by Holly
The Best Chili Recipe is one that is loaded with beef and beans and absolutely full of flavor… just like this one! Chili is hands down one of my husband’s favorite meals (and I love it because it’s easy to make)!
This easy chili recipe cooks on the stovetop and is perfect served alongside Homemade Cornbread, buttered toast or Buttermilk Biscuits. Add in your favorite toppings like cheese and onions for the perfect meal.
How to Make Chili
While I sometimes make crockpot chili, this easy version is great for a weeknight meal! Making chili is really easy! In this recipe I add bell pepper but you can skip it or add your own favorite veggies (peppers, mushrooms, zucchini are all great choices).
Seasonings:
- The seasonings in this recipe are chili powder and cumin. I always make my own homemade chili powder but of course store bought works great too.
- What is in Chili Powder? Sweet paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, oregano and cumin. This is the perfect blend of spices (find my favorite chili powder recipe here).
- Mix Chili Powder into the raw ground beef before cooking to ensure every morsel is seasoned to perfection.
Beans:
- I use canned red kidney beans but pinto beans or black beans work as well.
- Rinse beans (unless using chili beans) before adding to remove excess salt and starches.
- Chili beans add great flavor! What are chili beans? Usually either pinto or kidney beans with added flavors in a chili style sauce.
How to Cook Chili
- Brown the beef, onions, garlic and some of the chili powder.
- Drain any fat.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered.
Seriously, it’s that easy to make the best chili recipe!
How to Thicken Chili
When making chili on the stove, I simmer it uncovered which allows the chili to naturally thicken without having to add cornstarch or flour.
While thickening chili by simmering is the best option, you may not always have time to let it reduce. If you don’t have time to simmer it to thicken you can sprinkle in a little bit of cornmeal or make a cornstarch or flour slurry and add it in.
If you can spare a few extra minutes, just let it simmer uncovered.
What to Serve with Chili
My #1 favorite of course is cornbread or just plain ol’ toast with butter. Pretty much any bread to sop up whatever is left in the bottom of my bowl! 30 Minute Dinner Rolls are great with chili too!
I always put out a collection of toppings… and while everyone has a different idea as to what goes with chili I have a few staples:
- sour cream
- red or green onion
- cheddar cheese or monterey jack
- jalapenos
- cilantro, avocado & lime wedges
- croutons or tortilla chips
Can You Freeze Chili?
100% yes!!! Chili freezes and reheats beautifully. We freeze it in single sized portions for lunches or in freezer bags for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and heat in a saucepan (or the microwave) to serve.
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Crock Pot Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
- 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili
- Chili Mac Skillet
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili
The Best Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder divided (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes canned
- 19 oz kidney beans canned, drained & rinsed
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup beer
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
Combine ground beef and 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder.
In a large pot, brown ground beef, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Drain any fat.
Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45-60 minutes or until chili has reached desired thickness.
Top with cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro or other favorite toppings.
Recipe Notes
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Is Chili Healthy
Yes, it’s lean beef loaded with tomatoes and beans (and veggies if you’d like). Tons of fiber, protein and flavor all in one bowl! Be sure you’re using lean beef and drain any fat (or use ground chicken/turkey if you prefer).
Choose low sodium or low sugar products to reduce the salt and sugar in this recipe.
This was a great easy chili recipe! The only thing that makes it pop is a few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Gives a little Zing that’s always good in chili. Thanks for the recipe.
If I use 4-6 lbs of chili meat do I need to double the rest of the ingredients?
Hi Peggy, to keep the flavors the same it is probably a good idea but I would at least increase the chili powder in step one to flavor the meat!
Love your recipes and love the fact that you give the nutrition information at the end.
Excellent recipe. I added tomato sauce also.
How many servings does this make or how many can this feed?
Natalie, this chili recipe makes 8 servings. You can find the number of servings for each of our recipes on the recipe card right near the recipe title. Enjoy!
love it, can’t wait to make it
Hope you enjoy it Sherry!
Hi Holly,
I do not usually have beer on hand. but i see here in the comments you dont necessarily need to put beer in the chili!
Renee
Yes Renee, broth will work as well.
I did without the broth and kidney beans (used chili beans)but was the best chili I’ve ever made!
That sounds delicious Sandra, glad you enjoyed it.
This is a great recipe that my boyfriend and I love. I do not add beer and brown sugar to the chili, but it still turns out GREAT!
So glad you have been able to tweak the recipe to your taste and enjoy it Zhariah!
I found this recipe just searching for a good chilli recipe which meat, beans and peppers in it, glad I found yours. My mom used to make the best chilli, with her sudden passing my sister and I are now trying to find food recipes to make for our dad. I will be using this one again. I made some adjustments.. I didn’t use the beer, I just used extra broth, added another can of diced tomatoes and extra kidney beans and the taste is still amazing! Thank you for this great recipe!!
So happy this recipe worked for you Liz!
Just wondering, why do you use beer? I don’t drink beer and I have many health problems so not sure why use beer .
Hi Juanita, we use it for the richness that it gives the recipe, but it can easily be substituted for additional beef broth.
I learned something new this morning…. never heard of beer in chili….and I have never rinsed my beans….I only drain them… I am making this recipe with ground deer meat….I really hope I get to taste the great flavor this recipe says it has with a sub meat….. anything I should know or do differently? It is for a work party for my guys that hunt…. they begged me to cook their deer meat. And this is what I came up with…..?
I hope they loved this chili Sherry! Deer sounds like a great meat to use in it!
Awesome! Thanks!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Gail!
I been seeing lots of good looking recipes I would love to try them.
So happy you think so Lee! Have fun cooking!
What type of beer do you recommend?
Hi Ali, we use whatever we have on hand at the time. But we do love the softer flavor of a light beer, for a deeper flavor try your favorite dark beer.
Thank you for the delicious recipe :) I substituted the beer with additional broth and it still turned out great!
That’s great to hear Sarah!
This is the greatest & easiest chili. The family loved it. The only thing I omitted was the jalapeño. This will be added to our family favorites.
That is awesome Liz! So happy to hear your family loved it.
Can we somehow substitute the beer?
Hi Natalie, you can substitute the beer for additional beef broth if you would like.
I have not made it but I like it because the ingredients are what I have on hand and it seems that it can easily be doubled for a large crowd. Except I will leave the beer out and use extra broth. Thanks.
Definitely great for feeding a crowd Maria! Enjoy!
I LOVED this chili recipe! I omitted the beer because I didn’t have any on hand. Definitely making this again!
So happy to hear that Anna, thanks for sharing!
Nice recipe but instead of using the broth I like to use can of spicy V-8. I also cook it I like to get i soupy.. stalk of celery stoplight peppers ,onion, Use 4 # ground chuck. Brown burger, drain , can rinse. Cans of beans are put in colander and rinsed thoroughly.
Thank you for your recipe. Like to look at different recipes and go from there. Love to have big chunks veggies. Kids(teen) love it. Thanks again. Scott Parsley
That sounds delicious Scott! Thanks for sharing.
Just made this tonite! Easiest chili recipe I’ve ever made. And delicious! Don’t know how some found it spicy cause I had to amp it up with more cumin and plenty of unseeded jalapeños on top. The beer is a must, as in all my previous chili recipes. Gives a real depth of flavor. This one’s a keeper tho! Half the work of others. Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed the chili Patti!
I tried this recipe for a chili cookout we had in our condo complex. This by far is the best chili I have made. Wonderful flavor, liked mixing the chili powder with the meat before browning, this sealed the flavor into the meat. I used a 14oz can of black beans and red beans along with the kidney beans and instead of the beer I used another cup of broth.
I am so glad you enjoyed the chili Diane!
Would this chili work in the crock pot?
Hi Holly, This recipe should be fine in the crock pot. We also have a delicious crockpot chili recipe you may enjoy!
Thank you so much for including nutritional information & serving size!
My daughter is a type 1 diabetic & I’m constantly trying to figure out serving size and carbs. This makes it so easy! Thank you!
Thank you so much Sarah! I hope you find loads of recipes your family can enjoy while you are here!
I love cooking using recipes
That’s great Vivian! Have fun cooking.
Have never used cumin in chili interesting. Will try it soon
It adds a delicious flavor Theresa! Let us know what you think.
I feed a family of 7. I don’t care for chunky chili, another doesn’t care for beans, and a 3rd doesn’t care for ground beef. I made this chili the other night, and all 3 of us cleaned our bowls. 2 of us wanted seconds but my husband had already beaten us to it scraping the pan. He immediately claimed we should make it again next week. I didn’t put in the bell peppers or crushed tomatoes, I did all broth rather than the beer, and I substituted crushed red pepper flakes for the jalapeno, but it was definitely a hit.
So happy this was a hit with your family Crystal! Sounds like you will have to make this again for sure!
I’m not typically a reviewer but this IS the best homemade chili I have ever had! Highly recommend!!
So happy to hear that Morgan! So glad you enjoyed it.
Morgan,
If you don’t mind me asking, what beer did you use?
Darrin
I love making chilli my family loves it
So happy to hear that Shirley, it is one of my family’s favorites too!
What is the best way to cut butternut squash ? Do you peel it first ? It’s so hard to cut.
I explain how I cut a butternut squash in this Roasted Butternut Squash post. Hope it helps Mimi!
Love the recipes cuz most of the ingredients, I have on hand and if need be. I can afford to buy what else I need.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Sara!
What kind of beer did you add/do you recommend for this chili? I am not a beer drinker at all and don’t really know the differences between brews. If you could share the specific name/brand that would be awesome! Thanks.
Hi Marie, Any will work just fine! A darker beer will have a bit more flavor than something light so if I have something darker, that’s what I would usually choose. You can also sub additional broth in place of the beer if you would like as well. It does change the flavor slightly but is still delicious!
This is the spiciest chili I’ve ever made and I left out the jalapeños. My husband, who loves hot and spicy food, could not eat it.
This recipe should come with a warning label.
It’s going down the garbage disposal!
Hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right and most readers have not had the same experience.
Chili powder is a blend of herbs/spices that has a very mild heat at the quantity called for. May I ask what type of chili powder you used?
I made this Chili tonight, and find it’s delicious: not too hot, as I can’t take a lot of heat! I add that it was super easy to make. I would suspect that the brand of chili powder used could cause the issue, if engineered to be super hot, and/or the quantity used. I am also curious about the brand of chili powder, and also the quantity used.
Love the recipes !
Thanks Rhaelynn!
This is the best homemade chili I’ve ever made. I made your chili powder and will now use it for ever. Thank you for your recipes. Lora
Homemade chili and chili powders are the best! So happy you loved both of those recipes Lora.
Really great recipe my first time cooking chilli and it came out super good thanks to your recipe.
I am so glad you enjoyed the chili Marissa!
Does the jalapeno pepper make it super hot? Like, I’m thinking of adding less. I’m going to try this today, but not sure if I have beef broth at hand.
If you aren’t sure about the heat, try it with half of the amount of jalapeno pepper the first time. Enjoy Loretta!
Way better than using flour, corn starch, or corn meal for thickening chili: Peel a potato. When all the skin is gone, keep peeling the flesh of the potato into the chili. OR, if you don’t want to take the time to peel a potato, use some instant mashed potato flakes.
Great tip BarbaRaven! Thanks for sharing.
it says 1 1/2 cups of broth – and 1 cup of beer? Now is that one or the other or both together? Then if say I do not have broth, then I would 2 1/2 cups of beer? or vise versa?
It’s both for a total of 2 1/2 cups of liquid. I haven’t tried with all one or the other, the broth adds a saltiness and beer adds a bit of a richness. You can of course use all one or the other but the flavor will change slightly.
What kind of beef broth u used? In UK
This looks like an okay meat recipe. But chili it’s not. Real chili doesn’t have beans.
Your correct, that’s Texas chili.
Define “real”. It’s all relative, and for families stretching a dollar, various brand in a chili are welcomed. I like chili beans/pintos/black beans/ white beans. I hate kidneys so I avoid them. When a decent lean ground beef (85% or greater) is on sale is when I make chili.
Definitions of “real” are often defined by where you were raised, ancestry, etc. Nothing frustrates me more as an experimental cook to have someone say “real Hungarian Goulash does not have tomatoes” or real collard greens would never include sugar, oh the horror! Or “real southern greens are made with ______(fill in the blank).” “Real southern grits ALWAYS are stone ground, savory, or with cheese.” (This Yankee woman loved them all ways, but always in the morning made with milk, butter and maple syrup like a cream of wheat.)
Often our “realism” is defined what momma or grandma did, or by region. Where I was raised chili was always with ground beef and various beans, and spice depending on tolerance. In Cincinnati it is defined by Skyway. Hotdish from WI or MI, casserole everywhere else.
I’m sorry, sometimes purists irritate me. No offense intended, but I had a moment while checking out potential chili recipes with ground beef.
Absolutely loved. I did not add the beer as I was cooking it with my son and I didn’t know how to explain that part lol. But the chili was amazing. A total hit at home. Made a huge pot and it didn’t survive the night
Yay!! So glad this was a hit with your family Giselle!
Thanks
It’s sooo delicious. I substituted broth for beer because my daughter has Celiac and this way it was gluten free. We will make this over and over. Thank you for sharing!!
I am thrilled that your family enjoyed this recipe and that you were able to adapt it to meet your needs Stephanie!
It was lacking flavor and to wet for our liking
I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this chili recipe Mike. Thank you for trying it. Perhaps you’d enjoy 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili.
This is a really good tasting chili! I didn’t have any beer but I had Angry Orchard Cider and it worked just fine. I really liked the seasoning for the recipe. This one’s a keeper!
We think it’s a keeper too! So glad you loved it!
I also added 1cup Dr Pepper, 2 tablespoons ground coffee and 1 tablespoon cocoa. It was delish!
Oh yum!! I love your additions, thanks for sharing Linda!
To the chilli? Never heard such a thing. How does it change the flavor? Now I’m curious. Lol
Only thing I’d comment about, is the freezing; don’t freeze with the beans.
(and the purists, not me, will tell you ‘real’ chili doesn’t have beans. I’ll use any combo of black, light/dark kidney, and pinto beans.)
Thanks for your tips Bubba!
You can add retired beans ,tomato soup or instance potato flakes ,to your chili. ?
Why the beer?
It adds a nice flavor. You can substitute broth if you prefer. Enjoy Kathy!
I love your idea to mix the seasonings in with the meat before cooking it! We do this with burgers, so why not with chili, right! I’m going to try your homemade chili powder recipe – homemade seasoning mixes, like dry onion soup, etc. is always better and certainly cheaper than store bought.
Chili is a winter staple in our house, actually, it shows up year ’round. I dehydrate onions and peppers when they are in abundance, then rehydrate and add to my ground beef, because the flavors are just intensified so much. You can also use the frozen saute’ed onion and peppers mix to save a little prep time. Mixing some ground pork, turkey, venison and/or bulk breakfast sausage is good for variety. My favorite tip is always to make this the day before you want to serve it, because chili is always better warmed over. Always. If I have time, I will make Mexican cornbread to serve with it, but in a pinch, even good ol’ saltine crackers will do! I make a double batch because we like it over hot dogs and tamales with mac and cheese, in cheese dip for game days – you get the idea. Thanks for your recipe and tips. We’ll try it this weekend.
Such great tips. Sounds like some great ways to use chili Becky! I agree, it is so good warmed up. Enjoy!
I like beer. All different kinds. Do you have a favorite kind of beer for this recipe? IE: lager, ale, porter, etc. Thank you.
Any will work just fine! A darker beer will have a bit more flavor than something light so if I have something darker, that’s what I would usually choose.
I don’t drink beer can I sub a nother liquid
Sure you can, broth works as well.
How much broth do you need to substitute the beer?
I would use the same amount, 1 cup.