by Alyssa RiversThis website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my privacy policy.
Thick, rich and flavorful! Filled with lean ground beef, mix of beans, ripe tomatoes, fresh seasonings and topped with all your favorites! This classic chili recipe is a MUST make!
Ready to serve your chili in style?! Try this homemade cornbread or add a little spice with this jalapeño cornbread for a side dish that compliments this chili recipe perfectly.
Chili Recipe
Classic traditional chili is one of my very favorite recipes to make. This by far can feed a crowd and made within 30 minutes. It is a dump and go kind of chili and uses only one pot to make. It is so simple and has SO much flavor.
You can’t go wrong with this chili recipe. It is simple to make and only uses one pot. This delicious thick and hearty chili is full of flavor and a family favorite. My family loves to make this recipe year round. It is perfect in the winter to warm up but also a summer time favorite during BBQ season. It is so versatile and has all your pantry staple ingredients that makes this even easier to make. Get ready to WOW your family with this AMAZING chili recipe!
Ingredients to Make Chili:
This is an ultimate chili recipe with loads of flavor and an easy to make recipe. In 30 minutes this chili will be ready to feed a crowd!
- Olive Oil: This is used to sauté the onion, bell pepper, cloves creating a flavor.
- Onion: Dice up the onion the best you can without too many tears.
- Green Bell Pepper: Cut into small chunks depending on your preference.
- Garlic Cloves: I prefer fresh cloves but you are welcome to use the jarred minced garlic for substitute.
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef gives flavor but also less fat and grease.
- Beef Broth: Adds in flavor and liquid while cooking.
- Tomato: Sauce and diced tomatoes come in a can for a quick dump in the pot.
- Beans: Pinto and kidney bean give a good mixture of tender and soft beans.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne mixes together giving the chili a sweet, spicy and savory flavoring.
How to Make Good Homemade Chili:
Dump and go recipe that uses only one pot! It is perfect for a quick meal during a busy week or let simmer on a weekend when feeding a crowd. Bring this chili to any potluck or gathering and watch it disappear in no time.
- Sauté and Cook Beef: In a large pot add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until almost tender. Brown the ground beef and cook and crumble until brown.
- Add in Remaining Ingredients: Add in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne.
- Boil: Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until it starts to thicken and flavors combine about 30 minutes.
Variations:
So many fun ways to make this chili thicker, spicier or even adding in cocoa powder! That is a delicious treat in your chili. Change up some of the ingredients and you may end up with a white chicken chili which is also another popular chili our family loves. Try these variations to see what you come up with!
- Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms or zucchini are all great add ins for sautéing at the beginning.
- Meat: Substitute the beef for turkey, steak, Italian sausage or chicken.
- Seasonings: Try using taco seasoning for a tex-tex taste.
- Smokey Taste: Adobe sauce oor paprika or a liquid smoke for a smoky taste.
- Beef Broth: Don’t have beef broth? Chicken or even water will help keep it thick and will simmer well with either liquid.
- Sugar: Sounds crazy, right! Sugar adds a bit of sweetness. Cocoa powder will also add subtle hint of sweetness with a savory taste of chocolate. It is a must try! Just a teaspoon will do the trick!
Top Your Chili:
Go wild and add all the toppings you love to make this chili even better! From a sweet avocado, creamy sour cream or a crunchy chip is just what this chili needs. All the favorites blend together so well with this chili recipe.
Here are some of our families staple toppings to try:
- Sour Cream: Add a dollop over top.
- Onions: Chopped up and sprinkled on top.
- Shredded Cheese: This will melt over top the chili
- Jalapeños: Spicy deliciousness
- Cilantro: Looks good and adds a great flavoring
- Avocado: Sliced and add in
- Tortilla Strips: A crunchy bite
- Frito Chips: Pile them on!
- Lime Wedges: Squeeze over top
Storing Chili Properly:
- Refrigerate: It is best to keep the chili in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator once cooled after cooking. Store in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days long. Warming it up in a saucepan or microwave.
- Can you freeze chili? Yes! It is another perk about this recipe. Once it is cooled completely add it to a large ziplock bag letting out of all the air. Laying flat, place the chili in the freezer for 1 month long.
- Warming up: When ready to reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in a saucepan or microwave until warmed through.
More Popular Soup Recipes:
- 8 Can Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
- Easy Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
- Literally the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup
- The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
- Award Winning Cheeseburger Soup
Best Ever Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- In a large pot add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until almost tender. Add in the ground beef and cook and crumble until brown.
- Add in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until it starts to thicken and flavors combine about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Serves: 8
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Delicious and very easy to make!
Do i drain the beans or add with liquid that is incan?a
I prefer to drain the beans.
I like to rinse them too.
Delicious! What exactly is a serving?
For most soups, stews and chili a serving is about 1 cup.
This is by far the best Chili recipe out there!
Thank you Andrea! That is so sweet of you to say.
Easy and delicious, thank you for sharing! 👍
Absolutely awesome recipe! Thanks for sharing, just did it today for lunch…simply delucious. Greetings from Perú 🇵🇪. Take care, keep safe!
This recipe is Amazing! If adding an extra pound of meat and two extra cups of water don’t work to tone down the spiciness level, what else can be added without changing the taste of the broth?
You can add a small amount of sugar. Just do teaspoon at a time. Or try juice of half a lemon. If too spicy my hubby adds a dash of sour cream on top of his bowl. Hope this helps
Vanessa next time leave out cayenne and cut chili powder down to 2 or 2 1/2 tablespoons and see if that helps.
This recipe was delicious & easy to make! I passed on the cayenne pepper because I didn’t want it too spicy for my kids, but it still had plenty of good spice. We topped it with sour cream, cheese, and frito chips with cornbread muffins on the side.
Delicious !! Made a huge pot, fed all the neighbors! Everyone loved it! I added a hunk of beef tenderloin chopped up. Fantastic recipe !
Great recipe, good spices. Beans should always be drained because their liquid ruins the taste and adds extra salt to the chili. I ground up a can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos and also threw in a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, otherwise no change. Great spice mixture.
I absolutely love your recipes!
wow,I absolutely love your recipes!
This is one of the best chili recipes that I’ve come across! Absolutely delicious! I added sugar to the bowls for my kids but I love the spice. My picky 3 yr old loved it.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it today! Thank you for sharing! Keep up the great work! ❤️
Can I make this in a crock pot?
Yes, this will cook well in a slow cooker. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on low.
Chili is one of my husband’s signature dishes but I still wanted to try. It is very good and easy. I added more heat and chili pepper than the recipe called for. This is a keeper.
Agree with the others – this is the best chili recipe! And easy. I throw in several dashes of chipotle tabasco for a hint of smokiness. Yum!
This was SO easy to make and SO good! The whole family liked it! I didn’t have any coriander but it was still delicious! Not too spicy and full of flavor.
I broil poblano peppers instead of using bell peppers to get a superb flavor. If you like it hotter, broil New Mexico peppers !
Followed this recipe exactly as is…it was delicious!! My whole family really enjoyed it, and look forward to having it again!
Went browsing around for a chili recipe to replace my hodgepodge “recipe,” and this one delivers! I’m finishing the first pot of it and am are planning to turn right around and make another one with chicken – thanks for this!
I used yellow bell pepper because we don’t really like green bell pepper. Also used a vegan “beef” ground and vegetable broth, to make it a vegan chili. Turned out amazing!!!
I made this twice and it’s a hit with my family. My kids a can be pretty picky and they devoured this and they gave me lots of compliments on it. Soo it’s a winner for us!!! I’ve looked to cooking more elaborate meals because of 2020 and restaurants being closed; Soo, I brought the restaurant cooking home. Again, great recipe and everyone enjoyed it!
Family size: 6- kid ages. Seriously, a hit.
1-15yr old male
1-13yr old male
1-9yr old male
Hi Alyssa,
I’ve been looking for a chili recipe to use for first time make chili. Your recipe looks yummy. I don’t have coriander. I assuming you mean ground coriander. Since I don’t have that ingredient on hand, is there another spice that you recommend to use in place of that?
Thanks,
Ting
Ting- coriander is just the dried version of cilantro. I feel that you could leave it out of the recipe and still be okay. The chili powder and cumin should give it enough flavor. Also topping your chili with fresh cilantro would be amazing. (that is if you like cilantro)
You can omit the coriander- I did the last time I made the chili, it turned out pretty well. I’m currently making it as I’m typing, with coriander this time.
What is tomato saúde. Is there a recipe for its?
You can buy it in a can or I have a homemade recipe here: https://therecipecritic.com/easy-homemade-tomato-sauce/
I think one more can of diced tomatos an I like to add 1 can of corn
Made this for superbowl party and it was a hit. This is a simple recipe but has tons of flavor. I let it simmer for over an hour. I followed the recipe exactly and did not rinse the beans. I also added about a T of maple syrup to add some subtle sweetness. This will now be my go to chili recipe!
That is great to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Soooo good.. really liked this recipe.. I personally didn’t drain the beans and it tasted just fine.. my 3 year old absolutely loved it
What do I do if I don’t have cayenne pepper
You are welcome to omit it or use another spice that you have on-hand.
It just won’t be as spicy, that’s about it!
Love this recipe!! I have customized it by axing the peppers, adding mushrooms, and using a full 28 oz can of tomato sauce rather than the sauce and diced tomatoes.
I am not a fan of real spicy things. How can I make this not too spicy?
You are welcome to adjust the seasonings amount or omit the chili powder or peppers.
Great chili thanks so much for sharing
I found that a great way to thicken a pot of chili is to add a can of refried beans