This healthy Instant Pot Bison Chili recipe is PERFECT for food prep! It is made quickly and with minimal clean up in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Using healthier flavorful meat like bison really amps up your favorite winter chili recipe. This option makes meal prep fun and adds a level of versatility to my regular routine.
Make my low-carb cheesy cauliflower breadsticks as a tasty side to this healthy bison chili recipe.
Instant Pot Bison Chili Recipe
We FINALLY used the Instant Pot for something other than eggs and quinoa! Even if you don’t have an Instant Pot, keep reading, because you can make this in a slow cooker!
We make this bison chili almost every week in the crockpot. A few weeks ago we decided to try it out in the Instant Pot and it was a keeper! I LOVE the fact that I can do everything right in the Instant Pot, which means I only have to clean ONE item! I can saute the onions and garlic add all of the ingredients and then just press a button. It took us less than 5 minutes to get everything started and then the Instant Pot did the rest of the work.
How to Make Bison Chili in the Instant Pot
We even made a quick time-lapse how-to video for Instagram! It’s so easy and is ready so much faster than my traditional slow cooker version. Of course, both ways of making this are just as delicious, but if you forgot to set it up in the slow cooker before work, don’t’ worry – the Instant Pot can give you the same wonderful flavor in a fraction of the time!
Watch how to make our Healthy Instant Pot Bison Chili (31 seconds):
We have the 6 quart Instant Pot (it has over 22,000 customer reviews on Amazon with 4.5 stars!).
Why Use Bison Instead of Ground Beef?
I have discovered that bison is one of those items I never knew I would love. Not only does it taste similar to red meat, but it has a similar texture in recipes like this. But, why use bison? Frankly, I love knowing it is grass-fed meat, and the fact that it is lower in cholesterol than most lean beef is a huge reason to grab this. Another great reason to choose bison over beef is that it is full of B-Vitamins alongside the iron most proteins provide.
You can alternately use ground turkey or ground chicken in this recipe for a healthier alternative to ground beef. I prefer bison for the richness and I am sure you will as well. You can also make this turkey black bean chili with sweet potato if your family just isn’t up to trying bison.
Tip: If you are just trying bison for the first time, this is the ideal recipe as it is packed with flavor to mask any wild-game flavor your picky eater may not enjoy.
How Can I Food Prep This Bison Chili?
This recipe is perfect for food prep! We portion ours out and when it’s time to eat we mix in quinoa and warm it up! You can definitely do meal prep with this recipe in several different ways. If you have enough ingredients on hand, I always recommend making multiple or larger batches of chili. It’s just so versatile you will want more on hand.
- Place in meal prep containers alongside quinoa
- Portion into freezer soup containers, then date and label and pop into the freezer for later. Remember to not overfill the containers.
- Serve over salad with homemade tortilla “chips” for a “taco salad”
- Use in place of regular chili in the chili smothered baked sweet potatoes meal plan.
This was originally published on January 28, 2018, and updated on December 1, 2019.
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Healthy Instant Pot Bison Chili
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
This healthy Instant Pot Bison Chili recipe is PERFECT for food prep! It is made quickly and with minimal clean up in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, bison, or chicken breast
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 10 oz can of diced tomatoes & green chilies
- 15 oz can of black beans (drained)
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp mustard (spicy, regular or a combination of both)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2–1 Tbsp olive oil (to saute onions and garlic)
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic in the Instant Pot (press the saute button and add olive oil, onion, and garlic).
- Once onions are translucent add your meat (ground chicken, beef, or bison) to the pot and cook until brown. Once cooked, drain if desired.
- Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, cover and lock the lid. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot, then press the “Bean/Chili” button to begin the pressure cooking. It should be automatically set for 30 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is closed.
- Once the chili is done, the Instant Pot will automatically switch to the “Keep Warm” mode. Allow the pressure to release naturally or use the quick release.
- Top with cheese, cilantro, or green onions – if desired.
Notes
If using a crockpot, saute the onion and garlic and brown the meat in a separate pan. Add the onion, garlic, and meat to the crockpot. Add all remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Cait says
May 6, 2018 at 2:17 pmIf you double this recipe how much do you need to add for cooking time
Chris says
February 18, 2019 at 12:08 pmI second this question??
Chris says
February 18, 2019 at 12:08 pmI also would like to know the answer to this question??
Whitney Carlson says
February 19, 2019 at 2:42 pmAre you using a Crock Pot or Instant Pot? Either way, the cooking time should be the same as listed in the recipe even if you use more meat.
Kelly says
June 25, 2019 at 1:16 pmIs the instant pot recipe from frozen or thawed bison?
Whitney Carlson says
June 25, 2019 at 3:16 pmHi Kelly, We normally use thawed bison.
Dasha T says
November 26, 2019 at 8:09 pmCan I put in powdered onion imstead of fresh chopped onion? My husbans does not like onions. Thanks!
Whitney Carlson says
December 1, 2019 at 7:33 pmYes, absolutely!