How to Reheat Chili in an Instant Pot

When you’ve got some leftover chili in the fridge from the night before or the freezer from last week, it’s always tempting to have another bowl the next day. There are quite a few things you can do with it if you’re creative.

So, how do you reheat it? If you’ve got a lot of chili to warm, the instant pot is the way to go. 

Pour the cold chili into the instant pot, seal the lid, and set the timer to “zero” on either the “manual” or “pressure cooker” option.

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Why should you use an instant pot?

The benefits of an instant pot are numerous, but the most important aspect for most users is the time-saving aspect.

The pot brings the food to a warm temperature faster than reheating on the stove would, and the taste never suffers for it.

On top of the time saved, you also save space. You can reheat your chili in the pot and use the freed stove burners for whatever else you may be preparing to go along with it.

And last but not least, using the instant pot gives you freedom. You don’t have to stand and monitor a boiling pot of water on the stove, and you can pop your cold chili into the pot and heat it up for later.

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Safety 

Food safety is a major concern for everyone who’s preparing food or reheating leftovers. This case is no different. 

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Make sure the pot is clean, and be sure to add a little water to keep your chili from burning at the bottom or evaporating too much.

Once it’s heated to your desired temperature, always allow the instant pot to naturally release its pressure. Keep an eye on the valve, and once it’s dropped down to a safe level you can pop open the lid and check the food temperature or serve it if it’s done.

To avoid the growth of harmful bacteria in your food, don’t leave it sitting in the pot for longer than 2 hours warmed or at room temperature. Always finish your food, or refrigerate quickly.

Reheat slow

If you’re not so pressed for time, or you have a lot of things to do before dinner time, you can pop your chili into the instant pot and set it to “keep warm”. 

This will gradually heat up your chili over time, instead of quickly all at once. It works a bit like a crockpot in this instance, slowly reheating your chili to bring out the best of the flavors.

Reheat fast

If you are pressed for time, or just super hungry, you can also heat your food quickly in the instant pot.

Put the chili in the pot and set it to “manual” or “pressure cook”, with the time set to 0 minutes.

This will bring your chili to a boil quickly, then the pot will automatically switch to “keep warm” without overcooking your chili. Because it’s already cooked, you don’t have to leave it in there very long – otherwise you risk overcooking or even burning it.

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Steps 

  • Put chili in directly from the fridge
  • Close and seal the lid
  • Select manual or your settings
  • Set the timer to 0 to reheat
  • When it beeps it will automatically set itself to keep warm
  • Remove your portion and serve immediately

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Final thoughts

The instant pot is a wonderful and convenient alternative to reheating on the stove, and it beats the microwave by lightyears. You save time, without sacrificing quality for it.

If you’re busy, on the go, or just too tired, definitely give the instant pot a try here. You won’t be disappointed.