The Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili EVER!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This is the BEST Instant Pot vegetarian chili ever! It’s incredibly rich and hearty, super smoky and slightly spicy. Made with three types of beans, packed with veggies, it’s family-friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and will satisfy both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!
This Instant Pot vegetarian chili recipe is a family favorite in our house. It’s easy to make, requires simple ingredients, and thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker, you end up with that cooked-all-day flavor (like if you made it in a slow cooker) in just about 30 minutes!
I’ve made this recipe for a crowd or for our family (and saved the leftovers for another day), and it turns out great every time!
Table of Contents
hide
One of the best parts about this Instant Pot vegetable chili is its smokiness, which comes from two secret ingredients: unsweetened cocoa powder and smoked paprika.
It has the deep flavor of traditional meat chilis but it’s much healthier, gluten-free, and vegetarian-friendly, and can easily be made vegan too!
👩🏽🍳 Why You’ll Love This Meatless Chili
- Tons Of Flavor: The combination of rich, warm spices gives this easy vegan chili recipe a “cooked-all-day” flavor that is hearty and satisfying. It really is the best vegetarian chili ever!
- Fiber And Plant Protein: Thanks to the beans, this chili packs a ton of protein and fiber into each bowl. Each serving has 9g protein and 10g fiber.
- Healthy: This Instant Pot veggie chili recipe is packed with vitamins and nutrients! Beans are a heart-healthy food that are a great source of iron, B vitamins, protein, and fiber. Bell peppers are rich in vitamins C, A, potassium, folate, and iron.
- Low Calorie: This healthy Instant Pot chili with canned beans is super filling and satisfying, but each serving has only 300 calories. That means you can go back for seconds completely guilt-free!
- Family Friendly: Everyone in the family – kids included – will love this one-pot meal. And it’s super easy to make, which means it’s a great recipe for busy weeknight dinners or for meatless Monday!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
While the ingredient list is a little bit long, all of these ingredients are easy to find, and there’s minimal prep time to prepare them for the Instant Pot. Here’s what you need to make veggie chili in the Instant Pot:
- Olive Oil: Use this oil to sauté – you can also use any other neutral-flavored oil.
- Bell Peppers: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper give this easy Instant Pot vegetarian chili a bright pop of color. For a time-saver, use a thawed frozen blend. Onions add a
- Red Onion & Fresh Garlic Cloves: Dice the onion in uniform sizes for even cooking. For garlic, fresh is always best, but you can use jarred, minced garlic if necessary.
- Vegetable Broth: You can easily find this in the grocery store, typically near the other broths.
- Canned Beans: Red kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans help to make this Instant Pot meatless chili hearty and meaty – without any meat!
- Frozen Corn: Frozen corn cuts prep time, but feel free to use fresh if you prefer.
- Crushed Tomatoes: San Marzano are typically the best variety of tomatoes to use, but you can use any that you prefer or have on hand.
- Spices: I used a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, unsweetened cocoa powder, garlic powder, crushed red peppers, soy sauce, salt, smoked paprika, and regular paprika to give this healthy vegetarian chili a balance of smoky, earthy, spicy flavors.
- Optional Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, diced tomatoes, plain Greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream), tortilla chips.
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Beans: Replace some or all of the beans with different beans or any kind of legumes that you prefer. White beans, red lentils, green lentils, or even chickpeas also work well. You can even make this Instant Pot vegetarian chili with dried beans if you like, you’ll just have to soak them overnight and increase the cook time.
- Veggies: Use your own blend of vegetables in this meatless chili recipe. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and greens would all taste great. Think of it as a “clean out your fridge” recipe. If you increase the amount of veggies, just make sure to increase the quantity of spices accordingly so that it’s not bland.
- Sauce: Replace some or all of the soy sauce with vegan Worcestershire.
- Tomatoes: Try using canned fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Toppings: Load this Instant Pot black bean chili up with any of your favorite toppings!
🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Here’s how to make this easy vegetarian recipe. For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.
Sauté: Turn your instant pot to the sauté function, and add your olive oil, bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Sauté lightly for 2-3 minutes.
Pressure Cook: Add everything else into the pot (beans through paprika in the list above) and stir to combine. Close your Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
Release Pressure: Once the pressure cooking is done, let it natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure. Give it a good stir to combine.
Serve Chili: Serve this Instant Pot veg chili warm with any toppings you like! We suggest a little bit (or a lot!) of cheese, low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, diced tomatoes, green onions, or tortilla chips.
💭 Expert Tips
- Use Spinach: For additional greens, add one 5 oz box of chopped baby spinach into this pressure cooker bean chili while adding all of the other ingredients into the Instant Pot.
- Adjust Spices To Taste: Everyone has a different level of spiciness that they like in their chili, so make sure to taste and adjust — add more or less crushed red pepper, more or less salt, as needed!
- Cook On The Stove: If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make this chili on the stovetop. See our notes in the FAQs below on how to do this!
- Adjust For Your Instant Pot Model: If you have a newer Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, keep in mind that it tends to display the “burn” warning much more quickly than the older versions. If you have this model, you’ll add the vegetable broth and all the spices immediately after step 1 and stir to combine. Then you’ll add the rest of the ingredients (beans, tomatoes, etc.) and avoid stirring until after cooking.
- Make It Kid Friendly: This IP chili with canned beans is super kid friendly! If you’re making this for kids, I recommend creating a toppings bar so your kids can pick out what to top their bowls with, and cut the veggies smaller so it’s easier for kids to chew. For super picky eaters, you can even puree the bell peppers/veggies with the tomatoes so they don’t see it, and reduce the spices as needed!
📖 Variations And Toppings For Veggie Chili
There are plenty of ways to customize or dress up this easy chili!
- Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice: Add bright flavor with a touch of citrus. If you don’t have lime, lemon will work, too.
- Creamy Toppings: Try sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (use cashew cream or vegan sour cream for a vegan substitute!). The tanginess and cool flavors complement the heat in this Instant Pot vegan chili recipe.
- Fresh Toppings: Try sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, or salsa – all of these will add bright color and great flavor.
- Cheese: Shredded cheese, a Mexican cheese blend, cojita cheese, or even vegan shredded cheese will all work well! Who doesn’t love melty cheese on their chili?
- Crunchy Toppings: We love crushed tortilla chips, crackers, or even pepitas (pumpkin seeds) as toppings for this recipe!
- Brown Rice Or Quinoa: Either of these is more of a mix-in than a topping, but it still tastes great. And this is one of my kids’ favorite chili add-ins!
- Spicy Toppings: To increase the level of spice or add depth, try dicing up a chipotle pepper, jalapeño pepper, poblano peppers, or adding adobo sauce to this Instant Pot veggie chili recipe.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This meatless Instant Pot chili is so hearty it stands on its own, but if you’re looking to round out the meal even further, here are some side dishes that go with chili:
- A Fresh Garden Salad: We love it with this tomato avocado cucumber salad, but it also tastes great with this Mexican fruit salad on top of some leafy greens!
- Cornbread: This healthy cornbread pairs perfectly with chili. But you could also serve it with these biscuits without baking powder or these low calorie biscuits!
- Grains: A side of rice or quinoa pairs well with this recipe, but you can take it to the next level by serving this vegetarian chili in the Instant Pot with vegan Mexican rice instead!
- Quesadillas: When cut into strips, these can be great for dipping too! We love it with these veggie quesadillas or vegan quesadillas.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
Vegan Instant Pot Chili Recipe: The pressure cooker vegetarian chili is already dairy-free, but if you’re concerned about the toppings, try using a plant-based cheese or vegan sour cream alternative.
Low-Carb Option: To reduce the carbs, eliminate some or all of the beans, replacing them with a hearty amount of low carb bulky veggies like riced broccoli or cauliflower florets.
🫙 Storage Directions
It’s easy to store this simple chili so that you can eat it throughout the week! And it tastes even better the next day when all of the flavors have a chance to meld together for longer!
- Refrigerator: Leftover chili will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure to store any toppings separately.
- Freezer: Let this spicy vegetarian chili cool completely, then transfer it into an airtight freezer-safe container. You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Let your Instant Pot plant based chili thaw in the fridge and then defrost in the microwave using the defrost setting, or heat gently on the stovetop.
- Make Ahead Tips: Chop all of your veggies in advance and store them in the fridge in an airtight container. Wash your beans and store them in a separate container in the fridge. You can do this up to 2 days in advance – then just add everything to the pot and cook as directed when you’re ready to make it!
❓Recipe FAQs
CAN YOU MAKE THIS Easy VEGETARIAN CHILI ON THE STOVETOP?
Absolutely! Here are the stovetop instructions for this recipe:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add all of the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook it, the thicker your chili will be. Serve hot!
What can I replace meat with in chili?
There are so many plant based substitutions for meat in chili! Here are some of our favorites:
* Legumes: Beans, chickpeas and lentils are all great options – they’re packed with protein and have a meaty texture.
* Tofu: Crumble your tofu to get that ground meat feel and make tofu chili in the Instant Pot.
* Tempeh: A chewier, slightly more tangy version of tofu – this will add great protein and texture to your this bean chili in the Instant Pot.
* Mushrooms Or Eggplant: When sauteed or roasted, these release their water and end up with a chewier, hearty mouthfeel, similar to meat.
* Beyond Meat: A great option that’s packed with protein, has minimal processed ingredients, is vegan friendly and tasty too!
* Bulgur Or Quinoa: Combine grains and beans for a super satisfying chili!
IS INSTANT POT WORTH IT FOR VEGETARIANS?
Instant Pot is an amazing tool for vegetarians. There are tons of dishes vegetarians can make in an Instant Pot, from soups to curries to pasta dishes and more! It also happens to be perfect for cooking vegetarian proteins, and for tasks like rehydrating dry beans.
Is vegetarian chili healthy?
Yes! Vegetarian chili is packed full of nutrients from a variety of vegetables. Plus, it’s a heart-healthy meal packed full of plant-based protein and fiber.
Our vegetarian Instant Pot chili is also really good for you. It’s low in calories, high in protein, and high in fiber so it’s guaranteed to keep you full and satisfied for a long time. It also happens to be rich in vitamins and minerals from the veggies and beans, high in antioxidants thanks to the onions and peppers, and low in unhealthy fats!
🍛 More Easy Instant Pot Recipes!
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup with Cumin
- Instant Pot Risotto
- Instant Pot Vegan Posole
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Instant Pot Applesauce
Love this plant based soup recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!
📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
The Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
This is the BEST Instant Pot vegetarian chili ever! It’s incredibly rich and hearty, super smoky and slightly spicy. Made with three types of beans, packed with veggies, it's family-friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and will satisfy both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can
- 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can
- 15 oz pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 can
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 large can
- 1 tbsp chili powder use a heaping tbsp or add more to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper more or less to taste
- a couple splashes of soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp salt more or less to taste
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp regular paprika
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheddar cheese
- green onions
- diced tomatoes
- plain Greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream or vegan sour cream)
- crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Turn your instant pot to the Saute function, and add your olive oil, bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Saute lightly for 2-3 minutes.
- Add everything else into the pot (beans through paprika in the list above) and stir to combine. Close your instant pot and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes
- Once the pressure cooking is done, let it natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Serve warm with any toppings you like! 1 Tbsp cheese, low fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt, diced tomatoes, green onions, or tortilla chips.
Notes
Top Tips for Making Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- You can add any veggies you like into this chili. Think of it as a “clean out your fridge” recipe. If you increase the quantity of veggies, just make sure to increase the quantity of spices accordingly so that it’s not bland.
- For additional greens, add one 5oz box of chopped baby spinach into this recipe at the same time you add all of the ingredients into the instant pot!
- When you’re making this for kids, adjust the spices accordingly.
- If you don’t have an instant pot, you can make this chili on the stovetop.
- If you have a newer Instant Pot, keep in mind that they tend to display the “Burn” warning much more quickly than the older versions. If you have this model, You’d add the vegetable broth and all the spices immediately after step 1 and stir to combine. Then you’d add the rest of the ingredients (beans, tomatoes, etc) and do not stir until after cooking.
To Make on the Stovetop:
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add all of the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook it, the thicker your chili will be.
- Serve hot!
Nutrition
Serving: 2ladles | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.8g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 800mg | Fiber: 20.2g | Sugar: 4.3g
This is by far the best chilli recipe I have ever made. Love it.
Thanks so much Seema!
oh so many textures and flavors in this chili. YUM! I don’t even miss the ground beef.
Awesome! Thanks Rebecca!
This vegetarian chili is a fall staple for my family once the weather starts to get a bit chilly, such a filling meal!
Yay!! So happy to hear that Ali!
I just realized I’ve been making this recipe for a DECADE!! I always come back the Picky Eater Blog because the mixture of spices is unmatched. Now I add some ground turkey in it since I’m not vegetarian anymore. But so thankful for you!
Awwww this makes me so happy to hear Meredith!! I’m so glad this recipe is one of your favorites – it’s one of my regular go to recipes too! 🙂
This is my fave veg chilli recipe- everyone loves it and so easy to double up if you want to make a big batch and freeze some for later. Perfect for taking camping when it’s cooler weather.
Woohoo!! So happy to hear that Sarah! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I’ve made this chili at least 3-4 since coming across it in the fall. It’s been a home run every time and my go to recipe now. Thank you!
Awww yay!! That’s so wonderful to hear Kara – thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This has been my go to chili recipe since even before I became a vegetarian 4 years ago! I’ve tried other chili recipes since discovering this one but they’re never as good as this one, and they always make me think, “I should have just stayed with the Pickyeaterblog’s chili recipe!” It’s safe to stay I’ll be sticking with this one, and I’m excited to get to share it with my son who just turned one year old last month!
Awwww yay! I’m so glad to hear that Haley!! I can’t wait to hear how your son likes this recipe too – it’s one of my kids’ favorites! 🙂
I am looking for the ORIGNIAL recipe which I lost. it did not have a yellow bell pepper in it, or red pepper flakes. It had a little cayenne pepper. This was my favorite recipe which everyone loved. Can you e-mail me that recipe?
Hi Jill! The original recipe is almost identical to this one. The main changes are: no yellow bell pepper, equal amount of cayenne pepper as the crushed red pepper flakes (1/8 tsp), and no smoked paprika or regular paprika. Although, I think the smoked paprika/regular paprika actually makes the original version taste even better so you could keep those in! The only other difference is that the original version was made on the stovetop vs. the instant pot. But the steps are similar for the stovetop. You start by sauteeing the onions, garlic and bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Then you add in all of the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until all of the ingredients are warmed through. Serve with your favorite toppings. Hope that helps!
I discovered this gem a few years back. At the time of my four adult kids, 1 was vegetarian and one vegetarian/gf. It was a hit with everyone! One thing I added was I throw in about 2/3 of a cup of quinoa.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Danielle! 🙂
Excellent!! I have been vegetarian for over 40 years but for the last 10 have lived in a small apartment with a challenging cooking situation. Son bought me an Instant Pot in April and it revolutionized my life. The past 6 months have been an exploration of EASY IP vegan recipes.
This recipe qualifies on many levels. I can sit to chop veggies and then sauté easily as the IP lives on kitchen table. The blend of spices is everything already in my cupboard. Have no idea why soy sauce (I used liquid aminos) and cocoa are used but the taste is tangy and spicy. I added some elbows because I like carbs. And forgot the corn. But this seems a flexible recipe that will easily tolerate substitutions. Many thanks😋
Hi Susan! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this recipe – thanks for letting me know! And yes, this recipe will tolerate many substitutions – you can change it up any way you like!! 🙂
Hi! I have been using this recipe for a couple years now and it is hands down the BEST vegetarian chili EVER!! I do have one question you may or may not know…. I just got an instant pot and I’m wondering if this recipe will convert well? Any suggestions?
Hooray!! I’m so happy to hear that! For the instant pot, I’d saute the veggies and spices together first on low for about 5 minutes, then add in the beans/broth/etc. And then I’d probably pressure cook it for only 3-5 minutes if you’re using canned beans, natural release for 5 minutes and then manual release, so they don’t get too soft! Hope that helps!
We love this chili. I was at a Wholefoods cooking class in Fremont when you presented this recipe and we are still cooking it up in 2018!
Hi Colleen!! Omg that is so amazing to hear! We are still cooking it up in 2018 too ☺️👍🙌
Awesome!!!!
So glad you liked this recipe Susan!
Delicious recipe. Thank you !! Do you think this recipe would also work well in a crock pot?
Hi Simone! Yes absolutely this would be a great crock pot recipe! 🙂
Anjali,
Our family (both vegetarians and non) all loved this Chili – so much so that there were no leftovers! We will definitely make this again.
Woohoo!! That’s so wonderful to hear Brenda!! 🙂 This chili freezes really well so if you want you can always make a double batch next time and freeze half for a rainy day! 🙂
A-mazing!! Those are so many ingredients, but it’s chilli!! And only veggies!! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Sean! I’m sure you will love this recipe!! Keep me posted on how it turns out!
Sounds great and delicious. I love eating spicy food. I will prepare this vegetarian chili tomorrow morning.
Great! I’m sure you will love it!
That is a superb formula! The chocolate makes it practically like a mole!
Thanks Dev!! I agree the chocolate gives it that extra deep, smoky quality – similar to a mole sauce! So glad you liked it!!
Hi,
I myself am a vegan and this recipe is absolutely awesome. It’s spicy and delicious. Not a fan of corn though!
That’s great! For the corn – you can always substitute it for something else (another veggie that you do like!)
This recipe looks so delicious! Definitely have to try this recipe out as soon as possible. Thanks for the share, love checking out your blog.
Yay!! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe Jessica – it’s one of our favorites 🙂 I’m sure you will love it!