Easy Chili Recipe

What’s warm, comforting, super filling, and incredibly easy to make? Our easy chili recipe! This simple bean and beef chili checks every box for a cold-weather, comforting, hearty soup recipe that’s simple to throw together any day of the week.

Our chili is loaded with beef and beans and has a spicy kick from jalapeno and poblano peppers, packing enough heat to leave you feeling warm and cozy. You’ll love how customizable this recipe is and how easy it is to throw together, taking only 15 minutes of prep time and simmering just long enough to let all the flavors meld together.

For an easy weeknight meal, serve this chili with a batch of buttermilk biscuits or cornbread. It’s also perfect for freezing, so you can easily add it to dishes like Frito Pie, serve it over french fries or nachos, or spoon it on top of a baked potato!

How to Make Our Easy Chili Recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Place a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot add oil.
2. Add onion, poblano, and jalapeño and sauté until onion becomes slightly translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and stir.

3. Add beef, break up into small pieces, and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add chili powder, sugar, cumin, and onion powder. Stir until fully and evenly incorporated.

5. Stir in tomato paste. Continue to stir until it turns a deep red color, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

7. Once chili is boiling, lower heat to medium-low. Semi cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover and add beans.

9. Gently stir in beans. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Ladle chili into bowls.

Topping Ingredients

Topping Assembly

11. Top chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, sliced jalapenos, and corn chips.

Variations

One of our favorite things about this classic beef chili recipe is how easy it is to make it your own. Here are some substitutions and additions you can make so that this chili works for you and your family.

• If you love chili but want to skip the beef, there are plenty of other options! You can do a 1:1 swap for ground turkey, chicken, or pork or even use rotisserie chicken instead, which will cut down on cooking time.
• Use a plant-based beef crumble or lentils for protein and swap the beef broth for vegetable broth for an easy vegetarian chili.
• Add more veggies. Feel free to add anything from bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, diced sweet potatoes, corn, or peas to this chili. Just add them to cook along with the peppers and onion.
• Switch up the heat. If you want this chili to be milder, swap the jalapeno pepper with a sweet green or red pepper. You can also ramp up the heat by leaving the seeds in the jalapeno or by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
• You can easily make this chili thinner by adding more broth or thicker by letting it simmer uncovered for additional time.
• Use any combination of pinto, kidney, navy, or cannellini beans in this recipe. Skip the “chili beans” since we have all the flavor and spice you need in this recipe.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerator

Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the chili in the microwave (covered!) for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through. You can also heat the chili on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in a splash of broth if it becomes too thick while reheating.

Freezer

Chili makes an incredible freezer meal. Just wait for the chili to completely cool, then add it to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Keep the chili in the freezer for up to 3 months.

We recommend freezing chili flat in a freezer bag. It unthaws much quicker this way and takes up less space in the freezer.

To reheat from frozen, just let the chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat on the stove over low until warmed through. Add a splash of beef broth to the chili to thin it out if needed.

What to Serve with Our Easy Chili?

For a hearty comfort meal at home, here are some of our favorite sides to enjoy with this chili:

• Jalapeno and Cheddar Spoon Bread
• Crusty bread
• Smashed Potatoes
• Stovetop Mac and Cheese
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Pretzel Dogs
• French Fries
• with a DIY Nacho Bar

More Hearty Recipes You Will Love

Print

Easy Chili Recipe

Our easy chili recipe is full of bold flavors and hearty ingredients and takes just 15 minutes to put together.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 473kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 white onion diced
• 1 poblano seeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 pound (85/15) ground beef
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14.5 oz can fired roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup unsalted beef broth
• 14.5 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 14.5 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

optional garnishes

• shredded cheddar
• sour cream
• fritos
• thinly sliced jalapenos
• thinly sliced green onion

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot add oil.
• Add onion, poblano, and jalapeño and sauté until onion becomes slightly translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and stir.
• Add beef, break up into small pieces, and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add chili powder, sugar, cumin, and onion powder. Stir until fully and evenly incorporated.
• Stir in tomato paste. Continue to stir until it turns a deep red color, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Once chili is boiling, lower heat to medium-low. Semi cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and gently stir in beans. Simmer uncovered for an additionl 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, and corn chips.

Notes

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerator

Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the chili in the microwave (covered!) for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through. You can also heat the chili on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in a splash of broth if it becomes too thick while reheating.

Freezer

Chili makes an incredible freezer meal. Just wait for the chili to completely cool, then add it to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Keep the chili in the freezer for up to 3 months.

We recommend freezing chili flat in a freezer bag. It unthaws much quicker this way and takes up less space in the freezer.

To reheat from frozen, just let the chili thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat on the stove over low until warmed through. Add a splash of beef broth to the chili to thin it out if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1437mg | Potassium: 1091mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1177IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 7mg

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