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.
This is one great recipe. It has an involved flavor, not the same old/same old. I have brought to different groups and response is always the same, “More, please.”
So simple but so good!
Great Chili. Everyone loves it and it’s very easy to prepare.
I’m a firefighter and I made chili for the first time in life and at the firehouse about 3 years ago. I used this recipe. Everyone loved it, and some ppl didn’t believe it was my first time making chili. So of course I still use it. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
I have many chili recipes but i like this one for its simplicity but big payoff. Used bone broth which makes this more expensive but feel good about the extra protein. I switch to black beans or use both. Thanks foe a quick/easy flavourful recipe.
This is such a great chili! Is great with cornbread, Fritos or crackers! Very easy to make always a crowd pleaser for friends and family!
Made this tonight. It came out fabulous. It was a hit with the family.
I made this today and the only thing I changed was using premade butcher fresh hamburger patties instead of traditional ground beef. It was devine! Paired with white cilantro rice OMG.
The best!
Excellent chili recipe! As others have said, it allows for flexibility to meet a family’s tastes. My husband refuses to eat tomato chunks, so next time I might use organic tomato soup instead of the diced tomatoes. Also, we like a bit more beans in our chili, so I’ll probably add another can of beans, as well.
The directions do not indicate to drain the grease after browning the ground beef, which I thought was odd. I drained it. 🙂
Delicious chili everyone loves it. Simple and easy to make not so many ingredients and doesn’t take very long to cook!
Delicious!!!
This is a family favorite recipe! Easy to make adjustments. I like to use fire roasted tomatoes instead of the petite diced tomatoes. I use beef Better Than Boullion for the broth as it’s easy to keep on hand. It’s especially great as the ingredients are pantry staples.
This recipe is outstanding. The only thing I changed was using more meat (1.5 lbs of beef) since we like our chili a little more meaty.
I make this ALL the time and it’s a crowd pleaser; everyone loves it including my kids 🙂 we throw sour cream, cheese and crushed Doritos or Fritos on top. Also great with just some crackers. Highly recommend and so easy/quick to make
YES! I finally came across a Chili recipe that is “tasty” and full of flavour 🙌. We are not used to a sweet chili so next time I would leave out the sugar as we usually find the sugars in the cans of sauce, paste and tomatoes are enough. A recipe that satisfies the taste buds of the whole family. This is a keeper, thank you!
My go to chili recipe..love it. I stretch it out with can pinto and black beans.
This is absolutely the best chili recipe I have come across, the first time I made it I was short on cumin so I went half cumin, half coriander and it came out amazing so I have been doing that ever since, I also added corn at the end. My kids do not like beans but this recipe won them over.
I always substitute pinto beans for the red kidney beans, untrained.
Reminds me of my grandma’s recipe.❤️
Had this at a party… was so good! Thankful she shared the recipe!
Is it gluten free? My sister has celiac disease and is super gluten-sensitive but I think she woukd love this, and I’m cooking for New Year’s Eve.
Thank you for the chili recipe I’ve been hoping for!
Such an easy and flavorful recipe. I substitute Ranch Style beans with jalapeños vs the kidney beans but stick with the rest. Makes a great weekday winter meal and have enough left over to use in other applications like chili cheese burgers, etc…