Texas-Style Chili Con Carne: A Pressure Cooker Classic
This hearty Texas-style chili con carne is a pressure cooker classic made with smoky bacon, bold spices, and tender beef chuck roast. Perfectly rich and comforting, it's loaded with flavor and ready to warm any table.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker for faster cooking
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ¼ cup ground ancho chile pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 4 pound beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 8 ounces bacon cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 small yellow onions cut into 1-inch chunks
- 5 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 jalapeño chiles cored, seeded and finely diced
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups water plus more for chili paste and deglazing
- 1 ¼ cups lager beer
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- Fresh chopped cilantro for serving
- shredded cheese for serving
- lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Cooking Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine ground ancho chile, chipotle, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and cornmeal. Set aside.
- Heat pot over medium and cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon, leaving fat in pot.
- Increase heat to medium-high and sear beef chuck in batches, browning all sides, about 5–7 minutes per batch. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add spice mixture to pot, and stir for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and toasted.
- Return beef and bacon to pot. Add water to cover, about 3 to 4 cups. Bring to a boil.
- Seal pot and cook under pressure for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Reduce heat to low when pressure is reached.
- Uncover near the end to cook off liquid and concentrate flavors. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve hot with cilantro, shredded cheese, and lime wedges.
Notes
For a richer flavor, make a day ahead and reheat gently. Freezes well for up to 3 months.