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Thick, rich, and flavorful, this classic chili recipe is a MUST make! This chili is filled with lean ground beef, a mix of beans, ripe tomatoes, fresh seasonings and it’s topped with all your favorites!
Need a side to go with your chili? Try this homemade cornbread (or add a little spice with this jalapeño cornbread) for a side dish that compliments this chili recipe perfectly.
The Best Chili Recipe
There is always the classic debate on whether or not chili should have beans in it. This recipe does and it’s so delicious! This recipe can feed a crowd and is made within 30 minutes. Not only that but it cooks up in one pot which masker for easy cleanup! It is so simple and has SO much flavor.
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. If you are ready to branch out and try a chili thats totally different then check out this Crack Chicken Chili recipe next!
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 into small, uniform pieces.
- Green Bell Pepper: Cut into small chunks.
- Garlic Cloves: I prefer fresh cloves but you can use the jarred minced garlic instead! 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic is equal to one clove.
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef gives flavor but also less fat and grease.
- Beef Broth: The beef broth adds in flavor to the chili while cooking.
- Tomato: To make things easy, get the canned tomatoes that are already in sauce.
- Beans: Pinto beans and kidney beans 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
This is a 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 and Substitutions
Sometimes, we need to change things up! Whether it’s because you want to try new flavors or you are missing some ingredients from your pantry and need to use something different, I have you covered!
- 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: Try adding adobo sauce, 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!
Toppings
Add these toppings to your chili for more flavor. 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.
- Sour Cream: Add a dollop over top.
- Onions: Chopped up and sprinkled on top.
- Shredded Cheese: This will melt over top the chili
- Jalapeños: This adds in some heat.
- Cilantro: Looks good and adds a great flavoring!
- Avocado: I love the fresh, creamy texture this brings to it.
- Tortilla Strips: These are a must. Try my homemade tortilla strips recipe for the best of the best.
- Frito Chips: I love the salty flavor of these to complement the dish.
- Lime Wedges: Squeeze the limes over the top for a fresh flavor.
Storing Chili
- In the Refrigerator: It is best to keep the chili in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator once cooled after cooking. You can store leftover chili in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days
- 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. Don’t forget to label it with the date!
- Warming up: When you are ready to reheat the chili, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and heat it in a saucepan or microwave until it’s warmed through.
More Popular Chili Recipes
If you loved this chili then you MUST try out some more of my tried and true favorite chili recipes. There are so many delicious flavors!
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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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
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.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it today! Thank you for sharing! Keep up the great work! ❤️
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.
wow,I absolutely love your recipes!
I absolutely love your recipes!
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.
Delicious !! Made a huge pot, fed all the neighbors! Everyone loved it! I added a hunk of beef tenderloin chopped up. Fantastic recipe !
what did you change in the recipe to make a huge pot? This recipe doesn’t seem like it would make a lot.
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.
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.
Absolutely awesome recipe! Thanks for sharing, just did it today for lunch…simply delucious. Greetings from Perú 🇵🇪. Take care, keep safe!
Easy and delicious, thank you for sharing! 👍
This is by far the best Chili recipe out there!
Thank you Andrea! That is so sweet of you to say.
DELICIOUS! I’ve been making chili the same way for several years, but got a wild hair and decided to try out another recipe. I did make a few substitutions primarily to use up meat and produce that was already in my fridge, and I just can’t go without jalapeños in a chili recipe.
I used an Anaheim and a jalapeño in place of the bell pepper and used ground turkey. I also used 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes instead of canned, because they needed to be used up before they went bad. I let it simmer longer (~1hr) because of the fresh tomatoes.
I was hesitant about the spice mix, because of the addition of coriander and generous amounts of oregano, and no onion powder or garlic powder. However, I went through with it and it put my usual spice mix to shame. Best chili spice mix ever! I did add a little bit of the spices to the meat & onion mix shortly before the meat was browned and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Just enough to coat the veggies and meat. It’s something I picked up cooking Indian curries, and I’ve always liked the results with chili.
Every other time I’ve made chili, I cook the meat separate, but it turned out delicious cooking it with the onions and peppers. That’s also one less pan to wash, which is always a plus.
Thank you for sharing! Definitely making this again.
Delicious! What exactly is a serving?
For most soups, stews and chili a serving is about 1 cup.
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.
Me too!
Delicious and very easy to make!