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.
I make this recipe all the time. The only thing I do differently is I add about 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and about a tbsp. of peanut butter. My wife and I love the small amount of heat from the cinnamon and the peanut butter and a bit of a nutty flavor.
I love this recipe! I love how it uses full cans of most of the ingredients, and the taste is great!
Delicious 🤤. It’s -7 degrees here in Boston so I made this for my kiddos & Hubby for dinner today, we just added frito pie toppings. Thanks for this meal 🍽️.
If you like your chili on the sweeter side, this is for you. Kids will like it. A hint of spice.
Really good flavor and consistency.
Best ever. Easy to follow, GREAT flavor. Everyone enjoyed it
Excellent flavor.
Question – to double the recipe do I just double the ingredients?
Thank you.
So far best recipe for Chili I have made and will stick to this one for sure!!!
I forgot to put 5 stars!!
I just made this recipe!! It is delicious!!! So excited!! I just started cooking and baking everyday. I love doing it .. I am on a health kick trying to lose weight! I had no idea that you have to eat to lose weight until recently!! Now I eat little meals throughout the day! This is perfect for that! Yum!!!!!
Fabulous! Usually chili is an all afternoon event and I’ve found quicker recipes don’t pack the same punch but this was ridiculously delicious! I added the 1/4 tsp cayanne and ended up putting in 7 more oz of tomato sauce, 1 more tbsp of tomato paste, and an additional can of beans (mixed it up with black beans) to cut the spice and add more texture. Totally melds in a half hour and clean up was a breeze. Bravo!!!
Fun and easy recipe I found online ready to cook for the day with no hasle.
Very good chili. Just made it. Just the right amount of hot too. Tastes great with the corn bread too.
VERY GOOD. Better than the recipe that I had been using for over 30 years!
🔥🔥🔥🔥 absolutely fantastic recipe. I followed the directions precisely. Turn out perfect on first try! Family very happy! Yummy.
Fast and easy – all with ingredients most people have in their pantry. And versatile! As long as you use her base of spices and sauces, you can add many other things (green chiles, jalapeños, etc). I’m a pretty staunch “no sugar” in my tomato based sauces but it definitely works in this recipe. The only change I made was using 2 cans of beans (black and white northern as that’s what I had). Yummy – much better than McCormick or French’s chili seasoning pkgs. Thanks for the recipe – already saved.
One of the best chili recipes I’ve ever made. Back in the mid eighties, there was a bar/restaurant named Remey’s in Hilton Head. My husband and I loved their chili. This is the closest I’ve ever come to duplicating it. I think it is the cumin which is more than traditional recipes. Made it again tonight and so so good. Five stars from me and a big thank you for this recipe!
This is alot better with 2# of beef and 2 cans of beans
I love chili…really love chili. This is one of the best recipes that I have tried. I did decrease the sugar to 2 teaspoons…my husband would havenoticed more…and doubled the canned tomatoes bc I could not find any tomato sauce. But it was fantastic. Thank you!
This is the best chili I’ve ever made! Seriously so much flavor and kid approved as well!