Firehouse Chili
By :The Instant Pot Bible by Bruce Weinstein
Here’s a chili made with fresh tomatoes, not canned. We modeled it on the hearty, comfort-food chilis often made in firehouses across the United States. As such, it’s a little more savory than some other offerings, if also admittedly a little more work.
Votes: 19
Rating: 4.47
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Browse Category Meat
Duration 30-60 min
Main Ingredient Ground Beef, Kidney Beans, Tomatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive, vegetable, corn, or canola oil
  • 2 medium green bell peppers stemmed, cored, and chopped (2 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves peeled and minced (2 teaspoons)
  • 2 lbs plum or Roma tomatoes chopped (4 cups)
  • 1/4 cup standard chile powder
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 15 ounce red kidney beans drained and rinsed (1 2/3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Browse Category Meat
Duration 30-60 min
Main Ingredient Ground Beef, Kidney Beans, Tomatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive, vegetable, corn, or canola oil
  • 2 medium green bell peppers stemmed, cored, and chopped (2 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves peeled and minced (2 teaspoons)
  • 2 lbs plum or Roma tomatoes chopped (4 cups)
  • 1/4 cup standard chile powder
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 15 ounce red kidney beans drained and rinsed (1 2/3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
Votes: 19
Rating: 4.47
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Instructions
  1. Press Saute, set time for 10 minutes.
  2. Pour the oil into a 6-quart cooker to warm for a minute or two. Then add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring several times, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the chile powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, and salt until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the beans and broth, then crumble in the ground beef and stir well. Turn off the SAUTE function and lock the lid onto the pot.
  4. Optional 1 Max Pressure Cooker
    Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 6 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  5. Optional 2 All Pressure Cookers
    Press Bean/Chili or Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 8 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  6. Option 3 Slow Cook
    Press Slow Cook option on High for 3 hours with Keep Warm setting off (or on for no more than 2 hours)
  7. If you’ve used a pressure setting, when the machine has finished cooking, use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal.
  8. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.
  9. Press Saute, set time for 5 minutes.
  10. Stir in the tomato paste. Bring to a full simmer, stirring all the while. Stir for 2 or 3 minutes at a full simmer until a little bit thickened and almost irresistible. Turn off the SAUTE function and remove the hot insert from the cooker to stop the cooking.
Recipe Notes

Beyond
• For a 3-quart cooker, you must use 1/2 cup broth and halve the remaining ingredients.
• For an 8-quart cooker, you must keep the ingredients as they are but increase the broth to 1 1/4 cups—or simply increase all the ingredients by 50 percent.
• Serve with dollops of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
• And/or serve with spoonfuls of pickle relish, or even purchased India relish (a more savory version of pickle relish), as well as bottled hot red pepper sauce.
• Use a 50/50 mix of lean ground beef and lean ground pork.

29 replies
  1. Gordon Wilson
    Gordon Wilson says:

    Cooked my bstch jn a 3qt. Duo mini. Turned out really well. Wasn’t hard to leave no leftovers. I reduced the yeild to four servings which worked out perfectly for the size of 3 qt pot. Will put in more tomatto past next time – 5.5 oz. can would be perfect for 4 servings batch.

  2. davlowe
    davlowe says:

    Question – for those who have made this. Did I miss whether the ground beef should be cooked before being added to the pot? Crumbled in usually means cooked. Thanks!

  3. onedeet
    onedeet says:

    The chili turned out very good. I cooked the meat first in a frying pan about three-quarters of the way then added it to the pot when instructed to. Turned out great!

  4. Debjean9598
    Debjean9598 says:

    I expected a lot more flavor, I even added a can of diced green chilies and a can of diced Jalapeños! I will try this again with doubling the spices and adding a serrano pepper or two.

  5. Randy6k80
    Randy6k80 says:

    Made it exactly as the recipe says. Ground beef was raw. Was a little bland and watery. May use 1/3 cup of chili powder next time. Used 8 minute pressure cooker version

  6. Waldog
    Waldog says:

    I’ve made this several times. I recommend you brown the ground beef first. Then add onions, green peppers to saute with the beef. I also add 3-4 garlic cloves, diced. Next add all your spices, rinsed beans and diced tomatoes. Stir thoroughly and cook in Instant Pot “beans” setting for 8 mins. Quick release and add tomatoe paste ans simmer on saute about 5mins to thicken up. Wonderful with a spoon of sour cream. Or, better yet, Creme Fraiche! Kids love over pasta

  7. G Wilson
    G Wilson says:

    For davlowe – neat goes in raw and mixed well into previous ungredienrs. Best to use extra- lean beef if concerned about fat conrwnt. Juices from beef cook into sauce. Best tasting chili have ever made and is super easy and fast.

  8. Patricia MacLeod
    Patricia MacLeod says:

    I made this today in the 3 quart model. Instead of hamburg I used cut up left over prime rib and used a full can of drained red kidney beans. IT IS DELICIOUS

  9. Losixtream
    Losixtream says:

    The wife and myself just made this and i kinda find it bland. It seams like it is missing something, i figured with a 1/4 cup of chili pounder it would hitbyou a bit but fell flat.

  10. Landin
    Landin says:

    Not too bad! Though a little more work than my old 2-can slow cooker recipes. Also not too spicy for my 3 year old or wife.

    I made a few adjustments (no coriander, more beans, sweet corn) but it needs a little more flavor. Next time would add a poblano and more seasoning

  11. Dufers
    Dufers says:

    Used this as a base. Did my own version of 5 alarm chili. Can still hear the fire engines. Cooking time reduced from 5 hours in my slow cooker to 1.5 hours prep and cook. Barely made the maximum pot level with my ingredients. Canadian smoking hot chili for a -35 celsius day in Winnipeg.. love the convenience

  12. CannonBallZ73
    CannonBallZ73 says:

    The taste was a 4 but the fact it was so easy to make bumps it to a 5. I will say next time i will use canned kidney beans instead of raw (they were a cooked but some were a bit crunchy). Kids loved it and we will definitely do it again. So easy.

  13. Erinejo
    Erinejo says:

    I agree with who ever said it was missing “something.” It. Is very tasty though. I added some hotsauce cheese and sour cream and it tasted great!

  14. Moeman
    Moeman says:

    Best chili we have ever made !!! Did a 6 minute preasure cook then slow release for 7 minutes. Full Release then slow cook for 3 hours.

  15. Angelncandice
    Angelncandice says:

    Really easy and very delicious!
    I loved the consistency. I didnt use lean ground beef, even though it wasnt extra greasy, I will use lean next time. Also used more onion and less bell pepper because of our preference. Also will probably double the recipe next time.
    So good! This is my new chili recipe!

  16. Instant Pot
    Instant Pot says:

    You would add uncooked ground beef. Any cooked ingredient would be mentioned in the notes if there are any.

  17. Instant Pot
    Instant Pot says:

    You would add uncooked ground beef. Any cooked ingredient would be mentioned in the notes if there are any.

  18. Scotts
    Scotts says:

    Way too bland. I increased the chili powder to heaping 1/3 cup and added 1 TBS of chipotle powder and 1TBS of aleppo pepper. I used ground turkey and added it raw, stirred well with sauteed ingredients and stock.

    When adding the tom paste, I also added a can of chopped stewed tomatoes and a tsp of fish sauce for that umami pop

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