Classic Chili Recipe
Our super tasty and easy-to-make chunky ground beef Chili Recipe with red kidney beans. It’s one of the recipes that ALWAYS on our meal rotation.
To make this recipe, you’ll need five simple ingredients plus spices: beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and beans.
Add a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of shredded Cheddar cheese, and you have a delicious, warming dinner. Perfect with a side of crunchy Restaurant-style tortilla chips.
I love serving homemade Chili with a quick side salad, such as a Creamy Cucumber Salad or a chopped Greek Salad. One of my favorite desserts is an Apple Crisp, especially during the colder months.
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
GROUND BEEF – Look for lean ground beef (90/10 or 85/15) is ideal.
ONION – Adds a sweet and aromatic flavor when sautéed, enhancing the overall taste of the chili.
GARLIC – Minced garlic contributes a pungent and earthy note.
RED KIDNEY BEANS – Used with their juices, these beans add a creamy texture and a nice contrast to the meat. And it packs in a lot of extra protein and fiber.
TOMATOES – We use canned tomatoes.
SPICES – A blend of chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and sugar perfectly balances heat, sweetness, and earthiness. Adding chili pepper paste, like Harissa, introduces an optional spicy kick.
How To Make A Classic Chili Recipe
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Cook ground beef in a pot over medium heat for about 8 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon. Set aside the cooked beef.
- Sauté diced onions and minced garlic in the same pot until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and sugar to the onions and garlic; cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Return the beef to the pot, add diced tomatoes, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes to an hour until thickened. Stir in red kidney beans with their juices and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Leftovers
Chili keeps great in the fridge. I prefer it on the second day when all of the flavors have had a chance to unfold fully. Store this chili recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Freezing ground beef chili is easy, too. I recommend storing it in a freezer-save zip lock bag.
More Easy and Delicious Recipes
Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90/10 or 85/15
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can red kidney beans with the juices
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add beef, sauté until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 8 minutes. Transfer cooked beef into a large bowl.
- Add onions and garlic to the same pot. Sauté onions until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add spices and sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add cooked beef and diced tomatoes. Cover partially, simmer until chili is thick, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add red kidney beans (with their liquids) to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.