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!
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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.
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Notes
Nutrition
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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.
Mine came out great. I stuck to the basic recipe but used two cans of Kidney Beans, and a can of tomato sauce instead of tomato paste/water because I had none. The seasoning was great. Luckily I can buy seasoning in bulk at the co-op for cheap. I added extra cayenne, which keeps me satiated and warm on a cold November day here in Chicago. Thanks for the recipe!
AHA…using Aldi products I see. They are some of the best, along with all their other products.
This turned out so GOOD! Made this tonight with a few tweaks – ground turkey instead of the beef, canned fire roasted diced tomatoes w/ chipotle for a lil’ extra oomph, and did the teaspoon of cinnamon. Simmered it for a few hours and it was just fantastic – can’t wait to try more variations as the weather gets even colder!
This is amazing :D I like to use cubed chuck instead of ground beef, it makes the chili feel more hearty to me. I also make a slurry with masa and beef stock to thicken the stew. And i always add corn, either fresh and roasted, or from a can. Frozen always seems flavorless to me. Thank you for your recipes, I rely heavily on your site.
how well would this do in a crock pot instead of on the stove??
You definitely want to brown the meat first, but once that’s done you can toss everything into the slow cooker. I’m not sure how long to let it cook without doing some tests, though.
I almost always do my chili in a slow cooker. Cook the beef and drain off the grease then add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Then set on low for 4-6hrs. My slow cooker kicks down to warm after the 4-6 hours(which ever I set it for.) So I can throw it in the slow cooker in the morning and have for dinner when I get home. Comes out great everytime. If theres leftovers, its always better the next day.
Should the diced tomatoes come with juice? It’s really hard to reproduce these recipes in Europe because of the tiny little differences.
Yes, the diced tomatoes have juices included.
So so so good. This is the chili recipe I have been looking for. I’ll definitely make it again. Interested to see how it’ll freeze, too.
Chili is just the best anytime of the year! This looks fabulous Beth! Great suggestions too! If I have ground venison in my freezer, that is my go to instead of ground beef, it gives the chili such a richer delicious flavor! Have you ever tried chili with ground venison? Soo good! Now I’m totally in the mood for chili!
I second the comment about ground venison! I use jalapenos and smoked paprika too and it gets better the longer it sits.
Beth!!! I have MANY of your recipes in heavy rotation in my household. All of them in-doctored because I guess we have similar taste buds HA! Thank you for sharing this…I made it two days ago and I have to say that it was even that more magnificent on day 2. You rock!!!!! PS I added the cinnamon and can’t wait to try it with a dark beer :)
So glad you liked it!! :)
good recipie… looks yummy
Not a variation idea but sharing our personal easy, cheap side for chili- mix equal parts mass harina (follow package directions for how much water to add) and shredded cheese + 1 tbsp oil. Roll into golf ball size balls then flatten into a cake- then pan fry in a bit of oil on medium for 4-5 min per side. So easy and less involved than corn muffins or corn bread. Got the idea from “Slow Cook Modern” and now we can’t have chili without these little buds on the side!
That sounds amazing!!
Hi, Beth: Your website is one of my very favourites for trusted, delicious recipes. Do you happen to post the nutritional values (fat, sugar, fibre) etc.?
Thank you, Carrie! Unfortunately I do not have the nutritional value for the recipes.
I think the nutritional facts would range on how you made it and exactly what ingredients you used. The way I made it came out to about 480 calories/serving.
Thank you Beth! This was exactly what I needed. For the past monthI’ve been unable to motivate myself to cook…not good for me or my wallet. I’ve been stressed and exhausted, and everything seemed “too much effort.” But this basic chili is so easy that excuse wouldn’t fly. And once the delicious aroma filled the house, I was happy to chop some green onions and grate some cheese to go along with the sour cream for toppings. The final result was delicious, and I have leftovers. Maybe I’m finally back in the kitchen. :-)
Kahlua is my go-to add in! :)
Ooooh, interesting! I love it!
Love this! Chili is my absolute favorite customizable recipe.
My variations:
For depth when you don’t have a beer on hand, a splash of coffee works too! Similar approach to the cocoa powder, I think. For tomatoes/liquids, I also like to use canned Rotel or fire-roasted tomatoes if I have some, or a even a jar of chunky salsa if I’m feeling really lazy and don’t want to cut up peppers and onions. Frozen soy crumbles are good in place of meat as well (sometimes a bean chili is what I’m after, but sometimes I want a “meaty” chili, even as a vegetarian.) I also sometimes add a splash of liquid smoke or Worcestershire sauce.