This easy Instant Pot Chili Mac is a savory, hearty, cheesy one-pot meal! Made with tender ground beef, creamy Velveeta cheese, and kidney beans, this is an easy comfort food family dinner that the entire household will love.
Looking for a mouthwatering recipe for those weeknight dinners at home whenever you’re craving comforting, filling, and a recipe full of flavor?
This family-friendly meal is the perfect solution to a quick weeknight dinner. Chili mac is cheesy, perfectly seasoned with chili powder, garlic, and cumin, and ready within moments thanks to the pressure cooker.
This recipe mashes together one of our favorite Beef Recipes with the epitome of Pasta Recipes to create one of my family’s favorite Instant Pot Recipes!
There is just something so special about a bowl of comfort food. Am I right? In my household, we frequently enjoy comfort dishes such as creamy chicken fajita pasta, green chile chicken pasta, and so many more dinner recipes. The list goes!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Why This Recipe Works
- How To Make Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Equipment
- Ingredient Notes
- Easy Instructions With Step By Step Photos
- Recipe Variations
- Make It Vegetarian
- Pro Recipe Tips
- What To Serve With Chili Mac
- What Is The Difference Between Goulash and Chili Mac?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Chili Mac Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy: You will swoon over how simple and stress-free this recipe is which makes it ideal for those nights when you’re not wanting a lot of steps.
- Versatile: Make this either in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, but keep in mind that if you cook it on the stovetop, then it may take additional time.
- Full of Protein: The hamburger meat and beans give this chili mac an abundance of protein that is filling and hearty making it great for curbing appetites.
- Ready in the Instant Pot: That’s right–this recipe is made in just one pot. Who doesn’t like using minimal dishes?
- Budget-Friendly: A great recipe to stretch your grocery dollars, yet provide your family a hearty, filling meal without breaking the bank!
Why This Recipe Works
Your tastebuds and household will love this recipe because it is cheesy, a little bit spicy, and oh, so savory with creamy and robust flavors.
- This recipe can be frozen! We include instructions on how to freeze this recipe. All you do is transfer the leftovers in an airtight container and freeze them for up to three months.
- Feeling like using the jarred minced garlic? Not an issue! Whenever you’re wanting a little more ease with this recipe, opt for the pre-minced stuff.
- For this recipe, you can use either diced or Rotel tomatoes for additional flavors.
- Instead of using a block of Velveeta, you can substitute it with more shredded cheese.
- Use any kind of onion for this recipe and omit the beans if you do not want them.
How To Make Instant Pot Chili Mac
Equipment
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Ingredient Notes
Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don’t have a specific ingredient on hand. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
- Oil. I like to use olive oil because of its pungent flavor, but any type of neutral oil will work such as avocado, coconut, canola, or grapeseed oil.
- Onion. Feel free to use any onion, but I prefer using either yellow or white.
- Garlic. Freshly minced or you could even use the frozen blacks of garlic paste.
- Meat. Any kind of ratio of ground beef will work for this recipe. Want to switch things up? Use ground turkey instead.
- Beans. Canned kidney beans are easy, but if you only have dried beans–those will also work. Just be sure to soak the beans prior to cooking them!
- Broth. The beef broth is used to give this Instant Pot mac rich and memorable flavors, but in a pinch, you could use chicken broth.
- Seasoning. Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper are used to give this recipe its mouthwatering qualities. These are the perfect blend of spices that are smoky and bold.
- Pasta. Macaroni is a classic staple for chili mac. Use gluten-free or whole-wheat macaroni for alternative options.
- Cheese. The duo of cheeses for this mac is Velveeta and cheddar cheese. You can’t go wrong with these cheeses!
- Parsley. We like to use freshly minced parsley because of the fresh flavors it provides, but you can also use dried parsley.
Easy Instructions With Step By Step Photos
- Start by sauteing the onions and garlic. First, set the Instant Pot on sauté, and when it is hot, pour the oil into the Instant Pot and then add in the onions. It will take about 4 minutes for them to become translucent. Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute.
- Next, Add the beef to the pot and cook until it is no longer pink.
- Once the meat is cooked, add in the remainder of the broth, beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Add the macaroni and tomatoes. Now place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is sealed. Turn the pressure cooker on High Pressure and set the timer.
- Once the timer is up, do a quick release. If you need to, refer to the owner’s manual for exact instructions on how to do this.
- After the quick release, add the cheeses on top and stir until melted and combined.
- Allow the chili mac to sit for five minutes prior to serving. You want the noodles to soak up all of that cheesy goodness!
- Serve with toast or focaccia bread, and sprinkle with minced parsley and dish it out.
Recipe Variations
- Noodles. Try switching up the pasta. Use spaghetti noodles for this chili mac. You will love the versatility!
- Meat. Not a big fan of ground beef? Instead of using beef, you can use shredded chicken.
- Beans. Kidney beans work for this recipe, but you can also experiment with black beans, white beans, or even garbanzo beans.
- Cheese. Cheddar is delicious in this pasta recipe, but you can use any blend of cheese you have in your refrigerator.
Make It Vegetarian
You can easily turn this recipe into a plant-based recipe!
- Substitute the ground beef with meatless soy crumbles. You can find these in the frozen sections at grocery stores.
- Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
- Keep things vegan by using dairy-free cheeses.
Pro Recipe Tips
- If you prefer, instead of Velveeta, or pre-shredded cheeses, try grating your own cheese.
- Adjust the flavors as needed. You may need to add more seasoning if it has cooled down.
- Make this chili mac and cheese spicy by adding cayenne pepper.
What To Serve With Chili Mac
What Is The Difference Between Goulash and Chili Mac?
Although Hungarian Goulash and chili mac look and taste very similar, they do have some key differences.
Goulash is a recipe based in Europe and typically contains large amounts of paprika and sometimes even potatoes. Chili pasta typically is made with cheeses, chili powder, and beans.
Both goulash and chili mac are highly appetizing and suitable for dinners that need to be quickly placed on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead Of Time?
- You can certainly make this recipe one to two days ahead if needed. This pressure cooker mac is perfect for meal prep!
How Do I Store Leftover Chili Mac?
- Allow the soup to cool completely prior to transferring to an airtight container. Place the container in the refrigerator and chill for up to five days.
How Do I Reheat Leftover Chili Mac?
- Reheat the leftovers in the microwave for one to two minutes, in the Instant Pot on the sauté function, or even on the stovetop in a skillet or saucepan.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Instant Pot Chili Mac Recipe
Ingredients
Add BEFORE Pressure Cooking
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 pound hamburger meat
- 1 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or rotel
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 10 ounces elbow macaroni
Add AFTER Pressure Cooking
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cubed velveeta cheese
- 2 Tablespoons parsley minced
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil into the instant pot, and set on saute. Add the onions and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about a minute.
- Add the hamburger and cook until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
- Add in about 1/2 cup beef broth, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any little bits of food from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This is called deglazing the pan.
- Add in the remainder of the broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt pepper, kidney beans, elbow macaroni, and diced tomatoes. Do not stir.
- Place the lid on the pot and make sure it is sealed. Turn on high pressure and set the timer for 5 minutes. It will take a bit of time to build up the pressure and this will help the noodles cook till soft.
- Do a quick release (see your instant pot manual.)
- Add the velveeta and shredded cheese and stir till melted and combined.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I recommend using a low sodium beef broth. If using regular beef broth, then I recommend, eliminating the salt.
- If you prefer, instead of Velveeta, or pre-shredded cheeses, try grating your own cheese.
- Adjust the flavors as needed. You may need to add more seasoning if it has cooled down.
- Make this chili mac and cheese spicy by adding cayenne pepper.
Gina says
Amazing comfort food recipe! So hearty and filling, will definitely be on the re-make list!
Michele says
Hi Gina,
I agree completely! It is in our regular rotation.
Michele
Liz says
Chili mac is one of our favorites! I’d never tried it in the Instant Pot though. So yummy! Perfect for a weeknight meal.
Michele says
Hi Liz,
The Instant Pot makes it so easy. You have to try it!
Michele
Shannon says
This was a hit with my family! It reminded me of the kind of meals my mom made when I was growing up.
Michele says
Hi Shannon,
I’m so glad you and your family liked it. Yes, this is a type of dish that I grew up with too. It is so good.
Michele