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Last Updated on April 30, 2025
Love Hormel Chili? This copycat recipe tastes just like the real thing but it’s made from scratch with real food ingredients. You can make this in your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!
Growing up we ate Hormel Chili. My father would make this for us and I can see him know, with a can opener turning that red can around in a circle and then dumping the contents into a pan on the stove. He would later top his bowl with 20 saltine crackers and devour it.
Hormel chili was my first taste of chili so my taste buds have kinda been primed to believe that true chili tastes like Hormel.
Anyhow, now that I follow a Gluten-free diet, I had to recreate this recipe and I wanted to make it with my Instant Pot. This recipe took me 2 years to figure out.
I know. It seems kinda crazy it took that long but it did.
Having said that I can say this with heart that this is the only chili recipe I will make for the rest of my long days! It’s that good.
What your need for this CopyCat Hormel Chili Recipe
- bacon fat
- onion
- garlic cloves
- ground beef
- tomato paste
- chili powder
- paprika
- ground cumin
- sea salt
- black pepper
- rice flour
- pinto beans
- water
Notes:
If you don’t have rice flour, you can use cassava flour, wheat flour, etc.
Slow Cooker Option: Don’t have an Instant Pot, you can cook this in your slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon bacon fat
- 1 small onion chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 8 oz tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 Teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons rice flour
- 2 – 14 oz cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot hit the SAUTE button and add the bacon fat, garlic and onions and cook until translucent, roughly 3 minuets.
- Add in the ground beef and brown. Add in all the spices, tomato paste, and the rice flour and stir until well combined. Add in the pinto beans.
- Add in the water and turn off the Instant Pot. Seal with the lid and press the MANUAL Button and add time until you have 20 minutes. When the time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then open the quick release valve.
Recipe Notes
Slow Cooker Option:
Place all the ingredients in your slow cooker on low for 4 to 5 hours.
This is so mouthwatering! That bacon fat for the cooking fat is just everything I bet!!!
This is definitely going in my Instant Pot! I actually have some beef in the fridge right now and was wondering what to cook. This will be a lovely dinner tonight!
Looks so delicious! I love recreating recipes to make them healthier and this looks so hearty and comforting.
I absolutely love that you added some bacon fat into this chili, what an awesome flavor booster!
It was so genius of you to copy such a staple in so many homes! Looks perfect for a cold night.
DROOOOOOOOOLING! Would love to make this. I better get me an instant pot… instantly!
With the saltine crackers on top of it! Gotta love that, we always had saltines around for soups and chili too. Love that you make this in the IP and that it’s so close in flavor to your childhood memory of chili.
This is so great! I’m going to be getting an InstantPot soon (I know, I’m really behind, ha!) so I’ll definitely be putting this on my list of ones to make!
I remember my parents making the canned chili too! This homemade kind is so much better, and does not have the can aftertaste!
DAYYUUMMM that looks soooo tasty!!!! MMMmmMMM! Makes me wish I could eat tomatoes <3
These look so delicious ! I love that it’s instant pot friendly too !
Mmmmm! Fall time is coming, and I’m looking forward to cozy warm meals. Saving this for later.
This looks great! Do you have any substitutes for the pinto beans and rice flour? I’d love to give this a try!!
I am in the process of making this now. I noticed it doesn’t say when to add the tomato paste so I added it after the spices and with the water. Also is it really 1 whole tablespoon of salt? Or do you mean teaspoon? Hoping it comes out. Smells amazing!!
Sorry hun! I just updated it and you can mix with when you add the ground beef.
does this really taste like hormel chili? I need to know this information!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because yes hormel chili is how chili should be tasting. It is known.
Yes it does!
Hi! Can i make this without an Instapot? My husband ONLY eats hormell so i would love to make this.
You can cook it on the stove top it will just take longer to cook the beans hun.
I grew up on the old Hormel Chile with bean recipe. I could not eat it again after they removed the fat. Does this recipe taste like the original? What brand of Chili Powder? You know that is vital information. Thanks
Honestly Clifford, I use one from my natural store that doesn’t contain any fillers. It’s just pure chili powder. I hope that helps.
Can you use regular all purpose flour in place of rice flour?
Yes, you can.
Oh my goodness, Kelly, this tastes sooo much like Hormel chili !! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much. Can’t wait to make it. I have tried so many chilies looking for that taste for years. Will let you know how it went. Thank you for shearing!!!
Can you use other flours that are Paleo approved instead of rice flour? Also, what changes, if any, if you want to go bean free?
You can use Cassava flour – but use half of what is suggest with rice. I would reduce the salt by half with no beans.
Does this taste like original Hormel Chili or like the the stuff Hormel calls chili now?
The original chili 🙂
I am going to make this recipe but omit the beans. Do you recommend I still add 3 cups of water? Thank you!!
You can reduce the water to 1 1/2 cups however you will need to reduce the spices added.
This was delicious! I didn’t have bacon grease, so I added some maple syrup and liquid smoke. So good!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made today with 1 can kidney and 1 can black beans (that’s what I had on hand) and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Lol my dad was the Hormel guy, too. I’m excited to make this, but I’m wondering if the 20 minute time setting is for uncooked beans? It seems like a lot for canned beans which the recipe says to use…? I don’t want to end up with mush! Thanks! 😁
Yes, the time is correct. I used cooked, canned beans in the recipe.
I don’t have an instant pot nor a slow cooker but simmering it for a couple of hours on the stove made it hard to wait for dinner! We served it over Fritos, soooooo good! Thank you for the GREAT recipe, it will become a staple at this house.
So glad you enjoyed it!
WHen you say to turn it on what button do you pus? Bean/chili? or pressure cook?
Pressure cook.
Hey! Thank you for your work on this recipe. Is it freezer friendly?
You’re welcome! Yes, this Instant Pot Hormel Chili recipe is freezer-friendly. After preparing the chili, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bags. Make sure to leave some space for expansion when freezing. You can keep the chili in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. Happy cooking and freezing!
This recipe is fantastic. I will never make chili any other way again.
I did have trouble with the Instant Pot giving a burn warning . This happened multiple times. I gave up,on the pressure cook and chose the slow cook option. Is cooking now and I am sure it will again be great.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Hormel Chili was always my favorite growing up, but I’ve had to abandon it years ago since trying to lose weight and eat healthier. This tastes EXACTLY like what I remember, and I’ve modified my various chili recipes to reflect the seasonings in this one. Now I can’t wait to make chili, versus kind of tolerating it.
I will try for chili contest at work- hope I win!
Good luck!
I made the chili from this recipe and think it’s a very close copy of Hormel. I live in Asia where homemade is my only choice for chili. Thanks for sharing this.
I made this in the slow cooker for my Super Bowl party and it was money. It has the flavor and mouthfeel of canned chili, but it’s actually good. It was great over tater tots.
Love hearing that, Bob! “Money” is high praise—thank you! Serving it over tater tots sounds like genius comfort food. So glad it was a hit at your Super Bowl party!
This is a good hormel chili copycat! Flavor and consistency wise, I’m very happy with the result. I did get the burn warning on my instant pot, but I just added some liquid and scraped the bottom and decided that everything was cooked anyway so I just switched to the instant pot’s slow cooker setting and let it sit like that for a while. My family has a creamy dip recipe that calls for hormel chili and this is perfect for subbing in!