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 proportions of spices, sauce, meat, and beans. i doubled the amounts and it fit into my Lodge 6qt dutch oven just fine. since the dutch oven holds in the moisture well, i allowed the ingredients to simmer much longer than the 25 minutes but kept the lid on. i like it to be juicy-soupy. all the spices pulled together very well.
The sugar is throwing me off. Does it taste sweet? 2 TBS is a lot of sugar!
It helps cut the saltiness and tartness of tomatoes. You wont find it does much, and I tend to use brown sugar.
Found it a bit too sweet for our taste. Made it exactly as recipe described. Maybe next time less sugar for us. We love spicy,wasn’t spicy with the cayenne either.Even added Tabasco to try and cancel the sweetness.
How many people does this recipe serve? Need to serve 30 people or so.
Quick, easy and foolproof
I made this & I did exactly as the recipe stated. It turned out awesome. I love to cook & I’ve tried MANY recipes. I’ve never commented on a recipe but I had to on this one. It taste delicious! I look forward to using more of your recipes! Thanks so much!!!
This recipe is amazing! Just made it last night and already have printed it out to add to our permanent recipe book rotation! The only change I made was I only used 1 tablespoon of sugar versus the 2 that the recipe called for. I tasted it after it had simmered to see if it needed the second tablespoon and it tasted so good that I didn’t want to ruin a good thing. My husband usually doesn’t make a fuss over food, even if he likes it, but even he praised this chili! I will definitely be making it again!
Excellent. We all love this recipe. So hearty and flavourful!
Great recipe! Instead of the cayenne pepper I used 1/4 teaspoon of Blackened seasoning.
Made this for family (wife and three young boys)…….they all enjoyed, wife stated mid-meal that it may be best chili she has ever had. I did not use tomatoes as one of my boys does not like. I also did not use garlic powder as I have garlic allergy. I did use a little more ground beef (about 1.3 pounds) and added just a bit of beef stock to compensate for the loss of the juice from the diced tomatoes. Delicious, hearty, and easy!!!
How much is a serving
This is my Go-to chili recipe! I actually hate when people do this, but I’ve revised it a little for my husband and I the past couple times and the last time he said it was “perfect, chili-cook off winner”
I did 1/2 the amount of cumin and added a little extra chili powder about 1/2 tsp. Kept the cayenne. Did a little more than 2tbsp paste (I found it a little runny a couple times,) and actually did 1/2 pinto 1/2 kidney- though I doubt that changed taste, just added some color. I think one of the game changers is that as the meat was browning, I sprinkled some garlic powder on top so the meat was flavorful already. Then set out the toppings and some oyster crackers. Making again tonight, and trying two of your other recipes this week!
Loved it! A tad on the sweet side, but it was very well seasoned and delicious!
Made it and Omitted a couple of ingredients and entered
Into my buddies chili contest at his house and I won 😂
I don’t cook and made it twice and second time was the day of contest so it was a hit for sure thanks 😊
Very easy and delicious. Husband approved!
I prepared this dish for a group of 15 and everyone loved it. I made a few tweaks to the recipe. I used 1lb of ground beef, 1lb of ground pork & 1/2 lb chorizo. I also added a red and green bell pepper as well as a jalapeno. Delicious!
I’ve made this dish 3 times now but this time I used no salt added or low sodium items. I love it! I also added jalapeños and a dash of hot sauce to give it that extra kick. No cayenne peeper though. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My pot of chili is on the stove now but…it’s more spicy than I want. I got a little heavy handed with the spices! Help…I have grandkids coming tomorrow and they will find this too spicy. What can I do?
Thanks for any help.
No one helped ya! If you find a recipe too spicy you can either add dairy, like sour cream or citrus.
Love this chili. It was already 5 stars. Added red pepper and poblano pepper from my garden and fresh garlic. Also used rotel tomatoes. Will make this again.
Has anyone ever used beef bone broth instead of beef broth? id like to make this tonight , but only have bone broth.. any difference ? Any advice would be helpfull.
It’s the same thing, I’d use them interchangeably
Best chili I ever made!!
Couple adjustments…. just for my own taste.
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 bell pepper
4 cloves fresh garlic instead of powder
2 cup beef broth (1/2 cup reserved for rinsing out tomato cans)
1 30 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 15 oz can of tomato sauce, no paste
3 cups dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight
simmer for two hours
This is one of my all-time favorite meals in the winter. I love that you can freeze it. Amazing leftovers.
I’m going to have to try your cornbread recipe soon as well! That would go really well with this chili.
Thanks Amanda!