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 had made it. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent, rich flavor. I made as directed and added about a 1/4 cup of soy chorizo to the ground beef, then added a tiny pinch of cinnamon and about a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the seasonings. I think this may be the best chili recipe I’ve tried!
Loved it! I added sausage to it and loved it!
Very good 👍.
This chili is the best I’ve ever made or tasted.
Awesome recipe
I’ve made chili for years and it’s always been tasty but this recipe kicked it up a notch. Fantastic flavour. It’s a new family favourite.
I read the comments of this recipe and wasn’t sure. Everyone claims to have the best this best that and everyone’s taste pallet is different (me being very picky) BUT THIS RECIPE followed properly is by far the best chili you will ever taste in your life. I put my word on that.
This was the most delicious chili I have ever had.
Awesome recipe!
This was excellent as written! We love “heat” so I added more cayenne and a chopped jalapeno. It was sweeter than most chilis I’ve had (used brown sugar instead of white) but everyone LOVED it!! Zero leftovers and I doubled recipe for 8 people. Making this again tonight – I may cut the sugar back by one TBL. Nevertheless this will be my go to chili recipe from now on. Great with corn bread!!! GREAT RECIPE- thanks for sharing!
Great recipe. Easy to heat up🔥 or tone down according to taste. I use this recipe now instead of just wingin it. I still add fresh bell peppers and hot peppers to it but the seasonings are spot on. Thanks for a great recipe 😋
This is a huge favorite for my family. I’m told it’s the best chili they’ve ever eaten. They’re having me make it at least once a week. 🙂 I enjoy cooking, but I’m also glad this recipe is so easy to make.
This is a good recipe! I didn’t have all the ingredients so had to sub real garlic and homemade hot sauce, the rest was as written. I might let it simmer more next time as it was a bit runny, but the flavor was a hit! I served it with homemade beer bread – yum 😋. Thanks for your recipe!!
Love this recipe. Easy and so so tasty.
I have never made homemade chili without using Williams Chili seasoning. Well no more. I loved this recipe. My husband also loved this recipe. It was just what I was looking for. I did not use the cayenne as I do not like a lot of spice, It was still fabulous.
I’ve been using this recipe for years now and it’s always great. Thanks!
Easy, wonderful taste. Added my love of red pepper and mushrooms, mmmmmmmm to all ingredients in it. No more pre-made chili spice envelopes !
Great recipe! I add chopped Serrano and chopped Jalapeño peppers, but this recipe is the base for my favorite chili. Some of my family are sensitive to spicy foods too, so I add my own habanero hot sauce to mine, but it’s so good!
I’m always the picky one in the group I despise bell peppers and I don’t like spicy foods but it seems that most chilis have one or both of these. Now I’ve found my forever chili with this recipe! Plus everybody likes mine better than chili with all of that “stuff” in it 😉 Thank you for introducing me to the world of yummy chili!
I’m 90 years old. I’m not a great cook. I read recipes for instant pot that my son gave me. I felt inadequate. So I looked on line and found this easy to read and follow Chilie. It REALLY worked! It tasted perfect.
THANKS!
The best homemade chili I ever made, by far!!!
This is a super versatile recipe and I make it all the time. Once in a while I add a can of refined beans as my daughter likes the texture like that. And, one shake of liquid smoke and a diced jalapeño instead of cayenne. Works wonderful with beef, ground pork, ground turkey or ground venison. Thank you!
Recipe was so good! I left the cayenne out and added diced orange bell pepper and diced celery. Paired it with Red Lobster biscuits. Great chilly weather meal!
This was REALLY delicious. I made a double batch. Aside from minor tweaking of seasoning (less cumin and cutting the sugar way back), I followed this recipe except that I reversed the order of the cooking of the ground beef and onion because I wanted to get a good sear of the ground beef. This recipe will be saved.
Would I need to double the ingredients if cooking for 5 people? Not sure how much this makes.
I love this one! It’s perfect chili!
Eat this amazing chili with some delicious cinnamon rolls! (Shout-out to my school lunch program for introducing this perfect combo.) You won’t be sorry!