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 literally the BEST chili I’ve ever had. I added 1 tsp cocoa powder, per another commenter’s suggestion, and it was a great addition. I will continue to make this again and again. Thank you!
Loved this recipe, made as written with no exceptions! Husband could not stop talking about how good it was. Served with cornbread.
Love the recipe, delicious and easy to make!
Based on other reviews I made some changes: Doubled the meat and everything else except onion (used one), beef broth (used 2 cups), tomato sauce, sugar (used 1 tbls), and cumin (used 1 tbls).
-minced garlic instead of garlic powder
-1 can kidney beans, one can pinto beans
-chipotle instead of cayenne
My husband and I both say it’s the best chili we’ve ever had!
Chili was great, very tasty! My husband and son really liked it. My dad used to make chili for the hotdogs and burgers at our restaurant and mom made chili once in awhile at home and they never used beef broth or cumin. I omitted both. I added red pack petite diced tomatoes with chilies and regular diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. I’m Greek so I’m always using garlic in my food. Just enough spices to make it delicious! But make sure you measure accordingly so you won’t have to much salt or red pepper. It’s great comfort food in the fall and winter. I will make it again without the cumin and beef broth it doesn’t need it.
So good!! But I only put 1 tsp of sugar…
Not crazy about sweet chili. I also added 1 poblano pepper and cook it with the onions, the flavor of as awesome.
Great starter recipe! I have made this twice now, once exactly as the recipe explains, and once with some changes. The recipe alone is good, but tailored it a bit to my tastes and now it’s great!
I agree with other commenters, two tablespoons of sugar is a bit sweet, so the second time I only used one. Additionally, I added 1/2 a finely minced jalapeño, a full tsp of cayenne, and one extra can of beans (I used 1 can great northern, 1 can kidney). Add the jalapeño after the onions are sautéed, but before adding the meat. Cook for a minute or two (this is where I add minced garlic as well), then continue on with the recipe. Ends up with just enough kick and makes great leftovers all week!
Really good, and really easy! Used whole tomatoes instead of diced and it was perfect! I still put in sugar but 1 1/2 Tablespoons instead of 2.
Delicious!
My husband really enjoyed this. Only changed two items. Ran out of Chili powder so I only used one tablespoon and I didn’t have ground beef so I substituted with stew meat. I’m not a fan of Chili, but I must say this was very tasty!
Absolutely perfect! The best recipe I could find on the internet. Thank you! This was a delicious meal!
I cut the sugar in half, added only 1 tablespoon of cumin AND added 1 square of 70% dark chocolate bar (roughly 2inchx2inch). It was a wonderful chili with a side of honey butter cornbread!
Any suggestions for the slow cooker?
Awesome Chile, easy to make and delicious!
Delicious!
Cut the sugar by half and it’s perfect. Way too sweet with all that sugar. Also, I added in an extra can of beans.
So I made this and it was horribly salty! I reviewed the recipe several times and in my mind recalled just how much of what I put in and that wasn’t the problem. Then I learned that garlic salt that I used is not the same as garlic powder. There is three times the amount of salt in garlic salt as garlic powder so no wonder! For a neophyte cook like myself was a good lesson. I’m wondering if some of these ingredients would be best with an asterisk warning “this not that”!
This is my second time making this recipe. I added shredded carrots and a green bell pepper to make it a bit more of a complete meal. My whole family loves it. I chop everything the night before and put it together when I get home from work. It is very easy. Thank you!
Outstanding easy recipe! My husband told me make it exactly like this every time.
We found this to be too sweet. Next time I will use 1 tsp. Of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. We loved the other spices. Great recipe once the sugar is reduced.