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.
How much does this make? I need to calculate for 40 ppl. Thanks.
This recipe serves 8 as written, you can change the servings to 40 by clicking “print” on the recipe. If you’re making a large batch, you might like to allow some extra simmering time. Serving sizes are an estimate and can vary slightly based on what else you’ll be serving with the chili and appetites. Enjoy!
Just made it, tasted pretty good and it was easy to make. Perfect for a weeknight meal!
Just made this chili. I was a bit off on the can sizes, but the chili turned out excellent.
Husband loved it
Use it like you’d use beef, no change. Wild game when ground is the same
Any suggestions for using ground venison burger in this recipe?
I have not used venison in this recipe but others have with great success. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Delicious! Rave comments from everyone that tried it. Thank you
tasty even omitting the beer. i might add one more can of beans for some fiber, but good as is!
This chilli recipe turned out great
This chilli recipe turned out great, my family loved it.
I made this today and wow — it’s so good! I just added a little extra salt for my taste, but everything else was perfect. So flavorful and comforting. Definitely making it again!
Sounds SOOOOOO Good right now! The weather is screaming “ it’s chili making time!”
We do like out chili thick and rich. I found adding a can of pumpkin purée works great for this. Adds a bit of healthy earthy taste.
We would omit the jalapeno peppers, but the rest sounds scrumptious.
Thanks. I look forward to seeing more of your recipes.
Use 2 cups of beef broth, no water, no beer, add 2 sticks of chopped Celery, add 1 additional can of beans, add Worcester sauce. Brown the beef, onion, green pepper, red pepper in a 1/2 stick of unsalted butter. I like to use Tony Caserque Extra. Add an extra can of Rotel w/green chilies.
thank you for this chilli recipe turned out delicious. My family loved every bit
I read the comments after initially cooking this recipe. I did everything besides the brown sugar. At first I thought it was extremely bland like some of the commenters but then realized I never added any salt. I kept adding salt while simmering and tasting samples. Once I got the right amount the salt, it pulled all the flavors together and it turned out amazing. If it’s too bland, make sure you use enough salt to help bring all the ingredients together!
Love the idea of adding a little taco seasoning.
Hello, I came across your recipe, which is very similar to my own, and wanted to offer a suggestion. Since red bell peppers are sweeter than green ones, I use them in my chili. They provide a wonderful flavor so I thought you might be interested in trying them in your recipe. Best wishes and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for sharing your suggestion Susan, I think that sounds delicious!
I made this recipe tonight. It was my first time making chili so I was a little nervous. This was excellent! My husband loved it and said it was so flavorful. Had this with some sweet cornbread and it was perfect. This will definitely be our go to chili recipe.
A keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing.
May I ask what beer you used and the amount?
You can use any type of beer you have on hand. I often use Budweiser.
The blandest chilli I’ve ever tasted!
Oh no, I am sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe. It is usually a reader favorite. You can definitely bump up the spices to match your taste preferences!