This Instant Pot chili is designed for real life—busy evenings, planned leftovers, and pantries that work as hard as you do. Made with pantry staples, freeze-dried vegetables, and quality protein, it delivers classic chili flavor without complicated prep or last-minute grocery runs.

By using a THM-friendly sweetener and a small amount of beans, this recipe stays firmly THM S while remaining hearty and satisfying. This is the kind of recipe that fits naturally into everyday pantry cooking and supports a calm, practical approach to preparedness.

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Debbie’s Everyday Pantry Chili (Instant Pot | THM S)

Why This Works:
Built from pantry staples so you can cook confidently without a last-minute store run

• Freeze-dried vegetables add flavor and nutrition while keeping prep simple

• High in protein for steady energy and satisfying meals

• Instant Pot friendly for hands-off cooking on busy days

• THM S compliant with controlled carbs and a THM-friendly sweetener

• Reheats beautifully for leftovers and meal prep

Using freeze dried food at home

Ingredients

Sauté

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil

Add to Instant Pot

• 4 cups water

• ⅓ cup freeze-dried onions

• ⅓ cup freeze-dried green chilies

• ⅓ cup freeze-dried red peppers

• ¼ cup freeze-dried kale or spinach

• ⅓ cup freeze-dried mushrooms

• ¼ cup tomato powder

• ½ Tbsp Chef’s Choice seasoning

• 1 Tbsp chili powder

• ½ Tbsp cumin

• 1 Tbsp granulated garlic

• 1 Tbsp DIY THM sugar

• ½ tsp dried basil

• 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon (chicken)

• 1 can diced tomatoes, chopped smaller

• ⅛ cup Cholula hot sauce

After Cooking

• ½ can black beans, drained and rinsed

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Garnish

• Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Brown the beef
   Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it up as it cooks.

2. Drain and rinse
   Carefully drain the cooked beef, then rinse briefly with warm water to remove excess fat. Return the beef to the Instant Pot.

3. Build the chili base
   Add the water, freeze-dried vegetables, tomato powder, diced tomatoes, bouillon, spices, DIY THM sugar, and hot sauce. Stir well to fully combine.

4. Pressure cook
   Secure the lid and cook using the Chili setting, or set to Pressure Cook (High) for 15 minutes.

5. Release pressure
   When cooking is complete, perform a careful quick release of pressure.

6. Add beans
   Stir in the drained and rinsed black beans. Let the chili rest for 5 minutes to heat through and thicken slightly.

7. Season and serve
   Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Need Freeze-Dried Ingredients for This Recipe?

Stock your pantry with fruits, veggies, proteins, and everyday staples that make THM-style cooking fast, simple, and stress-free.

Monty asks for this chili regularly. I love that it is one pot and so easy to make.

It lasts for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator and can freeze up to 3 months. Reheating is easy on the stovetop or microwave. Add a small splash of broth or water to loosen the texture. ~Enjoy! Debbie

More THM S Recipes

Explore more satisfying Trim Healthy Mama recipes that fit your everyday lifestyle.

👉 See All THM S Recipes

📝 Prep Notes / Variations

• Quick-Cook Beans:
  You may use Ready Harvest Premium Quick Cook Black Beans. Prepare them separately and stir into the chili after pressure cooking.

• Protein Swap:
  Substitute ground turkey for ground beef to enjoy this recipe as a THM E meal. When prepared as an E, you may increase the beans as desired.

• Vegetable Flexibility:
  Freeze-dried vegetables can be swapped based on what you have on hand. This recipe is forgiving and works well with pantry variety.

• Heat Level:
  Adjust the amount of hot sauce or chili powder to suit your family’s preference.

THM S | High Protein | Easy Prep | Pantry-Friendly

Yield

• Servings: 8

• Serving Size: Approximately 1¼ cups per serving

Estimated Nutrition (THM S Version)

Per serving, without cheese garnish

• Calories: ~315

• Protein: ~27–29 g

• Fat: ~13–15 g

• Carbohydrates: ~18–22 g

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary based on ingredient brands and portion sizes.

Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Information

This recipe is a solid THM S meal when prepared as written.

• Made with ground beef and a THM-friendly DIY sweetener

• Includes a small, controlled amount of beans, fully drained and rinsed

• Emphasizes protein and healthy fats for steady energy and satiety

Optional shredded cheese may be added as a garnish while remaining THM S.

Easy THM Swap Option

• Use ground turkey instead of ground beef to enjoy this recipe as a THM E meal

• When prepared as an E, you may increase the beans to your preference

This makes the recipe easy to adapt based on your goals while keeping the same comforting flavor.

THM S Tip

For a solid S meal, use ½ can black beans total per batch.
Adding more beans will shift this recipe into crossover territory.

More THM pantry meals

P.S. Need anything Pantry Today–related? You’ll find all my recipes, tools, and links here: pantrytoday.com/links