Mild Ninja Foodi Chili Recipe

Mild Ninja Foodi chili recipe uses ingredients in your pantry and fridge, you can make it right now in 10 minutes! Instructions for 5 ingredient crock pot chili recipe, stovetop, or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker are here so dinner is perfect. I make this regularly and it is always a huge hit! 

Ninja Foodi Chili

If you are new to cooking in this new air fryer and pressure cook machine we are here to help. There are a few recipes that are dump and go, easy to throw together and cook in about 15 minutes. This is one of the first things we started with and it has been on our meal plan all along every week.

Homemade chili topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream, inside potatoes or spooned on top of a bed of rice is our favorite easy dinner. Let me share where our whole chili journey began….

Mild Chili Recipe

Still to this day I use that as a base and tweak things from there. Like this one I found in the Mealthy cookbook here. I used their spices, minus the chili powder, and added things like the can of diced tomatoes we always like to make it a bit chunkier.

If you have a Ninja Foodi you can go an extra step with their air crisp lid and even make this Ninja Foodi chili mac version too! The only difference between the two is one has elbow macaroni in it, submerged into the liquid so it boils right in the sauce, and the other is “plain”.

That’s the thing with recipes. You can make all of them your own. Most of the time when you’re searching for something to make, you don’t have to make it exactly as stated, I never do. My mom hates onions with a passion so she’d always omit those, where I think they’re necessary in everything!

The same goes with our 5 Ingredient Ninja Foodi Chili you can make with Manwich instead of tomato sauce. You can make all of them as spicy or mild as you want. There are really only three steps you follow to get this done.

1. Precook your ground beef or sausage and drain
2. Add all other ingredients – Once everything is in there give it a good stir so everything melds together while it’s cooking.
3. Pressure cook for 10 minutes to meld flavors together

Can you put raw ground beef in a slow cooker?

I prefer to brown my meat before adding it in with your other ingredients. I have made Crockpot ground beef before, but you have to wait for it to be done first, then add rest of ingredients.

Do you add water to chili?

It depends on the recipe but you will need liquid. I’d opt for beef broth vs. water for way more flavor. Then close your lid. Set your time – I recommend using low for all crockpot recipes. The whole point of a slow cooker is to cook everything SLOOOOoooooW so don’t rush it. The flavor will be better the longer it’s in there.

How to Make Chili in Ninja Foodi

This is essentially the same directions as how to make Instant Pot chili. You will use the lid that is not attached to make this. You won’t use the attached lid at all unless you want to melt cheese on the top when done.

First off this is my method of choice! Whether you have an Instant Pot, Crockpot Express, Power Pressure Cooker XL, or Mealthy it’s just the way to go. This is how quick and easy it is:

1. Turn your pot to saute and add your olive oil, meat and onions (bell peppers could be added too). Cook until meat is no longer pink. Then turn off.
2. Add all other ingredients and stir.
3. Close your pressure cooker lid and steam valve.
4. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
5. Quick release and done!

Remember to top with cheese, sour cream chives and more!

What can I add to chili for flavor?

We have quite a few spices in the recipe card below but here are a few more to try beyond that. Use what you love in your spice cabinet really. Beyond that you can dice onions, jalapenos and/or shredded cheese to the top as well.

• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Seasoned salt like Lawry’s
• Chili seasoning mix
• Pepper
• Chili powder and cayenne pepper can be added for heat
  • If you’re making this mild chili recipe but 1 person in your house likes it spicy just add a bit in their bowl only so everyone is happy.

Some have been known to add a bit of honey or dry sherry to the mix too to make it sweet! Others use carbonated soda instead of water or broth to thin it out.

How can you thicken chili?

You can add a few tablespoons of cornmeal or polenta into the mix and set to saute again if you wish. Have a light hand with this as you don’t need much and a lot will give you a stranger grainy texture. Start with 1 tbsp, bubble and boil for a few minutes and check.

Ninja Foodi Chili Ingredients

1. Meat is best but could be left out if you want it vegetarian
   1. I like 1/2 lb. ground sausage and 1/2 lb. ground beef
   2. Could use ground turkey

Chopped onions and bell peppers are optional but nice for texture and more flavor.

1. Olive oil
2. Can of diced tomatoes
3. Can of black beans
   1. Sometimes I add a can of kidney beans too
4. Beef broth
5. Can of tomato sauce
6. Garlic, minced
7. Cumin
8. Salt
9. Garlic salt

Paprika and oregano are nice add ins as well.

What setting should you use to make chili in Ninja Foodi?

With all newer pressure cooker models there is the chili button, I don’t use that but you could for chili in Ninja Foodi. All that does it automatically populate 15 minutes, but can be adjusted. You can do the same thing with the pressure cook high button and just set to the cook time you want, either way works.

Below is a printable recipe card but here is a quick step by step so you can read just how easy this is to throw together. I call this 5 ingredient pressure cooker chili.

1. First you’re going to turn your machine to saute and add your olive oil.
2. Add your ground beef or turkey and brown with your diced onions and bell peppers if you’re adding those too.
3. You just want to cook until the outsides are no longer pink, you don’t need it completely cooked thru.
4. Then turn your pot off to give it a few minutes to cool off. Deglaze by gently scraping any stuck on food off the bottom of your pot.
5. Now dump in all your other ingredients and stir contents together.

Set to high pressure cook for 10 minutes with a quick release of your steam when time is up. Stir and serve topped with shredded sharp cheese, some green onions, others like raw onions or just as is. If you wanted to make it spicy you could add some Sriracha or chili powder.

What do you eat with chili?

We serve it on top of these two things:

• Air fryer baked potatoes are so good with this spooned inside.
• Ninja Foodi rice is killer and so cheap too.

Best sides to serve on chili night

1. Shredded cheddar cheese
2. Sour cream
   1. Or add a bit into the mix at the end to make it creamy!
3. Diced chives
4. Tortilla chips – these are the best for scooping

What if you want to make stovetop chili? NO Problem!!

• Just use a large pot or dutch oven on the stove, set to medium high heat and add meat, onions, and olive oil.
• Once that is browned add all other ingredients, stir, and reduce heat to low.
• Cover pot and allow to cook for at least 10 minutes stirring intermittently so it doesn’t get overheated on the bottom.
• 20 minutes on very low heat is ideal for the flavors to really become enhanced.
• Then serve!!

I actually add 1/4 tsp. of chili powder to this good chili recipe myself. It still stays mild in my opinion but adds a bit of wow. If you are very sensitive to all spices then omit completely.

What can you make with leftover chili?

You can make a whole new meal with what you have left. Store it when it is cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then you can blanch and make chili stuffed bell peppers with this inside. Topped with cheese it is a fun second day meal.

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