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I’m telling you right now, this is the BEST chili you will ever have. The reviews don’t lie! It’s hearty, flavorful, and oh-so-comforting. It’s packed with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and bold spices. Get creative with your toppings and dig in!
A Reader’s Review
This is the best chili I’ve ever had! What makes it better is how easy it is to make! My kids love it also!
Why You NEED This Chili in Your Life
- Bean + Beef Magic: Every bite is loaded with hearty beans, savory beef, and bold spices that make you go back for “just one more spoonful.”
- One-Pot Bliss: All the flavor, with barely any dishes. Your sink and your future self will thank you.
- Any Season, Any Reason: Warm and cozy for cold nights, but just as perfect ladled over hot dogs at a summer cookout.
Ingredients Needed
- 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.
- Meat: I like to use lean ground beef, but feel free to substitute ground turkey or chicken if preferred.
- Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms, or zucchini are all great add-ins for sautéing at the beginning.
- Spices: Try using taco seasoning for a Tex-Mex taste.
- Beef Broth: Don’t have beef broth? Chicken, vegetable, bone broth, or even water will help keep it thick and simmer well.
- Sugar: Just a teaspoon adds a touch of sweetness that balances the cocoa’s rich, savory chocolate flavor.
How to Make the Best Chili
This chili recipe comes together in no time and is the ultimate comfort food. I love making a big pot and my homemade cornbread, or Jalapeno Cornbread if you like a little spice! Let’s get cooking!
- Cook the Beef: In a large pot, add ground beef over medium-high heat, then cook and crumble until brown. Drain excess fat from the beef.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and sauté until almost tender.
- 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.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until it starts to thicken and flavors combine (about 30 minutes).
Top it off!
The right toppings can take your chili from great to unforgettable. Mix and match your favorites for the perfect bite every time.
- Sour Cream: A cool, creamy dollop to balance the heat.
- Onions: Fresh, crisp, and full of bite.
- Shredded Cheese: Melts into the chili for extra richness.
- Jalapeños: Bring on the spice!
- Cilantro: Fresh flavor and a pop of color.
- Avocado: Soft, creamy, and so fresh.
- Tortilla Strips: Adds a little crunch! Try my homemade tortilla strips!
- Frito Chips: Salty, crunchy, and irresistible.
- Lime Wedges: A bright squeeze to wake up the flavors.
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Best Ever Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans drained
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium-high heat, add 2 pounds lean ground beef and cook and crumble until brown. Drain the excess fat from the beef.
- Add in 1 small onion diced, 1 green bell pepper diced and 2 garlic cloves minced and sauté until almost tender.
- Add in 2 cups beef broth, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 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, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until it starts to thicken and the flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
Video
Notes
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store cooled chili in an airtight container or ziplock for 5–7 days.
- Can you freeze chili? Yes! Cool completely, store flat in a labeled ziplock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight, then warm in a saucepan or microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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!
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!
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.
Delicious and very easy to make!