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.
Excellent recipe! I make this in my kitchen but When staying in a hotel, I made this recipe to save money…cooked the ground beef in the hotel microwave for 4 min, added the spices and veggies then microwaved for 6 min. Just as delicious.
Delicious Chili. I am asked for recipe all the time.
Thanks to this recipe, my husband says I make the best chili, and I’ve never even made chili before! I substituted tomatos with green chiles for the diced tomatos (because that’s all I had), added a sprinkle of paprika and a dash of worcestshire, and hot chili sirarcha sauce because I didn’t have cayenne. That’s how I always make it now!
Best chili recipe I ever made. And I’ve made many recipes over the years. No changes to the recipe either.
Best chili ever. It hs just so flavorful everyone I made this for raves!
I use this as a base recipe and it’s fantastic.
I add a variety of beans. Like black navy beans, white kidney, the tiny red kidney, fava, black eyed…. I like variety and I use what I have. I also add green and red pepper and chunky cut zucchini and it’s amazing. My kids Even request the chili.
This is the best chili recipe ever. I love spicy, so I use fresh habanero here also and I usually switch the kidney beans to black bensa. Top it with some lime juice, coriander, cheddar and sour cream and you have a winner. I’ve cooked my chili based on this recipe for at least two years, both in Finland (where we used to live) and in Germany (where we live now).
I love this chili recipe! My go to every time. I use a little less sugar, but otherwise the best!
I have made this recipe for years and realized I never left a well deserved review- this is the best and one of the easiest chili recipes. Highly adaptable, I’ve made it with ground turkey as well as directed with beef. Everyone loves it! I do dial back the sugar to about 1/2 tbsp instead of 2 just based on preference but that is the only thing I change! I will continue to use this as my main chili recipe each fall and winter!
absolutely the Best chili ever.. my hubby won’t even share 😂 I do however, use “Chili Beans/Red Kidney Beans” kuz they specifically are made for chili so they are soaked in chili seasons. Therefore, I do NOT drain the beans. i pour the entire can in.
This is a FANTASTIC chili recipe. It’s the perfect spice ratio, and it scales up beautifully. I’ve made this three times in the past month and a half and it’s been a hit every time.
I also like to slow cook a beef chuck roast on the side and then shred up the meat and add it to the chili for some extra protein.
I put brown sugar in not white. I cut both red and greeen or orange or combo kinds of peppers. Seasoning packet of your choice I use Montreal. Every other ingredient is in the recipe except rice. And a little corn and a few peas
Great mix
So good! Everyone loved it! I added stewed tomatoes and extra beans (because we love those). Would be good with a few spaghetti noodles too!
This is the best chili! We all love it and eat it often during cool weather. I am wondering if it would be safe to pressure can or if the recipe would need to be tweaked?
Can you make this in the crockpot? Do you have instructions for that?
I have made this numerous times on the stove and love it!
I absolutely love this recipe. I just need to figure out how to make a bigger serving size cause this is only 3 bowls of chillin and I can eat that in almost one sitting by myself. Let alone making this for the family.
Yes, I would brown the ground beef and throw it all together in the crockpot. Low for 6-8 hours. I make crockpot chili all of the time! Cheers.
This recipe deserves all the 3 thousand 5 stars it’s been given. It’s sooooo good and soooo easy! Only thing I added was 1/2 a red bell pepper. It was amazing.
I have been making this recipe for years. It so good. It is my go to recipe.!!
Excellent chili recipe! I omitted the sugar and garlic powder and used one whole garlic clove, minced, and added a tablespoon of paprika instead. Very good!
This has become our household favorite.
5+ Stars! Cooked this twice now …it’s a winner. I added my signature flavors (as always) orange liqueur (Triple Sec, or Curacao) and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce …oh …and this time a sweet pepper. After more than two decades of chili recipes …this one is now at the top of the list. And…it isn’t that complicated. The whole family loves it. Thank you so much for sharing!
BobB & Family in Costa Rica
The only chili recipe I ever use! I dial down the spicy ingredients and sugar (young kids) and it’s always a hit. This is my 5 yo’s favorite meal.
My family loves this recipe!
Great recipe! My favorite chili recipe and everyone loves it in my household!
Loved it but I did add a few southern boy changes. Added a 1/2 lb of left over smoked pulled pork, 2 cups of broth instead of the 1 1/2 and 2 tsp of coco powder. We chalked this up as best we have ever made now.
This is an absolute hit with my family! I leave out the cayenne and its delicious 😋