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.
Looking for a great simple chili recipe, and this one has become my go-to recipe! I like that it’s not too complicated like some chili recipes out there. The only modifications I make are adding some diced jalapenos for a little extra kick and I usually cut back on the sugar.
Curious on the sugar…I doubled the recipe for 12 servings and it came out way too sweet with the amount. Could I be missing something on how much sugar? Thank you so much!
Do I have to use beef broth
Absolutely delicious! Thanks very much for this wonderful recipe. It is now our favorite Chili.
Oh, wow, this is way too sweet. Cut the sugar by a factor of 2 or 4, and you will be happier.
I made this recipe today for the first time and loved it! I followed the directions exactly, it was so easy and I wouldn’t change a thing.
My first time ever making homemade chili. This recipe was easy and delicious! Classic chili 🙂
This has become my favorite chili recipe. I subbed in ground turkey and stevia and it comes out delicious! I love to make a batch and freeze individual servings to grab for an easy lunch or dinner.
Way too much cumin, for me. 2 tablespoons overwhelms my taste buds.
I will give this recipe one more try after cutting the cumin to less than half. I might just eliminate it.
Great texture after refrigerated and then reheated.
Chile is always an experimental and fun dish to make.
So so good! Easy and delicious! Thank you!
How does this have so many stars? This was a ridiculous amount of cumin! We had to throw it all out! Like what??? Are your stars fake???
Oh man, I’m glad it went just me. I made this tonight and couldn’t eat it! It had WAY too much spice flavor- cumin and/or salt? Thought maybe I did something wrong but I double checked the recipe. I ended up putting 3/4 of it through the strainer to rinse it, put it back in and then added tomato sauce and broth to make it edible.
I didn’t like this recipe. Something in the flavor was really off. I’m thinking the beef broth. The spices are great. Next time I’ll skip tbe broth.
Yo , this Chili is amazing . I was skeptical because of the lack of green pepper and garlic and the lack of ME forgetting green people and garlic. But HOLY this recipe is top notch without the added goods. Highly recommend you all try this easy, economical recipe!
Very good and very easy. Delish.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I have tried others in the past but this one is my favorite!
Excellent! this is the best chili recipe ever! I forgot to buy an onion so I used onion powder in its place, and w also added some creole seasoning. This is the best ever, we paired it with famous dal’s cornbread and honey butter recipe on the box. We also slow cooked this, for 4 hours on low. Bon Appetite
Has anyone tried this in a crockpot? we are making it in one, and aren’t sure how long to let it sit… I’m thinking on low, maybe three hours at least?
Proud of my my wife for having all the spices and ingredients on the fly. We decided to try something different so we went to the internet for help. We substituted a few things for taste. But this is a winner. We have recipe for chili now!!!
Too salty and too much sugar.
One of the worst chili dinners I’ve ever tasted.
sounds easy to make, will try it tonight. except I will use 80 percent ground beef and drain the fat off before mixing it. Will add green peppers.