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.
Fabulous!
Esay to make and everyone loved it…..everyone!
Has anyone made this in a slow cooker?
Great recipe that covers all the important areas. I doubled it, and used 1 lt red kidney bean, and 3 chili beans in the chili gravy. Perfect texture and thickness. 2nd batch in 2021..
excellent – tripled recipe and made a few adjustments – the spice combo is excellent
Amazing. Great with the sugar, great without it.
I found this in 2019 and it is by far the best ever!! Easy to prepare and has all the best flavorful ingredients!
Try it, folks, you’ll love it!
Very, very good recipe. My tweaks consisted of an additional can of red kidney beans (drained & rinsed), only 2 TEASPOONS of ground cumin, and an extra 1/2 pound of ground meat (actually I used ground chuck instead which was 85% lean). I drained a little fat, but not all of it. I used Mexene Chili Powder. I omitted the cayenne pepper because the heat from the Mexene Chili Powder is enough to please most people. You can add a few shakes of Louisiana Hot sauce to the servings of those who may want a bit more kick. All in all, it is a crowd-pleaser and very easy to prepare. Thanks!
I have been using the same recipe for 35 years. I wanted a change. This chili is awesome. My new favorite.
Delicious chili and an easy recipe to follow. Will make it again. Perfect for this cold weather!!
This was my 1st time cooking chili. I used fresh minced garlic (as I had fresh garlic on hand). I also washed & drained pinto beans for the kidney beans (as I didn’t have any kidney beans). Lastly, I read 1 of the posts about adding a thickener; so I added a about 1T of corn starch. I topped it with shredded cheddar cheese & a spoonful of sour cream. It came out great… & was So Tasty that I had to have 2nd’s. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It was absolutely, delicious!
Excellent chili! This recipe is easy and very delicious. I left out the cayenne and it had just enough heat for our taste. This is my new go to chili recipe.
This really IS the best classic chili recipe that I’ve tasted.
This is the best chili recipe I have ever made or tasted!
I’ve tried MANY chili recipes, but this was the best!! It’s super easy and quicker than others. I did add some ingredients, but it would’ve been great even without them…(1 chunky-cut red bell pepper & 1 celery stalk, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 C. fresh cilantro —and more at serving along with shredded cheddar-Jack, 10 oz. drained Mexican corn, and some diced jalapeño to my liking). I’m making this AGAIN for our (VERY small “Covid”) Super Bowl party. YUMMMM!!
Easy to follow, easy to make. Delicious! ☺
Delicious and so easy! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Just wondering if anyone knows how many cups are yielded in the recipe? And how many cups are a serving?
It’s great when u add just 2 drops of Dave’s Insanity Sauce.wonderful!
Sooooo don’t hate but I added a red bell pepper, roasted garlic 🧄 cloves, and bacon. I also drained my ground beef and onions and started back in the pan with a little splash of olive oil. I used chicken stock homemade, 6 oz to kind of deglaze the pot. I used tomato seasoning powder to thicken and take the place of tomato paste. Sour cream and cheese is all you’ll need!