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The Best Easy Chili Recipe is a classic recipe made easy with tons of flavor. This hearty chili recipe starts with ground beef, onions, garlic, and some basic pantry ingredients. Everything simmers on the stovetop for about 30 minutes. It’s quick to make and perfect for a cozy homemade dinner at home.
For more hearty soup recipes, try my Cheeseburger Soup or Pasta Fagioli next!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Super Simple – No complicated ingredients and it’s easy to make!
- Tons of Flavor – This easy chili recipe is loaded with layers of flavor. Plus it’s easy to customize the heat level if you want it more spicy.
- Ready in 40 Minutes – It’s easy to get a hearty, homecooked dinner on the table in about 40 minutes with this recipe!
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How To Make The Best Easy Chili
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
You can make chili on the stovetop, or in your slow cooker, depending on how much time you have.
Stovetop Method
- In a large soup pot, cook ground beef with onions and garlic. The grease from the meat helps cook the onions while the onions flavor the meat. Then, drain as much grease as possible.
- Add chili powder and cumin, then add diced tomatoes, beans, and tomato sauce.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to avoid scorching the bottom. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down to low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. You could serve it at this point, or replace the lid and continue to simmer for another hour to deepen the flavor.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker Method
Making chili in the crockpot is an excellent solution if you want dinner waiting for you when you get home, and it’s super easy to do!
- Cook the ground beef with onions and garlic.
- Transfer the meat to the slow cooker using a slotted spoon.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
- Replace the lid and cook on low for 4-8 hours.
Serving Suggestions
We love to have fun with chili toppings! Try adding sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, diced red onion, Fritos, or tortilla chips.
I also like to serve this easy chili recipe with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Cheesy Garlic Bread, or Stuffed Garlic Bread.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Leftover chili will freeze incredibly well. When it’s cooled, store it in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge, and reheat on the stovetop uncovered.
In the fridge, leftovers will last 4-5 days if properly stored in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Chili Nachos – Make chili nachos by topping tortilla chips with cheese and chili.
- Turkey Chili – Replace the beef with ground turkey.
- More Beans – Want more beans in your chili? Add kidney beans, pinto beans, white beans, or any other bean you want. Sometimes I’ll add corn to sweeten it up.
- Too Thick? If your chili is too thick, add a little bit of beef broth to thin it out.
- Too Much Liquid? If it’s too watery, simmer it with the lid off for at least 30 minutes.
- Spice It Up – Add some hot sauce, cayenne powder or red chili flakes to the pot if you want a spicier chili. You could also add this to individual bowls if you have some sensitive tummies. Other options are to add a can of diced green chiles, jalapenos, or some crushed red pepper flakes.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a bigger crowd.
More Easy Cold Weather Recipes
- White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili Recipe
- Bacon and Bean Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Simple Beef Stew
- Vegetarian Chili
Best Easy Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef I use 80/20
- 1 Small onion diced
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 15 ounce Can fire roasted tomatoes undrained
- 8 ounce Can tomato sauce
- 15 ounce Can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce Can kidney beans undrained
- 2/3 cup Beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook ground beef with diced onion and minced garlic in a large stock pot or soup pot over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- To the pot, add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add in canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir again, then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. If simmering longer than 30 minutes, keep covered, then uncover for the last 20-30 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper or more chili powder as desired. NOTE – if adding more chili powder, let the chili simmer for at least 15 minutes more.
- Taste and add salt and pepper or more chili powder as desired. NOTE – if adding more chili powder, let the chili simmer for at least 15 minutes more.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with desire toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
