I loooooooooove Zippy’s chili! If you don’t know, Zippy’s is a Hawaiian fast food chain, and one of their most famous dishes is chili. Zippy’s isn’t one of those chilis that burns your tongue off with spice. Instead, it’s got a hint of sweet umami. I always try to stop by Zippy’s when I’m in Hawaii, and apparently, President Obama does too. When I first saw frozen Zippy’s chili at the Asian market, I was so excited, but those things are expensive! So, I’ve been trying for years to recreate Zippy’s chili at home. Every so often I tweak the recipe to try and replicate the exact flavor of Zippy’s, but I always update it here so you have my most recent best attempt. (Last edit on 4/25/21: I updated the photos and tweaked the amount of chicken broth.)
Ingredients for my Zippy’s Hawaiian Chili
In order to recreate Zippy’s to the best of my ability, I literally looked at the ingredient list on one of their frozen packs at the supermarket. I discovered one ingredient that definitely makes this chili Hawaiian. And then I added one other secret ingredient of my own that just takes this chili next level.
For the first ingredient: Portuguese sausage. If you look on the box of frozen Zippy’s chili, you’ll see it in the ingredient list. The trouble is, Portuguese sausage differs WILDLY in flavor from brand to brand. That means your chili is going to taste different depending on what Portuguese sausage you get. I used a Redondo’s brand Portuguese sausage that was labeled “mild” and “sweet.” If you use a hot and spicy version, it will be very different from what I have in my recipe, so be forewarned! I also have used the Mo’ono brand, and that tasted good as well.
My other secret ingredient is this: mayonnaise. I stir in a few tablespoons at the end of cooking to make the chili extra creamy. I can’t actually remember if mayonnaise is listed as an ingredient on the Zippy’s chili packaging, but it works for me. Pro tip: Use Japanese Kewpie mayo if you have it!
Using the Instant Pot to Make Zippy’s Chili
You can make this chili on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. However, after trying both the slow cooker and the Instant Pot, I definitely noticed a more full flavor using the pressure cooker. My recipe calls for one 14 oz can of chicken broth: this is the perfect amount for a pressure cooker, which does not let liquid evaporate during cooking. If using a slow cooker or over stovetop, you will need to add more chicken broth (or water) to make up for the evaporation.
Serve Your Chili the Hawaiian/Japanese Way: Chili Rice
My family has always loved to eat chili over rice. It wasn’t until I moved out to college that I realized not everyone does this. Some of my friends were shocked I ate chili with rice, and I, in turn, was shocked at their shock. Later, I learned that chili rice is pretty common in Hawaii, which is probably how it made its way over into Asian-American cuisine on the mainland as well. All this to say, if you want an authentic Asian/Hawaiian chili experience, serve it over white rice.
Are you ready to make Zippy’s Chili at home? Give this recipe a try!
Instant Pot Zippy’s Chili Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 5 oz Portuguese sausage mild
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 medium stalks celery chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp worchestire sauce
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 can pinto beans drained
- 1 can kidney beans drained
- 1 14 oz can chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups short grain white rice (optional)
Instructions
- Pulse the Portuguese sausage in a food processor until it matches the consistency of ground meat. (The onion, celery, and bell pepper can also be chopped in the food processor if you wish).
- Put the Instant Pot on saute and cook the onion, celery, and bell pepper in a little bit of vegetable oil until soft.
- Add ground beef and Portuguese sausage and cook until just browned.
- Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
- Turn off the saute function. Add tomato paste, chicken broth, drained beans, worchestire sauce, and bay leaves. Give a little stir.
- Close the Instant Pot, set vent to sealed, and push the chili setting, or cook at high pressure for 30 minutes according to your pressure cooker’s settings. Meanwhile, cook white rice if using.
- When Instant Pot is done cooking, release the pressure. Fish out the bay leaves.
- Add 3 tbsp mayonnaise and stir to mix. Taste the chili and add salt as needed.
- Serve over white rice if desired.
Notes
Looking for other Hawaiian inspired foods? Try my Portuguese sausage musubi or coconut rose mochi!
33 comments
[…] Instant Pot Zippy’s Chili […]
[…] Zippy’s Chili Copycat […]
I want to try this recipe so much because I love Zippy’s chili, it’s always my first stop when I get back home to the islands. Any suggestions if I cannot find Portuguese sausage. I live in Charlotte NC & cannot find it anywhere out here & it’s so expensive to have it shipped to me when ordering online. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi Cindi! Hmm that is a bit tricky. I have tried substituting other sausage before and the result was… not awesome. You could try using Chinese sausage (lap cheong), which I find is more easily available. Or you can try just adding some ground pork and a homemade Portuguese spice mixture. I have not tried this myself, so I can’t guarantee how it would turn out, but this Hawaii newspaper posted a Portuguese sausage spice recipe: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2011/02/16/features/homemade-spice-mixture-flavors-portuguese-sausage/
This was really good! About 10min after my IP sealed, it alerted me that the food was burning. I added two ounces of water and then set it for 20min on normal pressure and that seemed to fix it. I used a light store brand mayo because that’s what I had and ended up adding plenty- like a cup and a half or so, before it looked and tasted right. Now that I know, I’ll make sure to use Best Foods or Hellman’s next time. If anyone is in a state where there’s a Publix (we live in FL), they carry Gaspar’s Portuguese sausage. It says “Chourico” on the package. It doesn’t have that yummy fattiness of the kind from back home, but in a pinch it works for us!
@ CINDI SASAMURA MOORE…. since Portuguese sauce is not readily available in Utah, I used the next best thing: Mexican. Chorizo!! 🙂 and because of its consistency, I don’t have to cut it up— it’s ready as it is. 🙂
THE BEST ZIPPY’S CHILI RECIPE!!! This is by far the most authentic and easiest Zippy’s chili recipe I’ve tried making. Thank you Kristen for sharing this spot on recipe!! My family and I are so happy and will save so much money. Pro tip don’t skip the Mayo and add shredded cheddar cheese and raw onions on top! Also bomb over French fries with cheese and onions. I also wanted to add I let it naturally release pressure and it wasn’t watery at all. It was a great consistency and texture and I only added 1 can of kidney beans. I followed the recipe exactly besides that. Give this recipe a try if you’re looking for Zippy’s chili!!! You’ll so so happy you did! 🙂
Thank you so much for your review, Randi!! I’m so happy your family enjoyed it!
theres a real zippys chili recipe in hawaii newspaper 1969
1 lb. ground top round
1 round onion
1/4 lb. bacon
1 large can red kidney beans, drained
2 tsp. red wine
1 tsp. powdered chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 bay leaf, crushed
Pinch paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. oregano leaves
Pinch cumin seed
1 tsp. Ajinomoto (msg)
1/2 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. chopped bell pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 large can tomato sauce
Brown the ground top round with onion. Add bacon. Then add the rest of
the ingredients and simmer 30 minutes.
From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1969
Tastes just like best western chili mix ugh. All that chopping dbl ugh
I have no idea what best western chili mix is, so this comment doesn’t really provide any useful information to me. As for the chopping – use a food processor?
Born and raised in Hawaii and always have Zippys Chilli when I go back home. I followed this recipe to the T and it came out amazing. My husband’s friend even ask for the recipe. My kids are always so picky about veggies showing in chili I have made it the past. From now on I am sticking with this recipe, I had zero complaints instead I had this is delicious thanks mom 😀. Thank you so much!!!
For those of you that can’t find Portuguese sausage I would suggest looking in a Japanese/Asian store that’s where I get mine from and I live in North Carolina.
Thanks so much for the feedback. I was thinking about tinkering with the recipe again, but maybe I’ll leave it as is!
Will tomato paste make it too sweet?
Tomato paste is what I use, so it should be fine? I’ve used canned tomato sauce or reduced the amount of paste I have depending on what’s on the fridge, and it’s all turned out fine. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe.
Do you have any suggestions for making this without pork?
Hm, that’s a tough one. You could try substituting an equal weight of ground chicken and adding Portuguese sausage spices. I’ve never made the sausage from scratch before, so I can’t guarantee the outcome, but there is a spice mix posted at this site: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2011/02/16/features/homemade-spice-mixture-flavors-portuguese-sausage/amp/
Just like zippys chili. Thank you!
[…] This recipe was adapted from Mochi Mommy. […]
Hi Kristen, I lived On Oahu for close to 10 years and I think I was a regular at every Zippy’s from Kahala to Kapolei and my first choice on their menu was always Chili Rice or Chili Spaghetti. My question is what food processor would you recommend to prepare the portuguese sausage or lap cheong (which I’m going to use) to get to ground meat consistency?
Hi Brian, any will do as long as it’s got decent power (cuisinart, ninja, etc) and is big enough to hold it all. But you could always do it in batches. Does that answer your question?
Amazing recipe Kristen!! I’m going to do a reel on IG and I’ll tag you. 😁
Looking forward to seeing it! Thanks for the review!
Aloha! Excited to try your recipe…Have you tried it with GOUVEIA’s? It’s my usual go to for breakfast and Portuguese Bean Soup…However I do want the authentic Zippys flavor so will go with Redondos if you feel that’s the key.
🤙🏼Mahalo
Hi Donna! Redondo’s is pretty much the only brand I can get at the market near me these days, so that’s the only reason why I mention it. Feel free to use Gouvea’s! Mahalo!
Thanks so much for this! It’s my 3rd time using this recipe with just some tiny modifications cause I’m a pretty picky eater (sub ground turkey, sub chicken sausage, sub onion/garlic powder, no peppers-lame! 🙄) but it’s been SO good each time, in my instant pot! 🤙🏼 🍚
Glad you like it, Amy! Those modifications sound pretty good!
I’m always hesitant about “copy-cat” recipes as i am a Zippy’s Chili snob. I load up on the stuff every time i go back to Oahu for a visit. I must say, i’ve made this recipe twice already, and both times its come out perfect! I had my wife try it blind-folded and she couldn’t tell the difference. This recipe is certifiably DA-BOMB! And as mentioned in other comments, i’ve mixed up a few ingredients both times, and i can attest to the fact that its very forgiving. I don’t know if its mentioned, but the Mayo at the end also lightens the color of the Chili to make it match that Zippy’s Chili lighter color. As soon as i saw that color change at the end, it screamed 100% authentic!!
Spot on! Thank you for this recipe. Local girl living in Japan and craving some Zippy’s chili.
Thank you for posting your recipe. I tried it. I substituted a few things. But my husband did say he thought it tasted like Zippy’s chili.
Hi! If I were to use this recipe to serve a large group, how many servings would you say is in one recipe if I’ve doing a spoonful of chili over one scoop of rice? Thanks 🙂
Hi there! Hm, I’ve never counted out exactly how many scoops there are… I would say it definitely feeds 8 cereal bowls when scooped over rice, so if doing single scoops, I would guess it could do at least double that? So around 15-16?
My siblings and I grew up in California and traveled to Hawaii at least once a year as we were growing up. Fortunately, our dad and uncles worked for the airlines. Our summers were spent on the beaches of Oahu and we would never be without a pot of rice, a pot of chili, red hotdogs and of course, some Hawaiian Sun drinks. Sometimes, corned beef and onions. Great memories! I say all of that because I too was shocked to find out that other people didn’t put their chili over rice and that includes my husband. Of course, that has now changed for him and so has our chili recipe. I made this last night after looking up Zippy’s chili recipe… my husband looked at me and said… “I think that’s the best chili I’ve ever had”. Hmmm… Not sure how I felt about that but it was so “ono” that I’ll be making it more often and I will probably never use my old recipe again. I hope my mom can forgive me. Thank you, it was delicious! Definitely 5 stars.