Instant Pot Butternut Chili {Paleo & Gluten-Free}
October is National Chili Month, so today I’ll be sharing a recipe for my favorite seasonal squash chili. I adapted it from The Movement Menu and it will definitely be a go-to recipe for our house throughout the fall and winter. Instant Pot Butternut Chili calls for all the delicious, warm spices and is a perfect way to use up extra squash (or pumpkin). I can hardly wait to make a batch for this weekend’s Fall Fun Day!
Shopping List
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Instant Pot Butternut Chili
- Olive oil
- Grass-fed, lean ground beef
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Ginger root
- Bell peppers
- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- Chili powder
- Cocoa powder
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Celtic sea salt
- Paprika
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Black pepper
- Vegetable broth
- Butternut squash or pumpkin purée
How to Make Instant Pot Butternut Chili
Add the oil to your instant pot and set it to the sauté setting. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and ground beef and break it into bite sized pieces with a spatula. Allow the meat to brown, stirring often for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and peppers and sauté for another few minutes until they soften. Continue stirring periodically to keep the garlic from burning.
Turn off the Instant Pot and add the crushed tomatoes, broth, squash and all the spices.
Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 10 minutes. Make sure the vent is set to sealing mode. When the time is up, release the seal and let the pot vent. Adjust seasoning to taste and top with cheese to serve (if you aren’t paleo).
Vegetarian Options
The beauty of this Instant Pot Butternut Chili is that it can easily be made vegetarian. Instead of the beef, use two cans of beans (such as kidney or pinto). However, do not add them at the beginning like you would the meat. Put them in right before sealing the Instant Pot instead.
Alternatively, you could cook your own beans ahead of time. To do this, rinse a sort a pound of beans (varieties of choice). Pour them in a bowl and fill it with water until all the beans are covered. Then add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Let soak for 4-12 hours. During that time, you may need to add more water as the beans soak it up. This whole process helps make the beans more digestible and the nutrients more bioavailable.
When the soaking time is up, drain and rinse the beans and place them in a sauce pan and cover them with water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the beans are tender. It will take longer for beans that were not soaked as long.
After the beans are cooked, they can be added to the chili as you would canned beans as described above. If you do choose to go ahead and use beef for this recipe, make sure that it is 100% grass-fed and sustainable raised!
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Butternut Chili! If you ask me, it is best served with a fluffy Egg-Free Cornbread Muffin. If cornbread isn’t your thing, check out my other bread recipes here. As always, I’d love to here what you think in the comments below or share any photos on Instagram and tag @roots_and_rosemary so I can see your creations!
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