Instant Pot Habanero Chili

I like to pretend that I can handle heat… but really, my spicy tolerance level is like a 3 on a scale of 1-10. This my friends, is not a level 3. It’s a level habanero.
I make this hearty habanero chili all the time for my husband, Roby, who prefers his food at a level 7-9 on the spicy tolerance level scale.
Oh and um, just so you know – I’m totally making up this “spicy tolerance level” scale thing.
(If you want to talk about a legit numbers – a habanero ranges anywhere from 100k-580k units on the scoville scale. But who really knows what that means?).
What I can tell you about this habanero chili: it’s spicy and it’s delicious. Even though it’s a little spicier than the food I’m used to eating, I still really enjoy the heat and the flavor that the habanero adds to the chili.
If you don’t think you can handle the heat, you can always use a jalapeño instead. No shame, you guys. You can work your way up… maybe try half a habanero?

When you make this recipe, I suggest sticking to 1 habanero. I once made this with 2 habaneros and I started sweating after a single bite. Roby had to eat all of it. I’m pretty sure that was his plan to begin with, since the whole adding 2 habaneros to the chili was his idea. He loved it.
If you eat dairy, top this with some cheddar cheese and sour cream. I usually keep my bowl dairy-free.
I make this chili in my Instant Pot, an electronic pressure cooker. Don’t have an Instant Pot? Here are directions for making it in the slow cooker.
Just curious, how many habaneros do you think you can handle?

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Instant Pot Habanero Chili

Author: Ashley Thomas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 habanero, minced (use 2 if you like your food insanely spicy)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 5 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans organic diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Bacon, cooked and crumbed (optional)

Instructions

1. Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot, and add the oil, onions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the ground beef to the pot and cook until brown.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, then cover and lock the lid. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot, then press the “Meat/Stew” button to begin the pressure cooking. It will automatically be set for 35 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is closed.
3. Once the chili is done, the Instant Pot will automatically switch to the “Keep Warm” mode. Allow the pressure to release naturally or use the quick release.
4. Top with crumbled bacon if desired and serve.

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Keywords: Recipes, My Heart Beets