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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dinners / The Best Ground Beef Chili (Quick & Easy Recipe!)

The Best Ground Beef Chili (Quick & Easy Recipe!)

November 17, 2016 By Alia 16 Comments

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Overhead view of Ground Beef Chili in a white bowl on a white background with title text overlay.

This Ground Beef Chili recipe is easy, healthy, and spicy. It makes a tasty, hearty, and protein-rich meal that is perfect for cold days. Learn how to make the best homemade chili on the stovetop with this quick and simple recipe!

Overhead view of two bowls of Ground Beef Chili, garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream, on a white surface.

Ground Beef Chili: An Easy Stovetop Meal

There are few things that are more comforting than a hot bowl of chili on a cold day. Made with ground beef, kidney beans, tomato, garlic and lots of spices, this Ground Beef Chili recipe packs tons of flavor in each spoonful. Best of all, this easy one-pot meal will be on your table in about a half an hour.

You can serve the chili alone or with cornbread, rice or tortilla chips. If you’re feeling fancy, serve it topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and some chopped fresh cilantro.

This chili tastes great (maybe even better!) on the second day, so feel free to prepare it a night in advance and keep it in the fridge before rewarming and serving it the next day. Leftovers can be used a hearty tomato sauce – pour it over a baked potato, pasta, spaghetti squash or nachos. You could also freeze a batch into smaller portions for quick dinners during extra-busy weeknights.

Close-up overhead view of a bowl of Ground Beef Chili, garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream, on a white surface.

How to Make Ground Beef Chili

Here is a brief overview of how to make this classic ground beef chili recipe (detailed instructions included in the recipe below):

  1. Make the flavor base: Sauté the onion and garlic in a hot, oiled pot until softened and fragrant.
  2. Cook the meat and spices: Add the ground beef to the pot. Once it is cooked through, stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients: Stir in the broth, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Let everything simmer for 20-ish minutes.
  4. Taste, garnish and serve: Taste the chili and season liberally with salt and pepper. Ladle the chili into bowls, garnish if desired and serve.

That’s it! This is truly a simple one-pot dinner recipe that is absolutely bursting with flavor.

Possible Chili Recipe Variations

There are endless ways to customize this classic chili recipe to your liking, so please have fun and get creative! For example, feel free to…

  • Add some heat: To give your chili a spicy kick, feel free to add in some cayenne, hot sauce or a jalapeño pepper. However, if you’re serving this chili to a varied group of eaters, I recommend keeping it on the milder side. Then you can always offer hot sauce if people would like to spice up their individual bowls.
  • Add in extra veggies: I kept this base recipe simple, but if you would like to add in some additional vegetables, you have so many options. Anything from bell peppers to carrots, celery, mushrooms, zucchini, corn, kale or sweet potatoes would be delicious. Keep in mind that if you add in more vegetables, you may need to also add in some extra broth/seasonings to compensate.
  • Use Italian sausage: You could make this chili with half ground beef and half (hot) Italian sausage, which adds some amazing flavor to this recipe! A mix of beef and chorizo would also work great too.
  • Make it smoky: If you would like to add some smoky flavor to your chili, you can add in one or two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
  • Add cocoa powder: For a subtle yet rich undertone, try adding a few teaspoons of cocoa powder to your chili. I promise it won’t make the whole batch taste like chocolate, but it definitely rounds out the flavors nicely.

Don’t miss out! Click here to get exclusive discounts on my favorite healthy products and resources!

Overhead view of two bowls of Ground Beef Chili, garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream, on a white background.

Where to Get Grass-Fed Beef Online

One of the main ingredients in this recipe is, of course, ground beef. I always prefer to use grass-fed, hormone-free, and ethically-raised beef instead of factory-farmed meat. Organic and grass-fed meat is more healthy, humane, and just tastes so much better than conventional meat.

It can be difficult to find organic, grass-fed beef, but I found a few amazing online sources. To learn more about my favorite places to get high-quality meat, check out this detailed post I wrote: The Best Grass-Fed and Organic Meat Delivery Services Online.

More Spicy Dinner Recipes

Looking for more easy and spicy dinner recipes? Here are some of my top choices:

  • Thai Spicy Noodle Soup
  • Cajun Shrimp and Rice
  • Easy Coconut Lentil Curry
  • Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup
  • White Bean Chicken Chili

If you make this Ground Beef Chili recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡

Overhead view of two bowls of Ground Beef Chili, garnished with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream, on a white surface.

The Best Ground Beef Chili (Quick & Easy Recipe!)

Alia | Everyday Easy Eats
This Ground Beef Chili recipe is easy, spicy and comforting. Learn how to make the best homemade classic chili on the stovetop with this quick and simple recipe!
4.86 from 14 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Main
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 6 servings
Calories 265 calories

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • Optional toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté further for 1 minute.
  • Add the ground beef and cook, stirring constantly to break up the meat, for about 5 minutes or until browned.
  • Mix in the chili powder, cumin and oregano until well incorporated.
  • Stir in the broth, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with optional toppings if using.

Notes

  1. For best results, I highly recommend using grass-fed, organic ground beef from ButcherBox for this recipe.
  2. The chili can be served on its own or with cornbread, tortilla chips or rice.
  3. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
The Best Ground Beef Chili (Quick & Easy Recipe!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
265
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Cholesterol
 
47
mg
16
%
Sodium
 
510
mg
22
%
Potassium
 
959
mg
27
%
Carbohydrates
 
26
g
9
%
Fiber
 
8
g
33
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
25
g
50
%
Vitamin A
 
1445
IU
29
%
Vitamin C
 
12
mg
15
%
Calcium
 
86
mg
9
%
Iron
 
6
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Beef Chili, Classic Chili, Ground Beef Chili, The Best Beef Chili
Did you try this recipe?Let me know what you thought!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen says

    November 20, 2016 at 10:57 am

    5 stars
    This is a perfect recipe for cold winter days! Looks so warm and filling.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      November 20, 2016 at 6:06 pm

      Hi Kimberly – Thank you! Yes it’s perfect for the weather right now – I hope you get a chance to make it sometime! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Karly says

    November 22, 2016 at 9:18 am

    5 stars
    This cold weather has me all kinds of chili-obsessed! LOVE this recipe- need to try it soon!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      November 22, 2016 at 11:46 am

      Hi Karly! Thank you so much! I know I feel like I crave some type of soup or stew every day now that the weather has cooled down. I hope you do get to try this recipe soon! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Scott Wells says

    November 9, 2017 at 10:15 am

    5 stars
    Made this chili the other day. Added green chiles and lots of cheese. It was absolutely great.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      November 10, 2017 at 11:58 pm

      Hey Scott! Green chiles + cheese sounds fantastic! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Hattie says

    April 20, 2021 at 9:32 pm

    5 stars
    Great, easy recipe. I am vegetarian and instead of the ground beef I used a plant-based “crumble” meat substitute. As per suggested, I added diced green pepper and frozen corn into the mix. Both my husband and I thought this recipe was a keeper! Just enough heat to pique the tastebuds but not overwhelming. Dee-lish!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      April 21, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      Hi Hattie, I’m so glad you liked the chili recipe! Thanks for letting me know how you made it, all of those substitutions and additions sound delicious! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Marga says

    August 18, 2021 at 12:03 am

    II have made several different chilli recipes. This one will be my favorite. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      August 18, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Hi Marga, that’s so nice of you to say! Thanks so much! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Sue says

    September 6, 2021 at 12:50 pm

    5 stars
    The chili is very good. I just made it. We eat chili over rice here in Southeast Texas.
    I was very easy to make and didn’t take very long.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      September 7, 2021 at 10:10 pm

      Hi Sue, thanks so much for letting me know! I love chili over rice!! I’m glad you enjoyed this chili recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Frank Delisle says

    December 16, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely the best Chili I’ve ever made and for this I say thank you.

    Reply
    • Alia says

      December 17, 2022 at 6:17 pm

      Hi Frank, you’re welcome! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Melody says

    December 18, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    So good & so easy. Followed the recipe exactly and everyone loves it!

    Reply
    • Alia says

      December 27, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      Hi Melody, thank you so much for letting me know! I’m very happy you liked my beef chili recipe. 🙂

      Reply

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