Instant Pot Texas Haystacks–a scoop of rice with a ladleful of chili over the top and then a generous handful of Fritos, a sprinkling of cheese and any other toppings you love. A warm and comforting meal that everyone loves.
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
Instant Pot Texas Haystacks
If you’re familiar with Hawaiian haystacks you know they are a fun family meal that everyone loves. Haystacks are basically a meal that starts with rice and then a ladleful of sauce with meat and finally lots of fun toppings. You pile everything high like a haystack.
So with Texas haystacks the sauce is a chili-like beef sauce. And the toppings include Fritos, cheddar and sour cream. Other topping ideas are:
- green onions
- diced red onion
- diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- greek yogurt
- avocados
- sliced olives
- diced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos
The coolest part of this recipe is that the chili simmers at the same time the rice is cooking pot-in-pot. The rice steams perfectly and the chili flavors meld together while you chop up and prepare any toppings you’d like to serve with dinner.
For this recipe I used my tall trivet* and a stainless steel pan* for the rice. It worked perfectly to get the rice above the chili. You can use long grained rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice for pot-in-pot rice.
Give this hearty and comforting dinner a shot this week! Add the ingredients to your grocery list and don’t forget the Fritos!! They are my favorite part.
More Chili Inspired Recipes…
Instant Pot Crack Chicken Chili
Instant Pot Cornbread Chili Casserole
Instant Pot Skyline Chili Cheese Coneys
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Instant Pot Texas Haystacks
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Equipment needed: tall trivet and shallow pot in pot dish
- 1 to 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 (16 oz) cans Bush’s Best Chili Beans (I used mild)
- 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water
- Topping ideas: shredded cheddar cheese, Fritos, green onions, diced red onion, diced tomatoes, sour cream, avocados, sliced olives, jalapenos
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the garlic salt and chili powder to coat the meat.
- Deglaze the pot with the beef broth by scraping the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Dump in the beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Don’t stir.
- If you’d like to cook pot-in-pot rice at the same time add a tall trivet* into the pot. Then pour the rice and water into a shallow pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. I like to use one of these stainless steel pans*. Put the lid on the pan. Place the pan on top of the trivet.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 8 minutes.
- When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the rice dish.
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the Instant Pot. When contents are thickened turn off Instant Pot.
- Scoop rice into a bowl, top with chili mixture and then the toppings.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- Stir in the garlic salt and chili powder to coat the meat. Add to slow cooker.
- Stir in the broth, beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Turn slow cooker to high setting. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cook with the lid off until contents are thickened.
- Scoop rice into a bowl, top with chili mixture and then the toppings.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
It was good made with 1 lb. of ground turkey. I may cut the broth down to maybe 1-1/2 cups next time so it won’t be quite so liquidy. Using 1.5 lbs. of meat would have made it thicker so the 2 cups of broth would probably work okay. Had some pickled onions on hand so used that as one of the toppers.
★★★★★
love the idea of pickled onions!
Hi, if I don’t have a lid for the pot for the rice, can I just cover the pot with foil? I would like to try this without having to purchase another pot. Thank you!
Yes foil is great! And even if you don’t cover it at all it will still be fine.