Instant Pot chili mac is a fantastic one pot casserole, perfect for easy weeknight dinners. This dish is amazing comfort food, and made in less than 30 minutes.
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Why you'll love it
- A quick and easy Instant Pot one pot recipe.
- Family friendly meal that the kids will love.
- This dish is made in less than 30 minutes, and requires about 10 minutes of active work.
- It's like mac and cheese and chili combined into one dish!
- There are plenty of variations available, so you can adjust the recipe to suit your preferences.
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Ingredients
Ground beef: Lean ground beef is the main source of protein in this dish. You can substitute it for ground turkey, chicken or pork if you like.
Onion + garlic: Add lots of flavor to the dish. Can be omitted.
Red pepper: The pepper adds some color and flavor to the dish. Can be omitted.
Black beans: The beans add excellent flavor and texture to the chili mac. You can also use any other beans, like kidney beans or pinto beans.
Elbow macaroni: Macaroni is a short type of pasta, and perfect in this recipe.
Canned diced tomatoes + tomato sauce: These make up the sauce in the chili man. You can substitute with pasta sauce or marinara.
Water: The water is added to cook the macaroni.
Shredded cheddar: Shredded cheddar makes the dish cheesy and delicious. You can substitute with any shredded cheese that you like.
Cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper: Seasoning adds flavor to the dish. You can omit or substitute these as you please!
Instructions
- Dice the pepper and onion, and grate the garlic.
- Add ground beef, onion and vegetable oil to your Instant Pot, and saute on the saute setting for about 5 minutes, or until the beef has browned.
- Add garlic and seasoning to the Instant Pot, and saute for another minute.
- Add macaroni, drained and rinsed black beans, tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes and water to the Instant Pot. Turn off saute setting, and stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Then, seal the lid, and cook on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK setting on high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure before it starts counting down.
- Perform a quick release of the pressure according to the manufacturers instructions, and remove the lid from the pot.
- Stir in shredded cheddar, and leave the chili mac to rest for a minute while the cheese melts.
Top tips
- Feel free to add any leftover cooked meat or veggies to the chili mac. This is a great recipe to use up whatever you have in the bottom of the fridge.
- Grate your own cheese if possible! Store bought grated cheese has a coating which means that it doesn't melt as well.
Serving suggestions
Instant Pot chili mac is a one pot dinner recipe, and you can serve it on its own if you prefer. If you're looking to pair it with a side dish, these are some of my favorite choices:
- Bread - Any bread, such as toasted bread, garlic bread or a slice of sourdough is a great side dish to serve with chili mac.
- Cheesy Tex Mex Sour Cream Sauce - Top your chili mac with a cheesy, creamy sauce.
- Black Bean Corn Salad - Serve it with a fresh salad.
- Guacamole with lemon - Creamy guacamole is a perfect pairing with this dish.
- Strawberry Pineapple Salsa - Enjoy cheesy chili mac with fruity salsa on the side.
Variations
Gluten free: You can make the dish gluten free by using gluten free macaroni. Be careful not to use any other types of macaroni, such as wholewheat or black bean macaroni, as these have different cooking times.
Dairy free: Omit the cheese, or use a dairy free or vegan cheese substitute.
Lean and low fat: You can use low fat ground beef, or ground turkey or chicken for an even leaner option.
More veggies: Add more diced vegetables if you want. Zucchini, tomatoes, extra peppers, corn, sweet potatoes, celery, spinach, kale and carrots are great options.
Vegetarian: Make the dish vegetarian by substituting more beans for the ground beef. I suggest using a combination of kidney beans and black beans.
Spicy: If you want to make a spicy chili mac, you can add extra chili powder, cayenne pepper or even diced raw chili.
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Leftovers
You can store leftover chili mac in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 6 months.
Defrost frozen leftovers in a refrigerator overnight, and reheat in a microwave or a pot on the stove for a few minutes until warm.
Frequently asked questions
For the perfect chili mac, you want to cook all ingredients together in a pot, rather than preparing the macaroni and chili separate.
Yes, however keep in mind that browning ground beef can take a little longer if the meat is frozen.
You might also like these recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Mixed Bean Chilli
- Instant Pot Ground Beef
- Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Curry
- Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
- White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Pad Thai
- Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Instant Pot Chili Mac
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red pepper
- 1 (14 oz) can black beans
- 2 ½ cups elbow macaroni
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce (UK: passata)
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Dice the pepper and onion, and grate the garlic.
- Add ground beef, onion and vegetable oil to your Instant Pot, and saute on the saute setting for about 5 minutes, or until the beef has browned.
- Add garlic and seasoning to the Instant Pot, and saute for another minute.
- Add macaroni, drained and rinsed black beans, tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes and water to the Instant Pot. Turn off saute setting, and stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Then, seal the lid, and cook on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK setting on high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure before it starts counting down.
- Perform a quick release of the pressure according to the manufacturers instructions, and remove the lid from the pot.
- Stir in shredded cheddar, and leave the chili mac to rest for a minute while the cheese melts.
Video
Notes
- This recipe has only been tested in a 6 qt Instant Pot.
- Store leftover chili mac in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 6 months.
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