Instant Pot turkey chili with black beans and corn makes a great warm and hearty dinner for a chilly night. Add your favorite toppings and dig in!

Last week felt like an eternity.

It was mostly the election and ensuing anxiety (and the loss of sleep it caused me for multiple nights), but it was also my husband's surgery, which went well but has taken him somewhat out of commission for helping around here, and it was the general 2020 angst of daily living in these most abnormal of times.

But whew, I feel like we've turned a huge corner, at least with the election and with the direction or country is going in. And my husband is recovering nicely, too, which I'm thankful for. Plus, we had an outdoor, socially distanced dinner with my parents last night and that's always so refreshing and fun.

But let's move on to the food and to today's recipe.

This Instant Pot turkey chili with black beans and corn is based on my healthy southwest turkey chili, which is one of my most favorite chili recipes ever. So of course I had to find a way to adapt it for the Instant Pot.

And let me tell you, it works great!

You have the same flavorful mix of southwestern spices, plenty of ground turkey, plus black beans and corn, and it’s so warm and hearty.

(You might also want to try Instant Pot chicken chili that uses chicken breasts.)

This is a satisfying healthy meal that’s perfect for a chilly night. (It’s also great to serve to friends and family for a game day meal.)

And it’s so easy and hands-off to do in the Instant Pot that it makes dinner a breeze.

Oh, and it’s not spicy, so it’s great for families or for a crowd, and it’s got great colors, textures and flavors that’ll have you coming back for more. 

(But you can certainly spice it up if you like with your toppings. I've got lots of ideas on those below.)

Cozy and delicious, just as chili should be.

OK, let’s get cooking.

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make Instant Pot turkey chili. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making Instant Pot turkey chili:

• You can use an 11 oz. can of corn (yellow or white or mixed) or substitute about 1 cup of frozen corn for this recipe.
• We prefer black beans but you could substitute kidney beans or pinto beans (or use 2 cans of beans to make this even heartier).
• I like my chili on the thicker side and find the amount of broth listed below is the right balance. If you like yours super thick, I’d recommend starting with just 1 ½ cups of chicken broth added to the Instant Pot and adjusting at the end when you are ready to serve.
• Alternatively, you can thin it out with extra broth after it’s cooked if you want it a tad more soupy.

Also, a disclaimer: Instant Pot recipes often fail to mention the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure or to release it.

I have found it very misleading when trying to plan, so I wanted to be sure to include it here.

I’ve listed “additional time” as 15 minutes to account for the amount of time it will take for the pot to come to pressure and then the time for the quick release. The exact amount of time can vary, but that’s at least a rough estimate.

In case you’re in the market for one, I have and love this 6-quart Instant Pot.

Alright, let’s get ready to eat!

Chili wouldn’t be chili, in my humble opinion, without some serious toppings happening.

Everyone has their favorites of course, but here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Topping ideas for turkey chili:

• Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Sliced or diced avocado
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped green onions
• Hot sauce or sriracha
• Pickled jalapeños 
• Tortilla chips or oyster crackers or frito chips

We also love serving this chili with some easy cheesy cornbread muffins or jalapeño cheddar drop biscuits. Both are quick and easy to make while the chili is cooking.

I’ve also got a fun twist on cornbread coming up later this week, so stay tuned. (Update: check out this tasty Mexican cornbread.)

You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!

Now, let’s talk about what to do with leftovers.

How to store leftover chili:

* For the fridge: Let the chili cool down, then transfer it to a container with a lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

* For the freezer: Let the cooked chili cool down and then pack it up in a ziptop freezer bag or a freezer safe container. It will keep for 4-6 months.

* Don’t forget to label it! I like to keep a list of food I have in the freezer in my desk, so I can see what we need to use up without having to dig through the freezer.

When you’re ready to enjoy it again, for lunch or dinner, here’s how to get it ready.

How to reheat leftover chili:

* To reheat frozen chili, it’s best to thaw it in the fridge overnight. (It may take longer than overnight if you have a large container of frozen chili.) Then add it to a pot on the stove over medium low and bring it to a simmer, stirring on occasion, to get it uniformly heated through.

* If you’re in a pinch time-wise to thaw it from the freezer, you can place the frozen bag/container of chili in a bowl of lukewarm water to thaw on the counter, changing the water every 15 minutes. Then heat the chili in a pot until warm and serve it up.

* If the chili has gotten too thick, add a few splashes of chicken broth to get it to the right consistency.

Ta da! Easy, healthy turkey chili made in your Instant Pot.

Dinnertime has nothing on you!

I hope you give this a try on a chilly night and that it warms you right up.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. You might also like my healthy slow cooker chicken chili and white turkey chili recipes.