Instant Pot Turkey Quinoa Chili is the easiest chili recipe – all made in the Instant Pot! It’s lightened up with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and quinoa – making it packed full of fiber and protein. It’s perfect for a chilly autumn afternoon or football game day!
Another Instant Pot recipe?! I know, I know. I’ve been totally loving my pressure cooker lately and I know it’s a really popular kitchen tool to have right now. I actually have the Fagor Multi-Cooker, which has a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker all in one, but it basically functions the same as the Instant Pot.
I’m actually thinking of getting an Instant Pot, too, so I can make ALL the pressure cooker recipes and also cook things like rice and curry at the same time. Or maybe applesauce and dinner simultaneously. Like I said last week – get ready for a ton of pressure cooker recipes!
Instant Pot Turkey Quinoa Chili
While I love a classic beef chili, I like to lighten things up sometimes, too. This chili is classic-tasting, in that is has the classic beans, tomatoes, and chili powder, with a little bit of a spin. Instead of ground beef, I used ground turkey. It’s a pretty simple swap that lightens it up a bit. I also added sweet potatoes and quinoa for some extra protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
How Do I Make This in the Instant Pot?
In this recipe I use the Instant Pot’s saute function for the turkey, onion, and garlic. It’s so handy to be able to do this step in the Instant Pot and not have to get another pan dirty. Once that’s done you just add the rest of the ingredients, set the pressure cooker on high for 12 minutes, and let it do the work!
I know a lot of people who are hesitant to use a pressure cooker because it seems scary, but I assure you it’s not, if you use it correctly. It can be a little unnerving to release the pressure immediately after cooking. It will spew out steam, so I always recommend waiting 5-10 minutes after the timer goes off to let it naturally release some of that pressure. Then it won’t be as scary 🙂
Can I Also Make This In My Slow Cooker?
Yes! If you don’t have an Instant Pot quite yet, you can definitely make this recipe in a slow cooker. And if your slow cooker has a sauté function, you can basically follow the instructions and just cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low in your slow cooker. If it doesn’t, sauté the onions and cook the ground turkey on the stovetop. Then add it to your slow cooker, and then cook in your slow cooker as stated above.
What Should I Serve With This Chili?
Tortilla Chips
Fritos!
Ingredients
For the chili:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced into ~1/2" pieces
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can Pinto beans
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
For topping:
- diced avocado
- shredded cheese
- diced green onions
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Set pressure cooker/Instant Pot to saute/brown setting.
- Add the olive oil. Once it is hot, add the diced onion, garlic, and ground turkey.
- Cook until the ground turkey is browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, and the onion is translucent.
- Add the remaining chili ingredients, season with salt, and stir to combine.
- Cover with lid and secure pressure valve to closed.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Let the valve naturally release for 10 minutes and then slowly release the valve until pressure has fully released.
- Remove lid and stir.
- Serve topped with your choice of toppings. We love avocado, shredded cheese, green onions, and cilantro.
- Enjoy!
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Welcome to greens & chocolate! I'm Taylor and am so excited that you stopped by! I'm a Minnesota girl in my 20's who's loving life with my husband Marc, our son Lars, and our Golden Retriever Maddie. I love cooking healthy meals, but it's essential that I have my dessert. All after a hot yoga class or a run, though! It's all about moderation here at greens & chocolate. 
Hello! I know it’s been a year since you’ve posted, but i notice you didn’t include the beans in the final recipe. How much did you add? Looking forward to making 🙂
Hi! How many cans of beans did you add to this recipe? Looking forward to making 🙂
Hi Kristin! So sorry about this. I looked back and it’s one can of Pinto beans. I just updated the recipe. Thank you for pointing it out!
Taylor