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.
All I can say is delicious! I prepared a pot of this amazing Chili on a rainy day paired it with a great movie my family snd I truly enjoyed. Thank you for the recipe.
Everytime I make this chili, people ask me for the recipe!! This is a super easy dish to make and so yummy!!
Nine eaters, all adults, gave this two thumbs up. I’ve been making chili “my way” for many years, but decided to give this recipe a try. Very, very glad I did. Great flavor, easy to make. Oh, I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and no one knew until I told them! Also left out the cayenne due to one guest’s aversion to hot spices. Otherwise followed recipe (doubled) exactly. Stop looking and know: This is the chili recipe you want.
Made a vegan version of this recipe and it was delicious.
Best chili recipe- I sautéed onions and beef in Ghee, but everything else as recipes states and my teenagers even commented on how delicious the flavor was.
First of all, it was delicious. I was reluctant to measure everything, because I usually eye ingredients. That’s because I’m Italian!! I have to say, I followed the recipe to a t. And all I can say is whomever made up this recipe, my hat off to you. It was very simple to make and not time consuming at all. I had all the ingredients in the house, so that made me happy. Thanks for posting this recipe.
This is a simple basic recipe. I followed it exactly and it was excellent!
very good, i recommend
My boyfriend & I made this tonight & were in heaven! The spicy level was spot on: just enough to not cross that threshold where you can’t taste anything else but the spice. Superb! Will make again & make twists using other ground proteins, goat cheese on top, etc. knowing it’ll always be awesome. Glad we found this recipe!
This was easy and delicious!
Perfect seasoning. My whole family loved it!
This is a great recipe for an inexperienced cook and widow like myself. I added just a little Jalapeño. It’s was very good. Thank You,
Scott
Easy and totally delish! Don’t skimp on spices!
This chili is absolutely delicious! It turned out very well and everyone loved it. For the most part I followed the recipe, but I changed a few things. I added another half a can of mixed beans instead of the 1 can of kidney beans. I also reduced the amount of sugar and cumin from 2 tbsp to 1 tbsp, because I didn’t think it needed as much of both. I also used the entire can of tomato paste instead of the 2 tbsp and it was amazing!
I did a thing. I added a small amount of chipotle In adobo AND “medium” fire-roasted green chili. I only added maybe a heaping tablespoon of the chipotle and the green chili was a very small can. Made it a bit to smoky but the spice was excellent. Should have scaled back a bit but I always go hard.
This chili recipe tastes great and is easy to make. I added the cayenne pepper
Hint: I also added 2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic and 3 or 4 tablespoons of butter to my batch. (Secret flavor everyone wants to know what it is)
Tasted amazing!
This is my 4th year of cooking this during the winter. This chili is effortless AND amazing!!!🤌🏾 It never disappoints!!! Thanks for the recipe! 😋😋😋😋😋
The best chili recipe I have ever made. My family loved it!!
Thank you.
This came out fantastic!
I didn’t want the added sugar so I added a can of condensed tomato soup.
Less sugar, more tomatoey .
Delicious!
My family loved it. It was the best homemade chili I ever made.