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.
Wowza!!! I don’t usually comment when I make changes, but I will because, well, it was just SO yummy! I didn’t have tomato paste so I added a couple of squirts of ketchup and therefore a little less sugar. I also forgot to add the beef broth and the tomato sauce as I got interrupted 2000 times and was in a hurry (added a tin of chili beans in a tomato sauce). A fantastic hearty thick chili- rave reviews from the whole fam! Served over loaded baked potatoes for the win!
Could i get the recipe for the potatoes? Sounds amazing to go with the chili!!
Yes, please share the loaded potato ingredients. I’m thinking of using sweet potato instead of white.
Made it tonight for the second time, just as good as the first. Definitely keeping this recipe, me and my fiance both love this recipe. Thank you so very much!
So good! My favorite chili recipe!
Tried this last night and it was easy to make and GOOD! YUM!
Give it a go – you won’t be disappointed
Yum! I usually use mccormicks chili packet.. but my husband disne pick that up for me.. (couldn’t give my secret away..lol)
this tastes better than mine! 🤤
Hi, just wondering about the tomato sauce, is that the same as ketchup or do you mean like a tomato pasta or pizza sauce style thing? We don’t have canned tomato sauce here so I wonder what the best substitute is for that/ if I can make it myself? I have made the recipe without and still incredibly delicious!
You can substitute ketchup for tomato sauce, but then reduce the sugar a bit to compensate. You can also make a tomato sauce substitute with equal parts tomato paste and water.
Fantastic, easy recipe. Didn’t add the spicy as husband can’t handle spice. I also only did 1 tbsp of sugar and it turned out great. Can’t wait to have left overs tomorrow!
With the sugar and tomato sauce I found the chili too sweet. I reduced the sugar to 1 Tbsp.
Really good!
WOW! I was never a huge chili fan but decided to try this recipe. I made this Chili recipe last night and it was amazing!!! I kept complementing “MY” new chili recipe while I was eating it and Everyone in the family including my 92 year old mother-in-law LOVED it and we all agreed it was delicious! It did not use cayenne pepper because I didn’t want it to be too spicy. It was perfect without it!!! I made one pan with hamburger and one without because my daughter doesn’t like to eat meat. I also used vegetable broth to keep it meat free and the vegetable chili was thick, rich, and full of flavor. My husband didn’t think it would be done in 30 min. and he was amazed at the rich flavor . HE LOVED IT!!!! Thank you thank you thank you:)
Quick and easy and the family loved it
I loved it too it was amazing and tasted great
Followed for the most part. Wife used brown sugar instead if white. Also added a habanero pepper and extra cayenne pepper, plus extra hamburger, and some hot Italian sausage! Gotta love chili cuz you can do whatever. Turned out great.
Thought it was very good. Tweaked it just a little bit per our own tastes. Cut the cumin down and the sugar down slightly, put an extra can of beans and no diced tomatoes. Very very tasty.
Susan,
Thank you for your suggestion. I am just about to make this chili, and reading your idea reminds me that I often think cumin is used too heavily for my taste. I find cumin more appealing in Mexican cuisine.
thank you!
Delicious
I hand crush Fritos to top with
Of course sour cream
Cheese
Hot sauce too
Don’t eat in bed
Can I use chicken broth instead of beef broth?
Mine was a little too sweet for my taste too. Definitely only using 1 tbsp next time. Otherwise good stuff.
This is the way I have made my chili for 40 + years and it is an excellent recipe. I cook the onions and beef together and drain the fat before I add the other ingredients. If you have no tomato sauce, tomato juice works just as well. Definitely add the sour cream, cheese and oyster crackers or crushed tortilla chips!
LOVE this recipe! by far the best chilli I have ever made Making for a second time!
Fantastic recipe. So easy to make and delicious. Gonna be a new family favorite. Thank you very much!
Such a good spice level… delicious.
Just made this recipe with raves from my husband! When I tasted it while it was simmering, I didn’t think he’d like it as it’s different from my usual chili made from store-bought seasoning. He said he really didn’t like my usual chili, but ate it anyway (really?), but this recipe was great. So, thanks for the recipe-it’s a keeper!
This was fabulous! I was worried about the amount of seasoning this made but it was perfect. I had 2 lbs of burger to use so my batch was a little bigger than the recipe but turned out perfectly. I added slightly less cumin and a small amount of green pepper with the onion. Didn’t add tomato sauce but added almost a whole jug of tomato juice as we like our chili a little soupy and it needed more liquid with the extra burger. Saving this one for future use!!
Wow! I usually wing it with chili but this was great. Beef beef broth addition really gave it the cooked for hours flavor.
This really is the best chili recipe that I’ve ever made, just please don’t tell my Mom that, lol. I cannot tolerate spice while my Husband can’t get enough. I decided to add the cayenne pepper despite my aversion to anything spicy and it gave it a nice kick but nothing that I couldn’t handle. The cumin also adds a very nice flavor as well! I added a can of black beans but other than that I followed the recipe. I will definitely be saving this and making it again! I served it with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese as well as a spicy cornbread (cornbread mix, can of creamed corn and pepper jack cheese) and that was the perfect side to this amazing chili!