Vegan Instant Pot Chili (Healthy & Oil-Free)

This vegan Instant Pot chili recipe is so flavorful, filling, and delicious that it’s hard to believe it’s healthy and oil-free. It’s quick and easy to make and it’s a great budget-friendly, kid-approved, nutritious meal for your family.

With rice, over a baked potato, cornbread, biscuits, or chips, there are a million ways to serve it or jazz up the leftovers. And then there are the toppings… I think this is why chili is a hit with kids. Toppings are just fun. Shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, chips, lime wedges, cilantro, etc.

Why You’ll love this instant Pot Chili

1. It’s vegan
2. You don’t have to saute the veggies first. Just throw everything in the instant pot.
3. It’s oil-free
4. It’s loaded with nutritious, fiber-rich beans and veggies.
5. It can be made from start to finish in less than an hour (and most of that time the Instant Pot is doing the work)
6. It’s perfect for meal prep.
7. This is a mild recipe so it will work for everyone. It’s easy to spice it up by adding hot sauce.

Notes on Ingredients

2 cups of water Add water into instant pot before other ingredients to prevent burning

tomato sauce, canned

fire-roasted diced tomatoes, canned

3 cans of beans You can use any beans you like. I use the organic 3 bean trio canned beans from Whole Foods.

red lentils Don’t forget to rinse your lentils and beans.

onion Using a vegetable chopper to chop your onion and peppers saves time and creates perfect uniform pieces.

bell peppers Orange and red or whichever colors you want

corn frozen or canned

spices chili powder, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika

salt

serving options Turn up the heat by adding hot sauce or sliced jalapenos. Add salt, lime wedges, vegan shredded cheese, vegan sour cream, cilantro, parsley

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Chili

1. Don’t skip the squeeze of fresh lime juice before serving. It does so much to open the flavor!
2. Put water and tomato sauce in the Instant Pot first to help prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom and burning.
3. Don’t skip the 10-minute slow release when pressure cooking time is complete. This gives you chili some time to open the flavors of the spices and bathe in them.

Storage And Reheating

Refrigerator This recipe can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Then reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.

Freezer Can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight and then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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