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.
Simple, easy, quick, tasty. Classic chili like at a grill, sitting at the counter of old-line diner I had with a big piece of jalapeño cornbread. Snowing outside, it’s warm inside.
Spot on!
Oh heck yes, this chili & the bacon jalapeno cheese cornbread is definitely on the menu 4 this wknd. I love making home made chili as I have my own recipe but not the bacon & jalapeno cheese cornbread. It sounds so delicious I’m already eating it in my thoughts, lol. Thank You so much 4 sharing the recipe along with all the other delicious recipes.
Added green, yellow, and orange bell peppers plus a couple of tablespoons of jalapeño peppers for extra nutrition and spice. I cut it with some half and half cream since I added the cayenne pepper and used 20oz of diced tomatoes with green chilies. It will make you sweat a little, but absolutely delicious!
I did the same. I added one small can of green chilies I didn’t have a 8 ounce can of tomato sauce so I used just a 25 ounce can of diced tomatoes it’s delicious. Thank you
I made it last night and it was very good, except I would cut the sugar down to half. It was a little too sweet.
Really excellent recipe and the closest I’ve tasted to the chili my parents always used to make. Although, they always added green olives. Odd sounding but delicious! I think spices can come in different strengths from brand to brand, hence some reviews stating too much/too little on the flavor but I found the measurements to be spot on for my taste. Thank you!
This was my first time making chili and I loved this recipe. I would recommend cutting down on the sugar though because it was a bit sweet for my liking. I did add about 10 chili seeds to give it a more spicy flavor.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE I JUST LOVE IT 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 it’s easy flavorful and just YUMMMMMY!!!!!
So good, so easy. I would make this again! Everyone loved it.
My husband I both LOVED this! Classic, hearty chili. I did cut the sugar in half because of reviews I read. Super easy, and fast, too!
Classic Chili & Beans maybe. Not ‘Classic Chili”.
There’s always one…
Great recipe! First batch was finished in a day, that I had to make double the next day!!! This recipe is a keeper
I couldn’t be more upset with this recipe. I added the spices exactly as shown and it is literally SWAMPED with cumin. It ruined the whole dish. I tried to salvage with nutmeg and cinnamon and lemon. Waste of money and time.
Absolutely LOVED this chili! I followed the recipe to a “T” with a few additions…and mistakes. I added chopped green and red peppers, used regular diced tomatoes (this was a mistake but I’ll do it again!), and added more cayenne pepper (I like it hot!). Great recipe…thanx so much for sharing!
If you must put beans in chili, never put a kidney bean in it. Pintos are the only acceptable bean in chili.
My family absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you.
I made a few changes too, I left out the sugar completely, cut the cayenne pepper in half, switched the can of red kindney beans to homemade pinto beans, then I added Worcestershire sauce and dried cilantro.
I love the recipe e crept for the sugar. You could actually use 1.5 pounds of meat for the amount of seasoning. I would also add a little oregano..
I made a modified version of this with that I had on-hand, and my boyfriend and I loved it! I substituted venison for beef, leek for onion, used water instead of broth, and skipped the tomato paste. Delicious!
This recipe has way way way too much cumin. It overwhelmed everything else and makes it almost inedible. Ruined six lbs of ground beef.
Made this tonight and loved it!
Simple enough, easy to tweak. I added some paprika instead of the cocoa powder someone else recommended. Went with the cayenne. I didn’t feel the cumin was over powering. I’m also not huge on sweet but I didn’t think the sugar was too much either. Subbed light brown I was out of white sugar.
I made this chili and the only change I made was I used ground sirloin versus ground beef. The first time I made it was for a chili cook off at work and I came in second place! But I had my family try a little before taking it into work and the almost wouldn’t let me leave the house with it. Needless to say this is now the recipe I use every time some asks for chili. And it’s so simple and easy so I never mind making a pot or two!
Pretty good, but too much chilly powder and cumin for this volume.
So…we leave the grease from the ground beef in the pot? I didn’t see anything about draining it off,
By far thee best chili recipe evah!! thank you for perfecting this masterpiece of a dish! I used the cayenne pepper and it just the right heat. The next day at work, I couldn’t wait to get home and have another bowl!! You rocked it!