Now that it’s officially fall, it’s time to make my favorite fall comfort food, a pot of delicious homemade chili. While I have several chili recipes on the website already, this classic beef chili recipe is my absolute favorite. Like, it’s so good that I can’t stop going back for spoonfuls. Not only is this classic chili recipe super flavorful and easy, but it can be customized in a number of ways to make it your very own’s extremely customizable. Scroll down for ideas for customizing the proteins, spices, liquids, vegetables, and toppings!
I like to add fresh jalapeños, cheese, green onion, and crushed tortilla chips to my chili!
Ingredients for Homemade Chili
There are so many ways to make homemade chili, but here’s what you’ll need to make our classic beef chili:
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic create the base layer of flavor for this pot of classic chili. Feel free to add double or even triple the garlic if you’re a garlic lover!!
- Ground Beef: I love a slightly higher fat content beef for chili because it makes the pot extra rich and it’s more affordable than lean ground beef, but feel free to use the type of ground beef that you like the best.
- Beans: We use a combination of kidney beans and black beans in our chili for a little extra color and texture in the pot, but you can also experiment with adding pinto beans!
- Diced Tomatoes: Diced canned tomatoes (with their juices) add more flavor and texture to the chili. If you don’t like chunks of tomato, you can substitute with crushed tomatoes, which have a much finer texture.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste really helps thicken the chili and gives it a super rich tomato flavor, which is the perfect backdrop for all of the chili spices.
- Chili Seasoning: We use our homemade blend of chili seasoning, which includes chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Brown Sugar: This is the secret ingredient that helps balance the adicity of the tomatoes and heat from the chili seasoning. A little goes a long way to help balance the flavors without making the chili taste sweet.
How Long Should You Cook Chili?
Chili is one of those dishes that tastes better the longer it cooks (to a point). You’ll want to let this chili simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes, but it’s something that you can leave simmering gently for up to a couple of hours. If you do plan to let your chili simmer for a longer period of time, make sure to put a lid on it so it doesn’t dry out. Check it occasionally to see if it is becoming dry, and if so, add a little water.
5 Ways to Customize Homemade Chili
- Use a different protein: Feel free to substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even lentils or more beans in place of the ground beef.
- Add Other Liquids: Instead of using water to make the gravy, try using vegetable juice (like V8), dark beer, or beef broth for even more flavor.
- Customize the spices: Try using chipotle powder or smoked paprika for a smokier flavor. Add a little cocoa for a richer, earthier flavor, or a dash of cinnamon for warmth.
- Add Extra Vegetables: If you’re looking to add more flavor, color, and nutrients, try adding zucchini, bell pepper, poblano peppers, jalapeños, corn, sweet potato, or butternut squash.
- Get creative with toppings: This is where chili gets really fun! Browse your pantry, fridge, or freezer for any fun toppings you might have. Anything that goes well on a taco will probably also go great on a bowl of chili! This also allows each family member to customize their own bowl, which is super helpful with picky eaters!
Ideas for Chili Toppings
Customizing my bowl of chili with fun toppings is my favorite part. I can eat the chili all week and no two bowls will be the same! Here are some ideas for what to put on top of a bowl of chili:
- Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Green Onions
- Diced Avocado
- Cilantro
- Crushed Tortilla Chips
- Crushed Saltine Crackers
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Diced Red Onion
What is your favorite chili secret ingredient, add-in, or topping? Share in the comments below!
How to Store and Reheat Chili
Chili is the ultimate meal prep food because the recipe makes a big batch, the leftovers taste better the next day, and it’s extremely freezer-friendly!
Chili can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, or, after chilling overnight, you can transfer it to the freezer for longer storage (about three months). I recommend dividing the chili into single-serving portions before refrigerating or freezing to make easy grab-and-go reheatable meals for the rest of the week.
Chili can be reheated in the microwave by heating in one minute intervals, stirring between each, until heated through. You can also reheat chili on the stove top over medium-low heat, stirring often. You may need to add a little water when reheating on the stovetop if it gets too thick.
Homemade Chili Recipe
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.49)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 lb. ground beef ($4.79)
- 1 15oz. can kidney beans ($1.09)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.50)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.55)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
Chili Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp chili powder** ($0.30)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large pot with the olive oil and cook over medium heat until they are soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté until the beef is fully browned.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, and all of the ingredients for the chili seasoning. Stir until well combined.
- Place a lid on the pot and allow it to simmer over a low flame for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (the flavor gets better the longer it simmers).
- Give the chili one final taste, adjust the salt or seasonings if needed, then serve hot with your favorite toppings.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Serve with a side of Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread!
How to Make Homemade Chili – Step by Step Photos
Start by dicing one onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. Cook the onions and garlic with 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until they are soft and transparent.
Add one pound of ground beef and continue to cook until it is fully browned.
Drain a 15oz. can each of black beans and kidney beans and add them to the pot along with a 15oz. can diced tomatoes, a 6oz. can of tomato paste, and one cup of water.
Stir that all together until the tomato paste is well incorporated. Doesn’t look like much yet, but just wait…
Add the chili spices to the pot of chili. I used my recipe for Homemade Chili Seasoning, plus a little brown sugar. 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar. If you don’t have all the ingredients to make your own chili seasoning, you can add a store bought packet of chili seasoning at this point.
Let the pot simmer for at least 30 minutes over low heat with a lid on top to allow the flavors to blend and for the natural sugars in the tomatoes to caramelize, which reduces the acidity. If you have time, let it simmer longer. Now your “basic” chili is done!
How easy was that? Now go crazy with the toppings. Look in your fridge for leftovers and see what fun things you can use to top your basic chili to make it not so basic anymore.
I’ve made so many budget bytes recipes and they are always delicious, this one impressed me just like the rest have. I used dried garlic flakes because the store was out of fresh garlic, I added just a little more water due to my preferences of chili thickness, and I was out of cayenne pepper so I used hot chicken seasoning (😂 it’s honestly delicious in beef or chicken chili). Thank you for this recipe, I will absolutely make it again.
Just made this for dinner tonight and was delicious! Served with warm cornbread. So easy to make, too! Definitely will be my go-to chili recipe from now on!!
I made this tonight. I’ve made it in the past but tonight was the best. I think because I used regular ground beef instead of lean and I put extra garlic powder, onion powder and sugar in it. I never had any garlic or onions. it was so good! Quick and easy too. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
This is our go-to chili recipe. My extremely picky 15 year old loves it, and it’s one of the few healthy things I can get them to eat. Glad that they like at least one meal with a good dose of protein and fiber. Thank you!
Really liked. I made for first time, using some of Beth’s suggestions for changes to main recipe. I made with 1/2 lb beef and extra pinto beans, beef broth and cocoa powder. I forgot about lowering salt when using beef broth, so it was a bit salty and a little spicy – for me. Will make the same wa next time, except with less salt and less chili powder.
Hi, is there a version of this recipe for a slow cooker and instant pot? Thank you!
Unfortunately, I haven’t made a slow cooker or IP version of this one yet.
Made this tonight, and I love it! it’s quick, easy and delicious
I have made this recipe more times than I can count! It is incredibly simple and tastes delicious as written, but it is wonderfully customizable. I like to add a little bit of bacon and add the onions and garlic so that they can cook in the fat. I add chicken stock instead of water and I like to add about 1/2 tsp of chipotle powder, 1/2 tsp of ancho chile powder, and 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder for a deep, rich taste. All the smoky flavor from the peppers balances with a little bit of sour cream and I always have to make Beth’s Easy Homemade Cornbread as a side :) Big ups to Budget Bytes for another great recipe; I can’t recommend this site enough.
I love your recipes, and this one is one of my favorites. Thank you!
This one was an absolute winner for our family! A couple customizations I made: 1. Subbed chorizo for ground beef. 2. Used 1.5 cups beef broth and 0.5 cups water for base, as we like it more soupy. 3. Added diced green pepper in with onion and garlic. 4. Added 1 tsp Smoked Paprika, but I think 0.5 tsp would have been better. Delicious and hearty!
I tried a lot of chili recipes to find the right one and this one is it! I always makes a double batch for my little family of 3 and we sometimes finish it in a day! The only things I do different are use beef broth instead of water and omit the sugar since we love extra spice! It’s the only chili recipe we use so thank you!
Excellent! I substituted ground turkey and let it simmer in the crock pot. The spices are just right. My picky husband went back for seconds.
I like chili, but I’ve never made chili that I really liked. This one is a keeper! I went to the trouble of making the chili seasoning as per your recipe and I’m thinking that could have been the answer. I didn’t have the recommended McCormick’s chili powder, but used McCormick’s Texas-Style as the base. Don’t know if that would have made a big difference, but it worked and I’m happy.
I’ve reached the point where, if I’m looking for a way to make something old or new, I start here.
This turned out great- I made a triple batch the other night! I added a red bell pepper, used all kidney beans, and crushed tomatoes instead of the paste. I also subbed bone stock for the water. The flavor and seasonings were delicious! I will be making it again for sure!
This has become my go-to chili recipe. There are two tips I will pass along. I substitute the chili beans sold at Aldi for the kidney beans in the recipe because the chili beans are infused with deep chili flavor and cost the same as kidney beans. I also use an Instant Pot for the cooking (18 minute soup setting).