The Best Classic Chili is a traditional chili recipe 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. The only thing to chop is an onion.
I’ve been playing around with this 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!
How To Make Homemade Chili
Note: This is a summary. The full printable recipe and step by step video are located at the bottom of this post.
- 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.
- Add chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne.
- Stir until well combined.
- Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce.
- Stir well.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
What do you top chili with?
In addition to the chili ingredients listed in this recipe, 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
How To Store
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Or, store in the freezer for up to three months. Transfer the container to the refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to reheat it.
Pro Tip – Is It Too Spicy?
The brand of chili powder you use will have a huge difference in how spicy your chili will be. Different brands of chili powder have VERY different levels of spiciness.
I always use McCormick Chili Powder (No affiliation) because it is flavorful without being spicy.
More Great Chili Recipes
Find more of my recipes on TikTok
The Best Classic Chili Recipe
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
Nutrition
Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.
Good recipe, skip the sugar though, really screws up the taste.
As with any recipe, I get online I made this as recommended. It was fantastic. I then set about making it “My own.” I don’t really like kidney beans so that I changed immediately (I used black beans (frijoles negros, I used dry beans that I reconstituted from dry.) Along with the onion I used red bell pepper, some baby Bella mushrooms (16oz. sliced), and 12 ounces of rice. These just helped me make the base recipe my own. (Note: When serving the chili I added some chopped jalapenos for extra heat.
So silly, but can you double this?
Of course! Just be sure to double all ingredients and use a large enough pot. I would recommend watching it closer though, because sometimes big batches can tend to stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir more frequently and you should be good to go!
Of course! I just made this with 2 lbs and doubled all ingredients. Next time I’ll probably use a little less sugar, but it’s delicious! I also read a couple comments and used less cumin but it’s your taste.
This is the best chili recipe I’ve tried so far! So simple and flavorful. I also loved the consistency of this one. It was not too thick and chunky but rather on the thinner and lighter side. I think next time I may add some black beans. I also subbed the ground beef with ground turkey, and it was amazing! I actually prefer turkey over beef in chili.
I LOVED this recipe, but my husband did not care for the sweetness. I used a can of ranch style beans since that’s what I had. It’s now printed out & hanging on my fridge. Goodbye to the chili packets I always buy. Thank you for sharing this
I’ve made this about five times and I absolutely love it. I sub about have the chili powder for chipotle chili powder for a bit more kick. It’s fantastic
First of all, this is the first time I have ever added a comment to a recipe. I made this last night. And as my husband says, this was the best chili he ever ate! I was a little skeptical about the amount of seasonings, but stuck with the recipe and it was so flavorful. Sugar is a key ingredient which I had never used in chili. It’s funny because we use sugar in our pasta sauce. Used ground venison, so hardly any fat.
I did add diced celery and diced green pepper. Did not add the cayenne. What I like is that you can vary the type of beans used, red kidney beans, black beans. I used butter beans in my recipe but usually use kidney. I would give this 10 stars!!!
Best red chili recipe ever . Thank you for sharing
I’ve been making chili for almost 30 years ( not a tradition where I was born)
This recipe is a keeper!
Simple, easy and fast! The only change I made was to use fresh garlic ( had a few heads, needed to use it before they go bad, don’t cook much anymore) Delicious! Loved it!
I used ground turkey and it was fabulous. I have gestational diabetes, so I left out the sugar. My blood sugar was normal and it tasted great! Keeper for sure.
All of my family enjoyed this recipe! It’s our favorite chilli recipe we have tried this far. I have 5 children and some of them are very picky eaters and they all had seconds! The flavour was phenomenal and it will definately be added into our rotation. Thanks so much!
Made as written – minus the optional cayenne. Full of flavor, perfect consistency, hearty, and filling! Even without the cayenne, there was a kick in the after taste, but nothing overwhelming and it didn’t bother the kids (or me, who is a baby with spicy foods). I will cut the cumin a bit next time, per other reviews, but made as instructed to properly review. Prep was simple with ingredients that are pantry staples, and cook time was quick enough for busy nights. This was a winner in my home and I’ll be adding this to our meal rotation! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
Fantastic recipe! Love it ❤️ My 8 yr old even goes back for seconds and thirds!
If I could give this more than 5*, believe me, Id do in a Heartbeat!!!!! I cant make Chili to save my life and this recipe has changed that for me. This turned out even better than its been said. My Husband is in love with it and wants this to be my go to for Chili now on. Thank you. I have never liked eating Ground Beef ever and this is something even I enjoyed.
I loved this recipe’s flavor! I’ve added some frozen corn and lima beans to make space in my freezer, and the taste was not affected. Easy to make, too!
Thanks for the great recipe. I have it bookmarked and we make it about once per month, especially in the winter. I like it because the sugar makes it a little more appealing to my kids. However, I use have the amount of auger that is called for. Also I usually cut the garlic down too because of the kids. My wife like extra beans and tomatoes so sometimes I double those and to compensate I double the spices too. Very tasty and thanks.
made a few changes, NOT because i didn’t want to follow recipe as written but rather too lazy to go to store – big can of crushed tom (instead of tom + sauce); chix stock in lieu of beef; and, i tossed in 1.5 of sirloin (because i had it). also used baby red beans instead of kidney. SO YUMMY, and totally flexible to substitution based on pantry availability. should serve to sate the teens for a day or two ..
not to be dramatic but this is the best chili recipe I’ve ever made.
I have searched for 20 years for the perfect chili recipe and I have finally found it. My family loves it. Everyone that try’s it asks for the recipe. The only thing I change is I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced because my family likes that better
Great recipe. Agree about cutting the cumin in half. I like to add beer and Mesa to it, as well.