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 And good recipe
Forgot to rate here! 5*
This Chili recipe is honestly probably the best i’ve had & it shocks me how there’s only one other comment.
This recipe is well explained and super easy to follow for a beginner cook && is so easy to make!
I am so thankful i found Amanda’s page here and i’ll be following the Ig for more recipes to make!
Thanks Amanda ! Keep up the awesome cooking !!
I don’t know why people want to add sugar to savory dishes. I hesitated to add the 2 Tbsp of sugar to this chili, but I did. When I ate the chili, I tasted “too sweet” in every bite. (This became a bit less noticeable when eating leftovers the next day.)
Other than that, it was a good, basic chili. I enjoyed it.
I know I only add sugar to dashes that are really acidic. If I don’t cut the acid with sugar or honey, my husband ends up with horrible heart burn.
Amazing recipe I only add 1 tbsn of sugar tastes yummy
Best chili I’ve ever made and I’ve tried a lot of recipes. I used 85% ground beef and spooned off about a 1/4 cup of the fat after it rested. I pair it with Fontina & white cheddar grilled cheese on Italian bread.
I do basically the same. I normally buy 80/20, cook it up, drain, and then put in pot.
I love the idea of melted cheese on the bread!! I”m a dunker
Very good exactly as written. I never would have thought to add cumin to a classic chili recipe. However, it gives it a depth of flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on and it pulls it together nicely.
PS–it drives me nuts when people rate a recipe and comment on it after changing two or more ingredients. If you are not making the recipe as stated, why comment or rate it when it is not the original recipe? Just my two cents. Please don’t flame me. LOL.
I think you are my new bff. I just posted a similar rant on facebook about that a few weeks ago! Drives me a little crazy…
So true
I agree. Adding or removing one or two ingredients for personal taste, allergies, etc. isn’t a big deal. But, switching this for that & that for this multiple times means you’re making a different dish, so there’s no need to comment on a recipe you’re not making. This recipe is delicious as is, imho. Adjust cayenne for desired heat. Yummy!
I agree with you! Totally blows my mind.
Don’t bother me none. I like to hear suggestions on improving the recipe.
They’re rating their own recipe, not the one originally posted. They’re basically telling you what not to do.
I agree, and I’m thinking they rate based on the base. But that makes me go looking in comments to see how they changed it!
This is now my favorite chili recipe. I’m not the best cook, however, those who taste the chili I made with this recipe will be fooled!
Delicious and easy!
Oh my goodness. Usually my husband won’t eat the same meal 2 nights in a row and he is working on night 3..So so good. I added 3 different kinds of peppers spices more and less to taste. It’s a winnernhere. Thanks
It seemed like it would be a good recipe but maybe change the the 2 tablespoons of cumin to 2 teaspoons cause it just overpowers everything else and I actually made a double batch but kept the cumin at the 2 tablespoons.
Have made and enjoyed this chili I think 3 or 4 times. Tomorrow will be making about 25 quarts for the neighbors. I’ve always made chili without a recipe and it was always just okay. I’m glad that I found this recipe because it results in a truly amazing chili. Thanks for posting this! Larry
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I tried it and my family loved it!💕
Made this tonight. Delicious. My kids asked for seconds! I will definitely be making this again.
Makes a good, hearty chili. But skip the sugar. The sugar ruins it. Without the sugar, I’m sure it would have been great
I had to make a few changes like chicken broth for beef and ground turkey for beef (extra turkey also because it needed to be used up) and brown sugar for granulated but I followed all the seasonings exactly the same and my family declared this the best chili ever!
If I use the drained oil from the onions will I get enough onion flavor or should I add onion powder? And if so, how much do you think I should add? My family doesn’t like onions.
SO easy to make and delicious! I added green peppers and a dash more chilli pepper which added an extra kick (for those who love spicy chili). Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful recipe! Easy and quick. Made it just like your recipe… no adjustments like most people have to chime in. Perfect.
An easy to make chili for a weeknight dinner. If I make it again I would cut the sugar in half