I love camping. It’s absolutely magical to escape into the woods and just let go, something that is nearly impossible for me to do at home. At home, I am constantly distracted by the laundry, dirty floors, dirty dishes, piles of papers…the list seems endless. And at times, the only way for me to tackle it all is to get away. Far away. Many times, I come back from a weekend of camping with some perspective and renewed motivation to tackle tasks that are often the hardest to check off my list.
Since the goal when camping is to enjoy nature, take lots of deep breaths, and have time to explore, I’ve made it a goal to prepare hearty, delicious food that requires little time and effort. This Instant Pot Beef Chili has served us well this camping season and I’m sure it will continue to grace our weekly meal plan when the temps (eventually) drop below 95 degrees…soon I hope!
Here’s what I do: I whip this up in my Instant Pot before transferring it to a dutch oven and securing the lid. When we head out camping, I pop the dutch oven in a cooler, then heat the chili on our camp stove when we are ready to eat. Topping with lots of Tillamook shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips is a must!
Instant Pot Beef Chili
Makes 4-6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and black pepper
1 can beer (an ale is best)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I LOVE Tillamook)
crushed tortilla chips
cilantro
lime juice
Turn on the sauté setting on the instant pot and heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the spices and cook, stirring constantly again, for an additional 30 seconds.
Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Pour the beer over the ground beef and bring to a simmer. Add the tomatoes and return to a simmer.
Turn off the sauté function, place the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to seal. Turn on the chili setting and cook for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, allow the steam to release naturally.
Add the rinsed and drained black beans to the pot and stir them in. Place the lid back on the instant pot and let the beans heat through for about 5 minutes.
Enjoy while its hot or transfer to a dutch oven for transport to what is sure to be an excellent weekend camping adventure :)
