before adding them.
Mix it all up, then add the lid. Seal the valve and cook on Manual for 18 minutes on high heat. You can either choose quick release once it’s done, or let it manually release for 10-15 minutes before opening.
Once done, remove the lid and stir well. The chili will be hot, so let it cool for a bit before serving!
I like to top this chili with sour cream, cheese, avocado and tortilla strips. There is some heat to this chili, and the sour cream helps cool it a bit for my taste!
It’s also really delicious with it, but you can choose your own favorite toppings if you like.
Helpful tools for this recipe / Items pictured:
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 3pk 3 Pinch Bowls, Multi-Colored
Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 8″ Stoneware Dinner Bowl
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- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 1½ tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine
- ¾ cup beef broth
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 can (10 oz) Ro*Tel tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 can (15.25 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15.5 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Avocado slices
- Tortilla strips
- Sour cream
- Begin by pressing the "saute" button on your instant pot after removing the lid.
- Add the grapeseed oil, then wait a minute or two to heat before adding the ground turkey. You should get a nice sizzle when the turkey is added.
- Break up the meat a bit, and stir until it's mostly browned. Now add the onion.
- Saute the onion for another minute or two, until they begin to soften. Add the bell pepper.
- Continue to stir and saute for about a minute. Now add all of the seasonings. This includes the chili powder, brown sugar, salt, cumin, oregano, basil, paprika, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cocoa powder, nutmeg and black pepper.
- Stir it up quickly the add the sherry. Let the sherry sort of deglaze the pan before adding the beef broth. Stir well.
- Now stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic. Add both cans of tomatoes - be sure NOT to drain them. We want that liquid too!
- Once everything is all stirred together, add the beans that have been rinsed WELL. Stir it all together, then close the lid.
- Make sure to adjust the dial to the SEALED position.
- Now press power on the instant pot to get it out of saute mode.
- Press manual, then set it to 18 minutes at high.
- Once it beeps you can either wait a few minutes and do quick release, or let it naturally release for about 10-15 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and stir well.
- Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, slices of avocado and some tortilla strips.
- Enjoy!
Do you have a favorite Instant Pot recipe?
I’d love to read your faves in the comments! Any other gadgets you’re loving? If you need some inspiration you can view my Amazon Store for more products that I personally use and love!
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