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.
The ingredients in this chilli melt in your mouth! Especially the onions! My 3 boys even love it and I’ve made it twice. They’ve never noticed the onions. We omitted the cayenne pepper and it is just perfect! Topped with a litrle extra sharp cheddar cheese, oyster crackers and a dollup of sour cream.
This looks delicious! If we don’t like diced tomatoes, should I just leave them out or is there a substitute you suggest? Thank you so much – I can’t wait to try it!
I would either put the diced tomatoes in a food processor or blender OR use a can of tomatoes sauce instead. Good luck.
If you don’t like diced tomatoes, just pulse them a few times in a food processor and the chunks will be gone.
We don’t care for chunky tomatoes either. I either buy the crushed or I pull out my blender and do it myself.
It’s just a suggestion for you.
I made this tonight and it’s delicious. I used chicken stock and had to forgo the tomato sauce due to what was in my pantry. I added an additional teaspoon of tomato e to compensate and it still came out great. Thank you for the recipe, I’ll be making it again soon.
made this tonight my husband threw in some cajun seasoning.its a very good chi will definitely make it again
I don’t eat beef, what can I use in lieu of beef broth ?
I’d suggest cooking your beans from scratch and using that liquid as your broth. .
Beef is a rich flavor, hardly duplicated. But if you flavor up your beans you might be pleased.
You can substitute ground turkey for the beef and use chicken stock/broth instead of beef. 🙂
Ground turkey works really well
I didn’t have beef broth so I substituted low sodium chicken broth. It was awesome!!
You can use vegetable broth.
If you don’t consume beef, and use chicken or turkey instead like I do, you could use a vegetable or chicken broth, or simply use water. I no longer use any kind of broth because of the taste skew it creates, along wth an extraordinary amount of salt. Try bottled water or a can/bottle of beer as a replacement.
Try beer, or any other broth, like vegetable.
You can use vegetable broth. You could use ground turkey instead of the beef and use turkey broth or even chicken broth.
Chicken broth, vegetable broth, water….
I made this chili according to the recipe ! It was sooooo salty that I have to add additional tomatoes and sauce just to make it palatable !! I even omitted the beef broth !! Lucky move as it is so high in sodium ! I would. It recommend this recipe to anyone with high blood pressure !!!
What an absolutely rude response. Seriously.
How about use low sodium broth, less salt, and learn some manners — if it’s too high in sodium for you, then don’t make it.
I wouldn’t recommend that you never respond in-person the way you do on the internet — you’re likely to have a lot more than high blood pressure to worry about.
This is a very good recipe but I did find it a little too sweet. Next time I will only do 1 tblsp. Of sugar. I also only put 1/8 tsp. Of cayenne pepper which was the perfect amount. I definitely will make this again.
This is the bomb made it cause it sounded amazing ……. My taste buds exploded it was that good!
I tried the cocoa powder, and Wow!!! Yes!!!
Great recipe! Delicious and flavorful. Only adjustment I made was 1Tbs less sugar and 1/4 tsp more cayenne because we like it spicy! Thank you for sharing
My family absolutely loved this receipe!!! Thank you so much for sharing 😘
This is the same recipe my Mom used; so glad I came across it. Very delicious, hearty, comfort food, especially when it’s cold outside. I tried making it with roasted garlic olive oil and a chunky tomato type sauce. It was okay, but not as good, so I’m totally sticking to the recipe next time.
Delicious, however a little info
When tomatoes are acid, as they sometimes are, add about one half teaspoon of baking soda when sauce is bubbling and you will see if the tomatoes have a lot of acid. Use for all tomato sauces, in addition to sugar.
So delish!! Thanks for the recipe. We’ve made it more than once and it has now become our Fall staple!
MY 15 YR OLS GRANDSON MADE THIS WOW !!!!
It’s perfect, very similar to my own recipe but adding the cumin and a little sugar give it a lovely rounded flavour. Delicious, luckily I made a double batch to have more to enjoy in my freezer. I actually think that if you freeze chili it tastes better next time as the flavours infuse beautifully.
This sounds so good, but how would o make it in the crock pot instead? How long? Thank you
Omg. This is the best chili I have ever made. I replaced the ground beef with ground Turkey. But it is Soooooo good! Best chili hands down!
I used turkey and omitted the beef broth. I added 1 1/2 jalapeno peppers.Next time , I will replace the beef broth with a can of beer.
Recipe easily followed and kids loved it. Thanks!!! But I took it one step further by adding 1/2 cup of Scotch to really bring out the taste to a whole new level – for the adults of course.
I gave you a 5 Star rating as it is simply the best.
Delicious. Will repeat this recipe.
It’s bold claiming to be the BEST chili recipe but it has my vote. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
OK wow, the whole family agrees, this will be our go to chili from now on! I’ve tried so many recipes over the years and this one checks all the boxes. One tip I learned along the way, add one teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Sounds strange but it adds a richness you can’t describe. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for that, Jean! You’re right!
It is the best chili. Thank you for the recipe and thanks for sharing it.
I add unsweetened cocoa powder to my chili, too! Coupled with this recipe, it is awesome!