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.
Great chilli!! I let two coworkers try it when I took left overs for lunch, and they were really impressed.
OK, so I found this recipe this morning & new I had to make it for lunch today. I always read through many of the comments for each new recipe I try before actually making it. Here is how it turned out for me: 1st, the only meat in the house was a package of skinless, boneless chicken tenders and so I cut them up into bite-sized pieces & threw them into the pot as a substitute for the lean ground beef. I don’t think this mattered much bc my critique is mainly on the spices. After all, isn’t that what chili is mostly about? As per the reviews read, I lessened the salt & sugar by 1/2 t & 1 T, respectively. I ended up adding the 1/2 t salt at the end but didn’t add the 2nd 1 T sweetener (I always use Swerve sugar replacement) bc I liked it fine just as is. Then, I was curious about the comment to add 1 t unsweetened cocoa powder and said, “Hey, live & learn.” I think I will continue to do so bc I think it was even tastier. I’m on my 2nd helping! Oh, the only other change I made was that I used a can of chili beans instead bc I had both, but it just seemed to make sense in the moment. Amanda…delicious recipe. Thanks for the post, I can’t wait to explore more of it.
Hi
I also liked your recipe and will try the cocoa powder next time.
My adjustments to the recipe are to add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and a half cup of dark beer.
Do I have to have diced tomatoes for this recipe? We dont like cooked tomatoes in our house…
My husband and one of my children will not eat tomatoes at all. For chili, I puree whole peeled tomatoes preferably after roasting them for a bit. They all love the chili and haven’t mentioned the tomatoes at all. Hope this helps.
Of course not! Why would you add something you don’t like anyway!
Try it without, you could always sprinkle fresh diced tomatoes on it right before you eat it, if you like.
Maybe replace it with another 8 oz can of tomato sauce, or less to your liking
Awesome. I’ve been looking for a good chili recipe for a long time. Perfect mix of spices! Thank you!
Loved this chili recipe!
SO good! This was my first time making chili, I’m not very confident with my cooking skills, but this was very easy! Will definitely save this recipe for the future!
Getting ready to make this awesome chili again this weekend! First time ever the whole pot got eaten. My family ate every drop and wanted more! I’ve made many, many chili recipes and have finally found my go-to! Thank you for posting!!
I just made this for my husband and myself. I’ve made countless chili recipes. We both agree, this one is right up there with the best, in fact I think it’s his favorite ever. Instead of petite diced tomatoes I accidentally added regular diced tomatoes that happened to be fire roasted. Also, I ended up adding a little more beef broth (1/4 c) because I use broth to rinse out tomato cans. Also, I didn’t use 2 T of sugar ( hubby isn’t supposed to eat sugar) but instead, 1 1/2 T Zero all natural/zero calorie sugar. He always puts ketchup in his chili which has been a light-hearted bone of contention but with this recipe he didn’t add ketchup.
I JUST MADE THIS RECIPE FOR SUNDAY DINNER ALONG WITH HOMEMADE CORNBREAD…..THE BEST I’VE HAD IN A LONG TIME!!!
AND MY FIRST TIME MAKING CHILI
Tastes delicious! My favourite chilli recipe!
5 stars from the whole family! Thanks for sharing
Oh, my!!! Love this chili and……I just won me the Family Chili Cook Off with this recipe!!! Thanks so much!!
Great reference for Chile that can be cooked as-is or by using whatever substitutes people’s individual tastes prefer. I am so happy to see cumin on your list of spices! And, of course, a touch of sugar. Thanks for sharing.
OMGOSH this chili dish was AMAZING!! It smelt amazing, and tasted better than that. I have a family of six, and each one asked for seconds on this dish. Even my picky ones!! This will definitely be my go to chili recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Okay so I never comment on recipe sites but this is literally the best chili ! In love 🥰! Thank you so much for sharing.
I was told this was the best chili I’d ever made. I doubled the recipe for a family gathering and didn’t have a drop left. Only substitutions is I used a can of petite diced tomatoes with additives (peppers and such) as well as chili beans in chili sauce, undrained. I do want to try adding the cocoa powder.
Thank u soooooo much for sharing, this will forevermore be my chili recipe I use.
Do you drain the grease/fat off of the browned ground beef?
I made this over the weekend substituting 1.5T of maple syrup instead of the 2T sugar for a less processed/healthier alternative. Turned out great! Thank you.
Seriously, the best chili recipe I’ve ever tried. It was a hit with everyone!
The best chili recipe !!!! I did not add the can of tomato sauce instead added an additional TBS of paste and another half cup of broth, it came out Delicious Thank you!!
Yummie! I’m a mom of 5 kiddos ages 11 and under. This was a hit with everyone!
I added a can of drained yellow corn, organic tricolor beans, a can of light kidney beans and a pound of turkey with the pound of beef. (We like ours thicker)
I omitted the tomato paste because I was out of it and added 14oz tomato sauce and boiled it down a little.
Mixed it and served over big scoops corn chips with lettuce sour cream and shredded cheese.
Success! This would be really good over a baked potato also. 😉 Thank you for the recipe!
What a delicious recipe. I will be using this from now on! It was such a hit.