The Best Classic Chili – This traditional chili recipe is just like mom used to make with ground beef, beans, and a simple homemade blend of chili seasonings.
This classic chili is perfect for a weeknight meal because it can be made in minutes. Â The only thing to chop is an onion.
How do you make good homemade chili?
- Heat olive in a large soup pot.Â
- Add chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes.
- Add chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne.Â
- Stir until well combined.
- Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce.Â
- Stir well.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
What do you top chili with?
In addition to the chili ingredients listed in this recipe for chili, you may also want to have these things as toppings.
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- sliced green onions
- saltine crackers or oyster crackers
- diced avocado
What goes well with chili for dinner?
I’ve been playing around with this chili recipe for the past few months, making it many times.  My family didn’t mind the repetition at all because I really do believe that I ended up with the best chili ever!
Watch the step by step recipe video for this chili recipe below.
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The Best Classic Chili Recipe
The Best Classic Chili - This traditional chili recipe is just like mom used to make with ground beef, beans, and a simple homemade blend of chili seasonings.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion -diced
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper* -optional
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and place it over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground beef to the pot. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne. Stir until well combined.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), drained beans, and tomato sauce. Stir well.
- Bring the liquid to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
I typically skip the cayenne pepper because I have a young kiddo. Â Then, I put out some hot sauce for those adults that want to add some spiciness to their chili.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6th of the recipe | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1249mg | Potassium: 1110mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1445IU | Vitamin C: 12.8mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 7.5mg
Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.
OMG!!!!! SO DELICIOUS AND EASY TO MAKE. I LOVED IT!! EVERY BITE I HAD I WAS SAYING Oh My God Lol… It Was On Point!!
Quick and easy. My teenage daughter and her 2 male friends “found” the chili simmering on the stove, and so they helped themselves, as they we’re “starving”! It felt so good to hear their compliments on how good “Mike’s Chili recipe” tasted! Thank You!
Recieved the converted “this is the best chili i have ever had” award from my husband. Was really good and easy. Didn’t even need it to sit and cook for ours like other recipes i have used in yhe past. A+++ will definitely be replacing my other chili recipe for sure and become a staple in the monthly rotation.
Wow! This is very flavorful chili. I thought the spices might be too much, but it all came together perfectly. I’ll be using this recipe from now on, my favorite. Thanks Amanda!
Tastes great! How much would you say 1 portion is, 1.5-2 cups?
Actually won Chili cook-off at the office last year with this recipe. THANK YOU!
My go to chili recipe. Easy and good. I like to double the beans
I have never rated a recipe but I always look at the ratings before making a dish. I cook all of the time and was a little nervous because I tripled the recipe the first time I made it. All I can say is it was perfect!!! I only stuck to ever measurement because there were all 5 ratings with so many people. Thank you!!! Very flavorful and worth the extra 2 minutes to make the seasoning!!
Made this recipe many times and my guests always rave about it! The only thing I do differently is add about a half teaspoon more sugar. I found it a bit acidic without the extra sugar.
Oh this was good. I did add chopped celery and green pepper
Did you add the celery with the onion and meat while they cooked, or after when everything is added?
After using the same chili recipe for 40 years, we needed a change. This is it! It’s similar to my other chili recipe, but the addition of beef broth, tomato paste, sugar and cumin make such a wonderful difference! I’ll be using this recipe from now. It’s fantastic!
Very Good – no EXCELLENT- and EASY Chili recipe. AND so easy & inexpensive!! Made it a few weeks ago (I did add diced green pepper) and kept it at 6 servings. Perfect amount for two of us to have for dinner and then lunch the next day. A friend of ours stopped by and had a small bowl and she also raved about it! I am making it again today as bad weather is moving in this afternoon. Nothing like a good bowl of chili on a cold wintery Sunday evening! Thanks for this recipe!
This chili is so good! I double the recipe every time and it is gone within 2 days! I used to use a an old better homes and gardens recipe but this one is waaaaay better to me.
I have tried countless chili recipes, I believe this is my new go to!!>
Pretty sweet for my house’s taste, but I think it’s a fantastic base chili recipe. We like a bit of kick so I cut the sugar in half and upped the chili powder and cayenne. I think I’ll add a jalapeno or maybe even habanero next time.
Delicious!
You lost me at TWO TABLESPOONS of sugar.
For a pot of Chili?? A little over dramatic?
Sweetie, your Chili recipe was awesome. For those who think two tablespoons of sugar is too much should just omit and continue on. I personally used Swerve brown sugar, and it was DELISH!! I thank you for sharing.
Great flavor ful chili only addition was half a diced bell pepper.
Made as to recipe, found it to be a little to sweet. Would cut back on the sugar to half next time and add more if needed. But would probably play with recipe a little. Overall it was a good recipe !
My boyfriend, who was trying to be sweet, found this receipe and cooked it on a night I was running late from work. I had never seen or smelled chili like this at all! I could hardly get past the smell to try it. I ended up pouring a lot of vegetable juice in it as its not juicy at all and the smell is just unpleasant. He liked it and I tried to but just couldn’t get past that smell! If you’re looking for a traditional chili receipe this doesn’t fit that catagory
So when making the recipe, i don’t drain the ground beef before adding the spices?
I already did a review – But I forgot to say that I also added 3 red peppers, 3 green, and 3 orange!
9 bell peppers? Could you find the chili after all that?