Chili… on a hot July day… Whaaat?! Well, it’s cold somewhere in the world, so why not. Besides, Nelson loves hearty meals most any time of the year – especially when he can make it quickly and easily. Beef chili in an electric pressure cooker.
This was the first time Nelson made chili in a pressure cooker. He’s really happy about how well it worked out. You see, we previously owned a stove-top type pressure cooker, but he rarely used it because he was always concerned with safety issues related to them. Recently though, Nelson took a new interest to pressure cookers since the new electric pressure cookers came on the scene—with a focus on safety that makes us both feel really comfortable.
We were thrilled when Salton generously gave us an electric pressure cooker from their line-up to test in our kitchen. This pressure cooker, the 5-in-1 Electronic Pressure Cooker, actually comes with quite a few features. In addition to being a pressure cooker, it can also be used as a steamer, slow cooker, or for searing and warming foods—impressive!
As the family cook, Nelson was eager to use his new small appliance (like a kid at Christmas I tell ya). One of the things that impressed Nelson the most was the searing feature. Being able to sear the meat right inside the pressure cooker pot cut down on the need to use a separate pan on the stove—which saved time and effort at cleanup time (which impressed me, since I’m more the cleanup person in the family ;-). Another great thing about using a pressure cooker is that once the meat was seared he put in all of the other ingredients gave it a quick stir, secured the lid, set the timer and let it cook. This means a week-night hot meal can be easily accomplished in very little time. This chili took about 45 minutes less to cook in the pressure cooker than it would be had we cooked it in the traditional way on the stove. In addition to making the food really quickly, it’s also important to note that the meat tenderizes really quickly and perfectly in the pressure cooker—it’s hard to believe if you’ve never used a pressure cooker, but it really does. Cleanup was a snap since the interior non-stick pot is easy to remove and wash.
Every now and again Nelson cooks something that’s a big treat for him – with the extra kick – it’s more just for him and our eldest son, who can handle the heat. Me and our little guy are less about the spicy. But that’s okay…he deserves the treat since he always puts his heart into regularly cooking great meals for our family.
Feeling chilly… or not… we hope you enjoy this chili. And if you’ve been on the fence about a pressure cooker, check out the Salton 5-in-1 Electronic Pressure Cooker. We think you’ll be pleased.
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2 lbs sirloin tip
- 1 tsp course sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 6 cloved of garlic minced
- 1 bottle of your favourite beer (12 fl oz)
- 28 oz diced tomatoes (1 can with liquid)
- 19 oz red kidney beans drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 19 oz black beans drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 2 Jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
- ⅓ cup cornmeal ground in a grinder/blender for extra fine consistancy
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it extra hot)
- Optional garnish: lime wedges, sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro (use as many as you like)
- Set the pressure cooker to the browning setting.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in the pressure cooker pot.
- Brown the meat with the garlic (this can be done in batches).
- Add all remaining ingredients.
- Stir well and close/lock lid.
- Cook on high pressure setting for 25 minutes.
- Release pressure.
- Open the lid and stir.
- Serve with any of the optional garnishes.
Hey now… chili is good year round!
I’m gonna have to try this recipe if for no other reason than to see how pressure cooker chili compares to traditional slow cooker chili. I have to admit, I think slow cooker chili might be difficult to beat… we’ll just have to see!
Hi Elizabeth, I’m also a big fan of slow cooker chili… but I was pleasantly surprised at the results of this unit. The meat was tender and the flavours were very well incorporated. It was a great experience for me. Today was the final day of chili leftovers… kind of like Port Wine, it gets better with age 🙂
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your comments. Best of luck!
This looks so yummy! My husband loves Chili, I’ll have to add this to my “to be tried” list! Thanks!
It turned out very tasty, I hope it works out for you. Take care and thanks for the feedback.
nice! can’t say no to chili recipe