Ninja Foodi Chili

Who doesn’t love a hearty mild chili recipe you can spice up in separate bowls for those daring to go the distance??! 😉 We do!! I think we probably make this easy Ninja Foodi recipe for dinner about once a week.

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….

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.

How to Make Cheesy Ninja Foodi Chili

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!

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

Do you have to cook ground beef first?

Yes you will need to cook your ground meat before adding it in with your other ingredients. In this case it is even easier and you can do this with the saute feature so you don’t have to dirty another pan on the stove. Another option is to make air fryer ground beef, drain and use that.

Do you have to add beans to chili?

You do not, but kidney beans are a must for us. If you are anti-beans when it comes to this comfort food that is okay you can leave them out. There will be enough liquid with the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to cook everything else.

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.

How Long do you Cook Chili in Ninja Foodi

That really depends on your preferences but we have made this at least every other week and we all agree that 10 minutes under high pressure is perfect. This long allows the red beans to soften just right and the flavors to meld together. If you wanted the beans to be firmer then I would opt for 6-8 minutes and decide for yourself which you prefer.

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.

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. 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.

How can you thicken chili?

Best option is to add 1-2 Tbsp. of tomato paste to thicken. Alternatively 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.

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.

If you wanted to make this in a large pot like a Dutch Oven over medium high heat you could do that too but why? This way is so much faster but yes it could be simmered, covered until tender.

What do you eat with chili?

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

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

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 to do with leftovers

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 make chili cornbread casserole the next day with it.