Description
Instant Pot Chorizo Chili With Pinto Beans. Spicy chorizo cooked with dry pinto beans, ready in about an hour from your pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Soaking Pinto Beans
- 1 pound dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Chorizo Chili
- 12 ounces Mexican raw chorizo
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Soaked pinto beans (from above)
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted crushed)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sort and rinse the pinto beans: Sort the pinto beans, discarding any stones, dirt, or broken beans. Rinse the beans, then do an overnight soak or a quick soak.
- Overnight soak: Cover the pinto beans with 8 cups of water and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave the beans to soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid.
- OR: Pressure Quick Soak for 1 minute with a 30-minute rest: Put the pinto beans and 8 cups of water in an Instant Pot or another pressure cooker. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Pressure cook at high pressure for 1 minute ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot for 1 minute), then quick release the pressure. Let the beans soak in the pot for 30 minutes. Drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. (Wipe out the pot if you use it in the next step.)
- Cook the chorizo: Remove the casing from the Mexican chorizo and put it in an Instant Pot or another pressure cooker. Set the cooker to Sauté mode (medium heat for a stovetop PC), and cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a flat-edged wooden spoon until it is crumbled and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Sauté the aromatics and toast the spices: Stir in the onion and garlic, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, occasionally stirring and scraping the pot to make sure the chorizo is not sticking, until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Make a hole in the center of the chorizo and onions, and add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Let sit for 30 seconds, then stir the spices into the chorizo and onions.
- Pressure cook the chili for 15 minutes with a Natural Release: Stir in the pinto beans, water, 1 teaspoon of salt, baking soda, and crushed tomatoes. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker (use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode), or for 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally, about 30 minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes, especially if you are in a hurry). Remove the lid carefully, opening it away from you – even when it's not under pressure, the steam in the cooker is very hot.
- Simmer to thicken (optional): To thicken the chili, set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode adjusted to low (low heat in a stovetop cooker), bring the pot to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, until the chili thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Season and serve: Stir in the black pepper. Serve straight up or with your favorite chili toppings. (Mine are diced onions, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.) Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex