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.
It’s says 6 servings but what is the serving size ?
I really love this recipe. It is amazing. I made it with some baked potatoes. We had chilli chesses baked potatoes. I definitely will be making this more often.
My husband loves this recipe. I did start experimenting with it a bit and he loved it even more. I let the beef really cook and caramelize, adding half a diced jalapeno as it does. Then I added the spices and let those cook a bit longer to roast them lightly to draw out the flavor. I added the rest of the jalapeno to it while it simmered to make it extra spicy. I also like to top it with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese. If you don’t want to add the jalapeno during the cooking, it’s also good if you add some (from a jar or fresh) on top! My husband likes to eat it with tortilla chips.
I’m making this now and the sampling is amazing. I doubled the recipe, skipped the cayenne because I added a serrano pepper, and didn’t use quite as much broth. I do not like kidney beans so use chili beans instead. I will make again!
Used your base recipe and modified to my tastes. Neighbors said best chili they’ve had in years. Thanks this one is a keeper!
Oh my goodness, so good and flavorful! Was making it for my boys, but I ended up eating it too. Will need to double the recipe next time. I’m kinda a chili snob and this is a keeper!
Perfect chili!!So easy too.
Perfect seasoning ratios. New favorite chili.
Unfortunately this was way too sweet for me. It was also very soupy… I prefer a thicker chili. Glad others enjoyed it, just not for me.
You could easily eliminate or cut back on the sugar and add more tomato paste or veggies to thicken. It’s just a matter of personal taste. It is still a good, solid, quick and easy chili recipe. We happen to love the “sweet heat” combo, so added tons of cayenne and stirred in honey because I don’t have any sugar. It was awesome.
This is the only chili recipe I use and I make it exactly except I use 1/8 of the cayenne. It gives it the tiniest bit of heat while letting you enjoy everything else.
I recommend cooking the ground beef first or seperately and straining the fat off – it’s surprising how much there is! Oh and I used fresh tomatoes and added a green bell pepper!
Consistently excellent and so easy to make. Best chili recipe ever!
It was very good. I made the recipe without the sugar and less cumin and I really liked it.
Among my friends I have a fairly overblown reputation as a good cook, but in 64 years, I’ve never had a good recipe for chili. Until now. My wife is working late, so I wanted something she never eats; she hates beans, and she hates spicy food. So tonight I tried this, only instead of ground beef, I had some leftover smoked brisket. Oh, my word, what terrific chili. Yes, I added the cayenne. Thank you so much for posting this!
We don’t eat red meat only turkey. The recipe calls for beef broth what can I use instead. Of the beef
I would use turkey broth, or even some mushroom broth for a hearty meaty taste.
Eileen use ground turkey
We used vegetable broth
Bone broth or veggie broth. Check it out next time you’re at the store.
Um, chicken or vegetable broth or water or s can of crushed or pureed tomatoes ..?
You can use any broth
Beef, chicken or vegetable. They are pretty well the same
We never use the beef broth and sub. water instead.
I make this all the time now. The ingredients are so cheap and it is absolutely delicious. My favorite chili recipe.
BEST CHILI EVER!! No other words
I just made this for the third tome and it’s becoming a staple at our house. I use chili seasoning packets and add a can of black bean and some jalapeño for spice. This is the beat and easiest recipe and any way you modify it will always come out great!!! Thanks!!!
This was great
Good chili, I swapped out 3 fresh garlic cloves for the two tablespoons of garlic powder and threw them in with the onions which tasted great.
While I admit I didn’t have any cayenne on hand to add, I feel like even with the 1/4 teaspoon of optional cayenne this would be a pretty tame chili. Mine was pretty wimpy on the spice-o-meter (tho I didn’t have the cayenne to add). I personally like a GOOOOOOOD amount of spice. It’s not chili unless your head’s sweating, your eyes are tearing up and your face has turned red lol.
All the same, this was a very good, easy to make, and tasty chili. I made it along with some corn bread and it was all a cinch! Great Wednesday night meal! Just needs some heat to put a fire in your belly!