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.
Delicious recipe but I cut sugar to one teaspoon and it was perfect, 2 tblsp would’ve been way too much. I always use ground turkey instead of beef and I added a can of great white northern beans. Top with tobasco, sour cream, and Shredded cheese. Husband and I both said it’s the best chili we’ve made.
This chili is amazing! But I did make a few tweaks that I personally believe make it taste even better, firstly I don’t put any sugar in it because it’s unnecessary and secondly I put 3 tbsp of tomato paste instead of 2 because I love the tomato flavour.But overall I definitely recommend!
Really delish base recipe! I added 1/2 diced green pepper, 3 cloves fresh diced garlic to the onion (and added the garlic powder). A large ham hock gave it incredible flavor. Simmered for at least 3 hours (not 20 mins). Exceptionally good stuff. Topped with large helping shredded cheddar cheese. (Oh, and halved the sugar! Could even cut back more. May sub brown sugar next time). Thanks!
love this reciepe i have alteted a little i subsitute Rotel for tomatoes i use a 4oz can of paste and a 16 oz. can of sauce and also add a can of chili beans and pinto beans. it is so delicous. we even use it with hot dogs and in egg burittos and omelets
Tried this recipe tonight for my family (four of us) and with a doubling of the meat and nothing else still yielded more than enough for us. I made the recipe exactly as written and it’s a delicious staple I’ll be adding to our repertoire. Thanks for sharing this!
Good but wayyyyy too salty for me. The beef broth alone had about 350mg of salt adding 1.5 teasoons more was too much….beware if you watch your sodium.
delicious!my favorite recipe,even i’ve adapt quatity of cayenne and chili pepers depend wich kind,hot rating,i’m using.anyway,i love it!perfect recipe!!thank you!
I wanted something quick and tasty not too high in carbs without going to the store. This recipe fit that bill and I just loved it. Easy and quick to make, spicy, and rich in flavor, as well as filling. I ate it with a dollop of sour cream! Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Perfect for a family of four, served with cornbread.
I’ve made lots of chili in my time and this is a great recipe! I’ve made two batches so far. Delicious.
This chili recipe is delicious! I have been searching for a good recipe, and this is it!
There was a recent comment about cutting the cumin amount in half in this chili recipe and I absolutely agree. It was too pronounced for my taste. The rest of the recipe was good. I actually used two pounds of bison, as my husband likes a very meaty chili. And still the seasoning was ok – did not double. I added two cans of rinsed beans, one red kidney, one white kidney. I liked the extra, my husband? Not so much!
So, So, good…
This was my first time making chili and this is exactly what I wanted it to taste like.
Thank you from my family and I.
Five stars, easy.
excellent and so easy to personalize.
Thank you
Easy to make and delicious from someone that never really liked chili
Very good! Made today can’t stop eating!! Didn’t add cumin.
This Chili is bomb. I make it all the time but I was wondering, how many cups/ounces constitutes a serving? I have been more health conscious since the last time I made it.
I made this today and it’s good but very spicy. After much research I think the problem is that my chili powder is pure, whereas I think the standard for most people is a chili powder blend, so the spice level is already tempered. I omitted the cayenne, as kids will be eating it so I wanted to reduce the spice, but alas, my chili powder mix up produced a very spicy chili!
I made this chili as written except that I omitted the cayenne pepper because I do not like heat in my food. The chili is excellent.
I love everything about this recipe. I have made it many times and I don’t change a thing. There are never any leftovers!!
I have made this chili a few times now and love it! I do not like kidney beans, so I sub with low sodium white beans. I use a mix of ground beef, mild sausage and spicy sausage. I use fire roasted petite tomatoes. I add a can of white corn. Extra onions, a little less cumin and a little less chili powder.
We always make a double batch a freeze some.