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!
Seasonings:
- The seasonings in this recipe are chili powder and cumin. Store bought or homemade chili powder work well in this recipe.
- What is in Chili Powder? Sweet paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, oregano and cumin.
- 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.
- Simmer Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered.
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.
Variations
Spice Level This chili is just right for our liking but you can increase or reduce the spice level to your liking. For extra heat, leave the seeds in your jalapenos or add a few dashes of hot sauce or a sprinkle of chili flakes.
Ground Beef Any ground meat will work in this recipe from chicken to turkey. If your meat has a lot of fat, be sure to drain it before simmering.
Beer I love the depth of flavor that a bit of beer adds. Feel free to skip the beer and use extra broth.
Swap the Spices Spice up your chili any way you’d like. To make a tex-mex chili, toss in a packet of taco seasoning.
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
- Instant Pot Chili
- Easy Crock Pot Chili Recipe
- Texas Chili
- Green Chili Recipe
- 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder divided, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 19 ounces canned red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup beer
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine ground beef and 1 ½ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Tex Mex© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Toppings for 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! If you need to stretch out the meal, serve it over white rice.
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
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.
im thinking pepper goes in with onion and other stuff?
Add it in step 3 with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy Stanley!
This chili is delicious. I just finished eating it. I did let it cook slow on the stove top for about 2.5-3 hours. wonderful
Excellent recipie
OK, you deserve all these stars. Very good recipe.
I always get rave reviews over ‘my’ chili recipe. I appreciate you sharing so many of your tasty recipes.
That makes me so happy to hear, Michelle! Thanks for sharing.
Best red chili I’ve ever made. I left out the beer and sugar, subbed an Italian pepper for the jalepeno and used a quart of home-canned tomatoes, knowing they would disintegrate as they simmered. I left it on low heat for a few hours, tasted it and added 1t of red wine vinegar to brighten it just a little.
Love it thanks
Five stars 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
this is amazing , though i did substitute the canned tomatoes and paste with weighed out tomatoes ! i also trimmed a small handful of oregano ;) i added 2 large chili peppers and a 2 cayenne peppers also :)
i grow a garden and prefer natural over processed .
cooked down to perfection , this is so good i had to post hun !!!
thank you
Wayne
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Hi Mary, we have a recipe for crockpot chili. Hope that helps.
Can you make this in a crockpot?
For the crockpot, we have a recipe for crockpot chili. Hope that helps.
I added about two tablespoons of fresh, chopped cilantro to the recipe.
This is my go to chili recipe with some tweaks.. I use 1 pound of beef and 1 pound of hot Italian sausage, double the spices to taste, 28oz can crushed tomatoes because I can’t find a smaller can and why waste, 2 can of kidney beans. I cook it for a few hours so everything breaks down. I always use a IPA beer.. this is a must and a game changer!!
Your recipe is amazing thank you to share …..it’s a keeper 😋♥️👌
This is hands down my favourite recipe for chilli. It’s easy to follow. The only thing I altered was adding chilli flakes instead of a jalapeño pepper. The beer is a nice touch. Topped with sour cream and grated sharp cheddar, served on a bead of rice …. perfect!
that sounds great, I am going to try this for dinner tonight
It did not turn out well, I threw it out. Not sure what epwent wrong, I followed the recipe
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that, Heather. Is there anything specific that I can try and help you with?
This is the first time making this recipe. It’s a great base recipe, but depending on one’s tastes, it will need some tweaking. For myself, I like having chili that is thicker, has a spicy kick to it, and deeper flavors. Since it was the first time making it, I followed the directions as-is. As I cooked it and sampled throughout, I continued to add chili, cumin, and added paprika to tweaked it to my own tastes.
In retrospect, I (personally) would add 1 jalapeno the seeds or alternatively 2 jalapenos, increase the spices to, add 1 additional kidney beans and 1 can of pinto beans. I used a light IPA (30m Dogfish Head since it was what we had), but will dispense with it since I didn’t feel it made a difference, and add extra beef broth. I’ll throw in cilantro at the end. I omitted the sugar based on everyone’s comments.
I’m giving it 5 stars as this is a great recipe, and many individuals enjoy it as-is. I just happen to be very specific in my requirements.
This is now my go-to recipe….I’ve made it a fee times, and it’s always a hit!
Thank you!
this really is the best chili family loved it
Excellent! The whole family loved it.
Did you put in the beer? If you did, could you taste it?