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$5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

Save on Groceries in 2025

Instant Pot Three Bean Chili Recipe ~ From Frozen Solid to Serving Bowls in 58 Minutes

February 7, 2017 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 4 Comments

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Yes. It’s possible.

To take a rock solid, frozen ball of delicious.

And be ladling it into serving bowls in 58 minutes. You’re going to need an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Times and notes below based on Instant Pot DUO, 6 qt.

Here’s how.

Step 1 – Fill freezer bag with ingredients using, using FreezEasy Bag Holders.

Step 2 – Seal bag and place into round bowl, that is smaller in diameter than your EPC insert.

Step 3 – Place bowl and meal into the freezer and let freeze overnight. Remove bowl once it’s the “frozen ball of delicious” is formed.

(Here is the frozen ball of delicious…in the freezer and ready for quick thawing.)

53 Minutes

Step 4 – When you are ready to make the chili, place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to “quick thaw.” This is just to loosen the frozen food from the baggie.

53 Minutes-2

Step 5 – Pull the bag out of the bowl of warm water and open it up. Flip it upside down directly into the EPC insert. Add 1 to 2 cups of water or broth.

53 Minutes-3

Step 5 – Put the lid on and set to Sealing. Push the Bean/Chili button. (Or Manual, High for 30 minutes.)

53 Minutes-4

Step 6 – Wait 23 minutes for it to come to pressure, then wait 30 minutes to finish cooking.

(This is a longer than normal come to pressure time because the meal is frozen. It will be defrosting during the come to pressure phase.)

53 Minutes-5

Step 7 – Quick Release & ladle into bowls and top with favorite toppings.

58 Minutes.

That’s it.

Start to finish. From frozen solid to ladling into bowls.

With about 3 minutes of “hands on time.” Most of the defrosting and reheating happens inside the EPC.

This is why the Instant Pot is getting the reputation of being ‘magical.’

What a gift….this is such a gift for the busy, stressed out home chef!

It really is magical!

Watch and Learn How to Make Freezer Meals in the Instant Pot

If you want to learn more about electric pressure cooking (EPCing), then please check out my new online class Electric Pressure Cooking 101 (EPC101). You get instant access to the entire class when you signup and you can go through the class online, at your own pace and convenience. Learn more at electricpressurecooking101.com! 

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Instant Pot Three Bean Chili Recipe

From Frozen Solid to Serving Bowls in 58 Minutes
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time30 minutes minutes
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 Tbsp minced onion
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 15 oz can red kidney beans
  • 15 oz can black beans
  • 15 oz can pinto beans
  • 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, as garnish
  • Crackers or loaf bread, as side dish

Instructions

  • Pre-brown ground beef in skillet, or brown in the EPC insert using Saute feature.
  • Add all other chili ingredients to EPC Insert of pressure cooker and close the lid.
  • Set to Sealing.
  • Press Beans/Chili. (Or Manual, High, Adjust to 30 minutes.)
  • Release: Quick.
  • Serve Three Bean & Beef Chili with shredded cheese garnish, and crackers or loaf bread.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases. Reviews, opinions are my own.
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Filed Under: Beans Recipes, Beef Recipes, Budget Friendly Meal Plans, Budget Friendly Recipes, Electric Pressure Cooking 101, Gluten Free Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, MyFreezEasy Freezer Meal Plans, Pressure Cooker Recipes, Savings

Comments

  1. Ashleigh says

    February 7, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    Yay, Instant Pot recipes/meals! Please do more and also a search category on your website! Thanks so much!!!!!

    Reply
  2. Becky says

    February 10, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    Just to clarify, since the recipe looks like you’re immediately cooking it, if you’re preparing this as a freezer meal, you still pre-brown the beef before freezing and then let the rest of the already frozen ingredients cook in the pot?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      September 23, 2017 at 6:47 am

      I have this question too. I’m thinking that since we’d have to brown the beef before we tossed in the beans/tomato juice/etc (if we were prepping and cooking same day), then we’d brown the beef on prep day and freeze it with the rest of the ingredients.

      Reply
  3. Michelle says

    February 20, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    I have a 6 qt instant pot also. Would I be able to fit double the recipe into it??
    There are 7 in our family and I don’t know that one recipe would be enough
    to feed us all.
    Thanks!

    Reply

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