This chili recipe is the weeknight pot: browned ground beef, onion, two kinds of beans, crushed tomatoes, and a chili-powder cumin mix that thickens as it simmers. It is not chicken taco soup and it is not a baked casserole. Sister sites keep their own sides and green-bean bakes. This page stays on classic homemade chili.
Print
Homemade Chili
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Homemade chili with ground beef, kidney beans, pinto beans, and a tomato-spice broth. One pot, about an hour, from Your Daily Hit.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 2 pounds (907g) 85% lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional
- 1 can (28 ounces / 794g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces / 425g) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (240ml) beef broth
- 1 can (15 ounces / 425g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces / 425g) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Spoon off extra fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
- Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook 4 minutes until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toast the spices 1 minute so they smell warm, not raw.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, beans, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover partly, and cook 35 to 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chili is thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Taste and add salt. Serve with cheddar, sour cream, and green onions.
Notes
For a thicker pot, uncover for the last 10 minutes. Turkey or a half-and-half beef-pork mix works. Leftovers taste better the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Chili, not taco soup
Taco soup is brothier and usually uses a taco-seasoning packet. This is a thick, scoopable chili. Keep the searches on separate URLs.
Substitutions
Swap one can of beans for black beans. Leave the beans out for a Texas-style pot and add 1/2 pound extra beef. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes add smoke without extra paprika.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not skip browning the beef. Do not add the spices to cold liquid — toast them in the fat first. Do not rush the simmer or the chili stays thin and raw-tasting.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of broth. Freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition (estimated)
About 420 calories per serving without toppings. Estimate only, not a lab test.
FAQ
Can I make this chili in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and toast the spices on the stove first, then cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Should chili have beans?
This version does. If you want a no-bean pot, skip both cans and add 1/2 pound more beef.
Is this the same as chicken taco soup?
No. Taco soup is a thinner chicken soup. This is a thick beef-and-bean chili.
How do I thicken homemade chili?
Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. You can also mash a scoop of beans into the pot.