Instant Pot Chili Mac

Easy, cheesy and a family favorite! This Instant Pot Chili Mac is perfect for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight. It’s all cooked in one pot thanks to the Instant Pot. A hearty dinner using staple kitchen and pantry ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.

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Hearty, cozy, satisfying, amazing Instant Pot chili mac! This is a go-to dinner at our house at least a few times a month because it’s so easy to pull together, and everyone loves it – the kiddos and hubby just gobble it up!

This family-friendly dinner is sure to be a hit at your house like it is at mine! If you love chili and mac and cheese it’s definitely a must make.

Why This Recipe Works

• This homemade chili mac recipe is one of my favorite budget pantry meals – it’s made with really simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
• It’s a super easy one-pot chili mac! You only need your Instant Pot to make it – no extra skillets or pans required. It’s the best weeknight dinner!
• I like to make it with ground beef but you can use ground turkey if you like it better.

Don’t have an electric pressure cooker? Try my other chili mac and cheese recipes that you can make on the stovetop or in your crockpot!

Ingredients

• Ground beef
• Minced garlic
• Finely chopped onion
• Beef broth
• Canned petite diced tomatoes
• Canned tomato sauce
• Canned kidney beans
• Brown sugar
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Uncooked elbow macaroni
• Shredded cheddar cheese

How to Make It

Brown: Heat the IP on the saute setting and once it’s hot, brown the beef with the chopped onions. Crumble the beef as it cooks and when it’s almost done, add the garlic.

Scrape: Pour 1/4 cup of beef broth into the pot and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

Combine: Add the rest of the broth, all of the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, sugar, seasonings, and pasta. Stir to combine. Make sure the macaroni is completely submerged in the liquid.

Pressure cook: Secure the lid, close the steam vent, and set the timer to cook for five minutes on high pressure. When the timer goes off, open the steam valve to do a quick release.

Make it cheesy! Add the cheese and stir until it’s completely melted into the beef and pasta mixture. Let the chili mac sit in the pot for five minutes to thicken up before serving.

Make It a Complete Meal

Serve your hearty chili mac with these sides to make it a complete meal!

• We love a batch of Homemade Breadsticks or make some Dinner Rolls to go with it!
• For a healthy side, add some Air Fryer Broccoli or Asparagus.
• Don’t forget dessert – try my Monster Cookies or Turtle Brownies for a sweet treat to end the meal.

Savory and hearty this chili mac is guaranteed to satisfy your hungry family. Be sure to add the ingredients to your shopping list and give it a try this week!

Want more instant pot pasta recipes?

• Chicken Alfredo is so easy to make in your electric pressure cooker!
• Instant Pot Spaghetti is a comforting, cozy dinner your family will love.
• Beef Stroganoff is so hearty and delicious you’ll want it in your dinner rotation!
• Tender, juicy pork bursting with so much flavor! This Instant Pot Pork Carnitas recipe is the perfect family dinner recipe.

Try it and love it? Rate it, please! Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day!

If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

4.82 from 16 votes

Instant Pot Chili Mac

Make your favorite easy dinner in your Instant Pot! Chili Mac is always a family favorite, easy to make and so delicious!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:15 minutes mins

Total:25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 3 clove minced garlic
• ▢ ½ c. finely chopped onion peeled
• ▢ 3 ½ c. beef broth
• ▢ 14 oz petite diced tomatoes
• ▢ 8 oz tomato sauce
• ▢ 16 oz kidney beans rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
• ▢ 1 c. Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Set Instant Pot to Saute. When the display reads HOT add the ground beef and diced onion to the pot.
• Cook and crumble until ground beef is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook about 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Pour in 1/4 c. of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any pieces of beef that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the burn indicator on the instant pot when pressure cooking.
• Add the rest of the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, ground black pepper and macaroni. Stir and make sure the macaroni is submerged into the broth.
• Lock the lid, seal the valve and set the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes, high pressure.
• When instant pot is done cooking, quick release the steam valve.
• Remove the pot from the Instant Pot and stir in the cheese until completely melted and combined.
• Let set for five minutes to thicken and then serve.

Tips

Don’t forget the macaroni cooks in the IP with everything else – you don’t have to boil it first.

Sometimes I sub ground turkey for the beef so if that’s what you have on hand it works great!

Depending on the brand of beef broth you use you may want to adjust the salt – some brands are saltier than others.

Leftover Instant Pot chili mac will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 780kcal (39%), Carbohydrates: 91g (30%), Protein: 44g (88%), Fat: 27g (42%), Saturated Fat: 13g (81%), Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg (31%), Sodium: 1512mg (66%), Potassium: 1209mg (35%), Fiber: 11g (46%), Sugar: 12g (13%), Vitamin A: 1102IU (22%), Vitamin C: 12mg (15%), Calcium: 388mg (39%), Iron: 7mg (39%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.