The Best Classic Chili

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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.

The Best Classic Chili recipe in a red bowl topped with cheese and sour cream

This classic chili is perfect for a weeknight meal because it can be made in minutes.  The only thing to chop is an onion.

How do you make good homemade chili?

  • Heat olive in a large soup pot. 
  • Add chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
  • Cook for 6-7 minutes.

onions and ground beef sautéing in a soup pot

  • Add chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne. 
  • Stir until well combined.

chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper over browned beef and onions in a pot

  • Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce. 
  • Stir well.

diced tomatoes over chili seasoned ground beef and onions in a soup pot

  • Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  • Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce added to chili seasoned beef, onions, and tomatoes in a pot

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.

Find more of my recipes on TikTok

The best classic chili recipe in a red bowl topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream

The Best Classic Chili Recipe

4.96 from 3628 votes
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

Servings 6 servings
Calories 334 kcal

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.  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
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Keyword best chili, chili recipe, classic chili, homemade chili
Cuisine American
Author Amanda Finks

Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this for supper for the first time this evening – I am definitely making this again. 🙂 I made small changes to the recipe: browned beef with chili powder, then added to pot and added more chili powder; added corn to the chili; and less than exactly doubled the yield. It’s great! I happily found myself delighting in spoonful after spoonful before it was done simmering. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Love this chili recipe! So good and so easy! The only thing I changed is I use diced petite tomatoes with chiles and I/2 bad frozen fire roasted corn. Spices are perfect!!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for Halloween and it was the highlight of the night, everyone loved it and took some home. Making it again tonight for dinner!

  4. 5 stars
    Made this with plant based ‘meat’ for my vegetarian friend. She said it was the best chili. Even my meat-eating husband liked it.
    I added about tap white pepper, 1/2 tsp cinnamon & smoked paprika, as well as some pinto beans.

  5. 5 stars
    Delicious! I’m so glad I tried this recipe!! I’ve been making Chile for years but this is by far the best I ever made.

  6. Had anyone substituted the kidney beans and did pinto or black beans instead? If so, how’d it taste? Did you used canned beans?!

  7. 5 stars
    Wow. It’s the best chili I’d made. At the beginning I thought would be too much cumin following the recipe, but it turned out really tasty with all the ingredients. Amazing! Thank you so much

  8. 5 stars
    Really easy and yummy recipe. Made it without the tomato sauce and a bit less sugar. I didn’t feel any heat at first so I put around double the amount of cayenne pepper and it was perfect.

  9. 5 stars
    I made this recipe and it was absolutely wonderful. I will be using this every time I feel like chili. Thank you for sharing it.

  10. Absolutely wonderful seasonings mix. l be making another batch of the seasoning to keep on hand. My foodie friend never likes my chili! But this time – WOW. I did add the cayenne. It was perfect moderate heat. I used ground round 85/15 and that worked out very nicely. Kudos.

  11. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe! It made chilli actually taste good again. I have already given it two several people. Thank you Amanda!

  12. 5 stars
    I made this today for the first time and while it was simmering on the stove my neighbour messaged me to ask what I was cooking because it smelled so good, both she and her son really wanted to try it and could they have some? I’m not lying! LOL Of course I brought some over and she just messaged me to let me know they loved it! I just tried it too and it’s a keeper! Thank you 🙂

  13. 5 stars
    My family really likes this recipe! These are a couple modifications that I like (though it is very good as is!)

    I like my chili more solid:
    – Drain the diced tomatoes, too.
    – Use 2/3 the amount of beef broth in the recipe.

    For a some more color:
    – Substitute black beans for 1/2 of the kidney beans.
    – Instead of the cayenne, thinly slice a couple of fresh jalapenos and stir them in at the end (maybe save some for garnish).

    The bright green jalapenos and black beans looked beautiful in the dish!

  14. Listened to the comments and cut out the cayenne and halved the sugar. I also used low sodium beef broth, half the salt, and ground turkey instead of beef. Overall, pretty good! Even though I halved the sugar, I still found it pretty sweet for my taste. I’ll probably do about 1/2 tbsp next time.

  15. I am from Cincinnati, Ohio and we put spaghetti in our chili. Added the spaghetti at the end of the 25 minutes(raw), cooked about ten more minutes—Delicious

About Amanda Finks

I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Zionsville, IN. I’m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! I’m trained in Food Science & recipe development. It’s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!

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