Name: Instant Pot Sneaky Veggie Chili
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey; 1 lb ground beef; 1 small onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 red pepper, diced; 1 large carrot, grated; 1 medium zucchini, grated (1-2 cups); 1 jalapeno, seeded, and diced; 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (not diced) (3.5 cups); 1 cup broth (beef or chicken); 1.5 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tbsp oregano; Salt and Pepper, to taste

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Veggie loaded, hearty, and comforting! Instant Pot sneaky veggie chili is going to go down as one of the best chili recipes you have made in your pressure cooker. Best part? This is even better the next day so it makes a perfect lunch meal prep recipe!

Superbowl, winter, fall, a Wednesday… you don’t need an excuse to make sneaky veggie chili! You also won’t need all day.

This Instant Pot chili has just a 10 minute pressure time (with 10 minutes to come to pressure, and 5 minutes to release the pressure), so all in, you will have your hearty, warming chili done and in a bowl in about 30 minutes!!

The blog is home to sneaky veggie spaghetti sauce, sneaky veggie meatballs, sneaky veggie lasagna, and so it was time to add sneaky veggie chili to the list, and the blog!

This is how to avoid “burn” making Instant Pot Chili

Deglaze the pot after sauteing meat and aromatics (onion and garlic). Use the broth to do this. You want NO bits stuck to the bottom – this triggers

Add the crushed tomatoes last, and do not mix it in! Tomato based foods have the tendency to burn if they are in direct contact with the heat source at the bottom of the pot.

Add veggies!!! the veggies add liquid to this recipe to add additional liquid (and nutrients!).

This doesn’t look like enough liquid!

The secret to Instant Pot cooking is to use the smallest amount of liquid you can (or else the flavors are really diluted), but enough liquid that the pot does come to pressure, and won’t burn.

This recipe works as written because of the veggies. The veggies, especially the zucchini will create a lot of additional liquid.

If you skip or decrease the veggies, you will have to increase the broth by another cup.

Trust me. This is what you end up with after the pressure cycle and a stir. Can you see now how adding more than 1 cup of broth is going to give you a soupy chili!

Will this chili recipe work in the 3 or 8 quart pots?

This recipe works as written – in a 6 quart pot. I am not sure if this works in the 8 quart, but next time I make it, I will test it.

This recipe will need to be halved in the 3 quart. It will work as written in the 8 quart. Take care to not have the tomatoes touch the bottom of the pot.

Should I use the Bean / Chili button?

You don’t need too! It is simply a pre set time.

The bean/chili program button is assuming you have dry beans, so the pre set time of 45 minutes is far longer than you need.

Just use your pressure cook (or manual) button and set to 10 minutes.

Ps, I have more Instant Pot tricks and tips over here on the blog.

Can I swap…

No beans for beans. Yes, you can add beans. However, after beans are pressure cooked they don’t hold up well when the chili is frozen. So, if you plan to freeze your chili, leave the beans out.

Diced tomatoes for the crushed tomatoes called for? You can. But, I wouldn’t. The crushed tomatoes add to the thicker texture of this recipe. If you use diced tomatoes, add tomato paste (but, that may increase the risk of the burn signal).

Meal Prep Ideas for Instant Pot Sneaky Veggie Chili

This recipe tastes EVEN BETTER once it gets cold, and then is reheated. Makes a perfect meal prep lunch idea.

Sneaky veggie chili is also freezer friendly!

Are you ready to add Instant Pot Sneaky Veggie Chili to your meal plan (or freezer) this week?!