Instant Pot Chili Mac (with stove instructions)

5 from 15 votes

Instant Pot Chili Mac (with stove instructions)

Scrumptious Instant Pot Chili Mac made with lean beef, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese, and classic seasonings for rich, bold chili flavor. This no-fuss chili mac recipe is on the table in 30 minutes!

Prep Time5

Pressure Cook Time2

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, entree

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Olive Oil
½ medium Onion diced (about 1 cup)
½ medium Bell Pepper (any color) diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves Garlic minced
½ pound Lean Ground Beef (uncooked) use more if desired
1 (15 ounce can) Diced Tomatoes don't drain
⅓ cup Tomato Paste about half of a 6-ounce can
2 tablespoons Chili Powder Blend *Not pure chile powder
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
2 ½ cups Water or broth
8 ounces Dried Macaroni Noodles
4 ounces Cheddar Cheese shredded (about 1 cup) *see recipe footnote

Instructions

Chili Mac Instant Pot Instructions

Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and add OLIVE OIL.
When the display reads "Hot", add ONION, BELL PEPPER, and GARLIC. Sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
Add BEEF and sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain any excess fat. Add a splash of broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom aka deglaze the pot.
Add TOMATOES with their juice and use a flat-ended utensil to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pot (aka deglaze).
Stir in TOMATO PASTE, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, and SALT.
Add MACARONI to the pot and don't stir, then WATER (or broth), pressing macaroni under the water to submerge.
Secure lid, turn pressure valve to "Sealing" position. Press "Cancel" then select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook” for 2 minutes on HIGH pressure. *see recipe note
When cook cycle is done, allow a FULL 10-minute (NPR) natural pressure release. Don’t rush the NPR so the pasta can finish cooking.
After 10 min, carefully turn the pressure release valve to "Venting" position to release any steam.
Remove the lid and stir the Chili Mac until ingredients are well-combined. Stir in CHEDDAR CHEESE. *see recipe note

One Pot Chili Mac Stove Instructions

Heat OLIVE OIL in a 3.5 quart soup pot on med-high heat. Add ONIONS, BELL PEPPER, and GARLIC and sauté until tender, stirring as needed (about 5 minutes).
Add BEEF and continue sautéing until it's no longer pink, stirring as needed.
Stir in DICED TOMATOES (with juice), TOMATO PASTE, CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, SALT, WATER, and MACARONI.
Increase heat to high and bring everything to a boil for a few minutes.
Reduce heat to simmer all ingredients until pasta is cooked through (10-15 minutes). Keep an eye on the water level, adding more in small amounts as needed to prevent pasta from sticking to the pot or drying out.
When pasta is fully cooked, you'll have a creamy, saucy consistency. Stir in cheddar cheese and devour!

Notes

Chili Powder Blend—Chili powder blend is what you typically find in grocery stores, and it's labeled simply as "chili powder." It contains a mix of spices like cumin and garlic. If using pure chili powder, you may only need a few pinches.

Tomato paste substitute—If you don’t have tomato paste, use an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and reduce the water to 2 cups instead of 2 ½ cups.

Macaroni—For thicker pasta (macaroni, rotini, penne), follow recipe as it is written. For thinner pasta (shells or spaghetti noodles) pressure cook the pasta for 1 minute (instead of 2 minutes) followed by the 10 minute natural pressure release.

Cheese—I created this recipe with minimal cheese (1 cup). You can add more cheese or leave it out completely if you're dairy-sensitive. I sometimes like to add a splash of half and half in place of the cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition