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This Easy 3-Ingredient Chili is my go-to when I need a warm, hearty dinner fast. Ground beef, a can of chili beans, and a can of chili-seasoned tomatoes simmer together in one pot, and it’s ready in 30 minutes. Keep it simple or build on it with whatever you have on hand.
More Easy Chili Recipes: Easy Ground Beef Chili | Crockpot Chili | Instant Pot Chili
Before You Get Started
With only three ingredients, each one counts. These are the details that make the biggest difference in how your chili turns out.
- Don’t drain the chili beans — The seasoned sauce in the can is where most of the chili flavor comes from. Drain it and the chili turns thin and bland.
- Stick to the 1-1-1 ratio — One pound of meat, one can of beans, one can of tomatoes. Adding extras? Add a small can of tomato sauce too, so it doesn’t get too thick.
- Use lean ground beef — With so few ingredients, extra grease really stands out. 90/10 beef cooks up clean, or drain fattier beef well before adding the cans.
recipe overview
How to Make 3-Ingredient Chili
Keep a pound of ground beef in the freezer and these two cans in the pantry, and you’re always about 30 minutes away from a warm dinner. Here’s how it comes together.
1. Brown and Drain the Beef
Cook the ground beef in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. It’s ready when there’s no pink left, usually 6 to 8 minutes.
Drain off the extra grease. Leaving a little bit in the pot adds flavor.
2. Stir In the Beans and Tomatoes
Add the chili beans and the chili-seasoned diced tomatoes, liquid and all, and stir everything together.
I use Hunt’s Seasoned Diced Tomatoes in Sauce for Chili. The chili pepper, onion, garlic, and cumin are already mixed in, so there’s no measuring spices. Look for them near the other canned tomatoes.
- Can’t find chili-seasoned tomatoes? Season plain tomatoes yourself. Use a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juice, and stir 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon cumin into the beef before adding the cans.
A can of Rotel works too. Add a teaspoon or so of chili powder, since it’s less seasoned.
3. Simmer Until Thick
Bring the chili to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer, stirring now and then. It’s ready to eat after about 15 minutes. Give it the full 30 if you have time, since it thickens and the flavors blend the longer it simmers.
If it looks a little soupy at first, don’t worry. It thickens up as it cooks.
4. Top and Serve
Ladle the chili into bowls and add your favorite toppings. You’ll find my favorites below.
Slow Cooker Option
Brown and drain the beef first, since raw ground beef turns greasy and clumpy in the slow cooker. Add it to the slow cooker with the beans and tomatoes, stir, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours. Everything is already cooked, so it just needs time for the flavors to blend.
My Simple Ground Beef Recipes collection is full of budget-friendly dinners the whole family will eat, like tacos, sloppy joes, and cheesy pasta skillets.
Easy Ways to Build More Flavor
This chili is great just the way it is, but it also works as a base recipe. I usually start with these three ingredients, then add whatever I have in the kitchen. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own:
- Add onion and garlic: Cook ½ diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves with the beef for deeper flavor.
- Turn up the heat: Stir in extra chili powder, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or a can of hot Rotel.
- Add another can of beans: Black, kidney, or cannellini beans all work. Drain and rinse them, and add a small can of tomato sauce and a little chili powder to keep the ratio.
- Smooth out the tomatoes: If your family doesn’t like chunks of tomato, blend the canned tomatoes before adding them. You keep all the flavor without the texture.
- Swap the meat: Shredded chuck roast, stew meat, diced chicken, or sausage all work in place of ground beef.
My favorite way to kick it up is a can of black beans, a can of tomato sauce, and a little extra chili powder. For bigger changes, try one of these:
- 3-Bean Chili: Add 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans, both drained and rinsed, plus a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce. Season with chili powder and garlic powder to taste.
- Southwestern Chili: Add 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 can corn (drained), 1 can green chiles, and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. You can also swap the chili tomatoes for 2 cans of Rotel.
- Turkey Chili: Use 1 pound ground turkey in place of the beef, and add 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Turkey is milder than beef, so a little extra chili powder helps. If you’d like a from-scratch version, my Turkey Chili is a family favorite.
Toppings and What to Serve With
Chili night is a tradition at our house, especially on Halloween. My cousin always had a big pot on the stove to warm her kids up before trick-or-treating, and I’ve kept it going with my own kids. Set out a few toppings and let everyone build their own bowl.
Start with the classic three: shredded cheddar, a spoonful of sour cream, and a handful of Fritos. Then add whatever else you like:
- Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese
- Diced onions or sliced green onions
- Sliced jalapeños
- Chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips or oyster crackers
Cornbread is my favorite side with chili. Sour Cream Cornbread is soft and moist, and it’s perfect for dipping.
For a weekend or game day, serve the chili in Homemade Bread Bowls. A simple green salad rounds out the meal if you want something fresh.
Storage Tips
Storage, Freezing, and Leftovers
Store: Let the chili cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze it in portions: Chili freezes well for up to 6 months. Portion it into 1½-cup servings for quick single lunches, and lay the bags flat so they freeze fast and stack neatly.
Reheat it gently: Thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge, then warm it on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often. Add a splash of water or broth if it’s thickened up. Single servings reheat well in the microwave, too.
Ways to Use Leftover Chili: Frito Pie | Baked Chili Cheese Dogs | 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this chili without beans?
Yes, but you’ll need to add some flavor back. The sauce in the chili beans gives this chili most of its seasoning, so leaving them out makes it taste flat. Replace them with a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce plus 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder and a pinch of cumin. Taste it after it simmers and add more chili powder if needed.
How do I fix chili that’s too thick or too thin?
If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of water or broth, or a small can of tomato sauce with a little chili powder, until it loosens up. If it’s too thin, simmer it uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes so the extra liquid cooks off. You can also mash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken it faster. Add-ins like rice or pasta soak up a lot of liquid, so add extra sauce if you stir them in.
How can I make it milder for kids, or spicier?
The easiest way to control the heat is by choosing your cans. Chili-seasoned tomatoes, chili beans, and Rotel often come in mild and hot versions, so pick mild for kids or hot for more kick. You can also add heat to individual bowls with sliced jalapeños or hot sauce, so everyone can adjust their own. A spoonful of sour cream or extra cheese on top tones it down, too.
More Cozy Chili and Soup Dinners
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chili
- Instant Pot Skyline Cincinnati Chili
- Easy Pumpkin Chili
- 7 Can Soup
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
Easy 3-Ingredient Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chili beans undrained
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes seasoned for chili (such as Hunt's Seasoned Diced Tomatoes in Sauce for Chili), undrained
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, diced onions, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Cook the ground beef in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the extra grease, leaving a little for flavor.
- Add the cans: Stir in the chili beans and seasoned diced tomatoes with their liquid.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and add your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Rotel swap: Use 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel in place of the chili tomatoes. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder, since Rotel is less seasoned.
- Plain diced tomatoes: Use 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained. Stir 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon cumin into the beef before adding the cans.
- Tomato sauce instead: Use 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce with a packet of chili seasoning, or chili powder and cumin to taste.
- Don’t drain the beans: The sauce in the can adds most of the chili flavor.
- Slow cooker: Brown and drain the beef, then add everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours.
- Serving size: Makes about 4 servings of roughly 1½ cups each.
- For a crowd: Double or triple the recipe. Use a 6-quart pot or Dutch oven for a triple batch.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove, adding a splash of water or broth if needed.
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.
I have never made chili or anything like it. I used ground turkey instead, dice tomatoes blended, a can of chili beans with chili seasoning and a small can of tomato paste. I threw in chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic. Smelled great.
This is probably where I should have stopped.
I then added some left over frozen meal prep meals I had of brown rice and black beans. Added two of them to approximate 1 can of each. It was to thick to simmer so I added 1 1/2 cups of milk thinking it would help loosen it a little and make it able to simmer. It worked… I’d added more of the same spices to help balance it and it turned out 3.5-4 stars out of 5. Definitely edible and tasty but I think my extra gene took over and just kept adding.
I love that you tried to make the recipe your own! That’s what cooking is all about – in my opinion. I think the rice probably was the culprit here, next time leave that out and maybe the tomato paste as well (or use just a small amount of that). I love using ground turkey for chili.
My go to recipe ♥️Thank you! I spice it up and add onions and spices and an extra can of beans and tomatoes but the base recipe is a go to recipe! I’d love to follow you!
It’s a great starter for sure!
what size cans?
15 ounce
How many does this serve
It will serve 4-6.
How much is one serving? Like one cup or two cups?
Approximately 1 1/2 cups.
Can I skip the beans? I realize that this would defeat the purpose of it being a three-ingredient recipe but I’m not a big fan of beans (yeah, and I’m Hispanic too).
I’d even be open to a suitable replacement for the beans to keep it at three ingredients
The chili beans are what gives the chili the more intense “chili” flavor. That said, you could add some tomato sauce and a lot of chili powder and it would probably be ok.
Making this tonight! How many does this serve?
Kristen, absolutely LOVE chili… especially when it’s fast and easy! SO making this one this week after football practice. Perfect!
Great idea Gloria! It cooks up quick and is nice and hearty!
Only 3 ingredients?! This is a fabulous recipe!