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This rich and hearty ground beef chili recipe is loaded with ground beef, vegetables and beans making it the perfect comfort food. Who doesn't love good old-fashioned chili? I know everyone has their family version, so it's about time we shared ours.
When a chill in the air starts, soup season starts - from beer cheese soup to chicken barley soup.
But we all know the king of soup is homemade chili.
I personally don't love a super spicy chili. This beef chili recipe has the perfect amount of heat to me, but like any chili you can adjust the seasoning based on your tastes.
And while it is great the first day, it tastes so much better the second day. I've honestly never had a chili that didn't taste better the second day. You're just giving more time for the flavors to meld.
So keep this homemade chili recipe in mind when you are looking for some easy but tasty comfort food. And if you're craving beef and want something even easier to make, try this cheeseburger pie.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Ground chuck - 80/20 is best but you can use leaner beef.
- White onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, corn - while beef is the star, you need some veggies.
- Chili powder, cumin, sea salt, basil, cayenne pepper - creates that chili flavor you expect.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce - the base for the chili recipe.
- Chicken or beef broth - just use low-sodium.
- Worcestershire sauce - adds a little umami flavor.
- Black beans and kidney beans - you can really use whatever beans you like.
- Cheese, sour cream, avocado, chips - use your favorite toppings.
How to Make Homemade Chili
- Heat large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat and add ground chuck, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Drain fat.
- Add spices and cook for another minute and cook for another minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add beans and corn. Cover and cook on simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker Option
This chili works just as well in the slow cooker. Just repeat steps 1-2 above and then transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Stir in beans and corn with 30 minutes remaining.
Best Beef
Ground chuck or beef that is 80% meat and 20% fat gives the best overall flavor. Ground sirloin which is a 90/10 blend gives a drier and heartier texture.
You can use a combination of both to get a balanced lean-to-fat ratio from the chuck and the hearty, beefy leanness from the sirloin.
Side Dish Options
There are so many side dishes out there that go with beef chili but here are some of my favorites:
- Cornbread muffins
- Sweet potato fries
- Fried onion rings
- Beer bread
- Grilled cheese
- Flaky buttermilk biscuits
How Long Will Chili Last?
The old saying goes that chili tastes better the second day and I don't disagree. You just give more time for the flavors to meld together. If you put your chili in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last 3-4 days. You can also place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use quality ground beef as it is where the flavor comes from.
- If you have the time, use beans from a bag and boil them so you have as fresh as beans as possible.
- You control the amount of heat in your chili recipe with the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper you add, so use more or less depending on your preferences.
- If you like a thicker chili, mix a tbsp of cornstarch with water before adding to the chili. You can also add a couple of tbsp of cornmeal which adds a polenta like taste.
Other Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Turkey Dumplings Soup
- Sweet Potato Chili
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Chicken Noodle Soup
If you’ve tried this beef chili recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or less depending on heat)
- 1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- cheddar cheese, sour cream, chips and diced avocado for toppings
Instructions
- In large skillet, cook ground chuck, onion, peppers and garlic until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat.
- Add chili powder, cumin, salt, dried basil and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add beans and corn. Taste and if you need more heat, add some cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- Use quality ground beef as it is where the flavor comes from.
- If you have the time, use beans from a bag and boil them so you have as fresh as beans as possible.
- You control the amount of heat in your chili recipe with the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper you add, so use more or less depending on your preferences.
- If you like a thicker chili, mix a tbsp of cornstarch with water before adding to the chili. You can also add a couple of tbsp of cornmeal which adds a polenta like taste.
Matthew T Hardgrove says
Really good chili recipe! Simple to make. Comes out with the right amount of spice that would be acceptable to a large group. Not watery, which to me is good. Would recommend it and make it again!
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
J Sloth says
Just made this and as always it was great. Should be Beck's Chili instead of Beef Chili!