The best quick and easy chili recipe! Made in 30 minutes on the stovetop, this beef chili is a delicious family-friendly dinner to enjoy in the fall! It's made from scratch (no packaged seasoning)!
I created this easy chili recipe the night I went into labor with my 5th baby on Super Bowl Sunday! I didn't expect to still be pregnant, so I planned nothing for our football-watching menu. But lo and behold I wasn't snuggling my sweet newborn quite yet, so I quickly whipped up this beef chili recipe before the game started, and it turned out so good.
Since that night, I have made it many times and tweaked it to perfection. It's a go-to meal for me when I'm short on time (because it only takes 30 minutes to make, just like this cashew chicken stir fry and this homemade mac and cheese), but still want to feed my family a hearty, healthy meal!
We actually call this quick chili recipe, "Keilah Chili" since she was born a few short hours after we all enjoyed it! 😉 So It holds a special place in my heart!
Easy Chili Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
One of the great things about this beef chili is that it's easily customizable! Here are some notes about the ingredients and possible substitutions!
- Ground beef. I like to use lean ground beef (93/7). However I have used 85% lean beef as well. I have also used ground turkey with excellent results.
- Minced garlic. if you don't have minced garlic on hand, you can substitute garlic powder. Just add it with the rest of the spices.
- Bell peppers. any color variety of bell pepper works well in this recipe! If you like to add some heat, add some spicier peppers!
- Spice mixture. I have written this recipe with the spice ratios and combination that we love the most. If you change it I cannot guarantee the results! The one thing I will say is that you can add more chili powder, or some cayenne powder to increase the heat if you wish!
- Fire roasted tomatoes. I love the flavor that the fire roasted tomatoes adds to this recipe (and this sausage gnocchi). You can absolutely substitute regular canned, diced tomatoes as well!
- Kidney Beans. I use one can of kidney beans because my husband is not a fan of beans so I don't like to make our chili too "beany." However you can add another can (2 cans total) if you love beans. You can also use any type of beans you like! My other favorites are black beans, great northern (white) beans, and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)!
- Tomato sauce. I always have canned tomato sauce on hand (to make homemade pizza sauce). If you'd like to substitute homemade tomato sauce go for it!
- Corn. Fresh and frozen corn both work well in this chili recipe!
How to make chili
This beef chili recipe is super easy to make, and I always have all the ingredients on hand! Let's walk through the process step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video!
Make the chili seasoning
This easy chili recipe doesn't rely on packaged seasoning mixes! Instead we make a homemade seasoning blend that can be tweaked according to your own personal preferences! I make ours pretty mild (just like this slow cooker chicken chili) to feed 5 kids (and myself because I am a spice wimp)! So feel free to adjust the heat accordingly.
Brown the meat
Once the spice mixture is ready, brown the ground beef with the garlic. Cook it over medium-high heat until it's mostly browned for the best texture and flavor.
Drain the fat
Depending on the percentage of fat in your ground beef, you may need to drain the fat off halfway through cooking!
Add peppers & onions
Once the meat is mostly (but not totally) browned, add the peppers & onions, stir, cover and cook until they are soft!
Add the rest of the ingredients & cook
Next, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or spice factor according to your preferences.
If you're short on time, cook this easy chili recipe on medium heat for 15 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally. If you have a longer, simmer until you're ready to serve. The longer the chili is simmered, the more the flavors will meld together.
Serve
People often ask, "what can you add to chili?" Once your chili is finished cooking, gather your favorite fixin's and get ready to serve! Some of our favorite easy chili additions are:
- Green onions
- sour cream
- shredded cheddar cheese
- crushed tortilla chips
- cornbread (or cornbread croutons, cornbread muffins or this healthy skillet cornbread)
- pretzel bread (try it and thank me later)
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Freeze
- Let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To thaw, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a stockpot over low heat.
Recipe FAQs
If you don't gobble this easy chili recipe up in one sitting, then it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. You can also freeze this beef chili for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-friendly container.
Yes! Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to this beef chili recipe!
If you like super thick chili, here are a few ways to thicken it up really nicely!
Cook the chili uncovered over medium-high heat. This will cause the water to evaporate and naturally thicken the chili!
Make a mixture of 1 TBS cold water, 1 TBS flour or cornstarch, add it to the beef chili and cook uncovered.
Add a few tortilla chips to a food process and process them to make fine crumbs. Add 1-3 TBS of tortilla chip crumbs to the chili and cook uncovered!
If you're short on time, cook this easy chili recipe on medium heat for 15 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally. If you have a longer, simmer until you're ready to serve. The longer the chili is simmered, the more the flavors will meld together.
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Best Easy Chili Recipe (30 Minute Beef Chili)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- ½ cup onion diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- 2 TBS paprika
- 1 ½ TBS chili powder
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt or more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinse (more to taste)
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
- ½ cup corn
Instructions
- Mix cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, sugar, sea salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add ground beef to a large pot. Cook until beef begins to brown. (You may need to drain excess fat from the beef halfway through cooking depending on the fat % in your meat).
- Add onion, bell peppers and minced garlic to the beef.
- Cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until beef is browned and veggies are soft.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and chilies and stir until evenly distributed.
- Add spice mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
- Add corn and beans and stir until combined.
- Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce heat to a simmer until ready to serve.
- Serve with your favorite chili fixings! Our favorites include: sour cream, green onions, cheddar cheese, and crushed tortilla chips!
Video
Notes
Ingredient substitutions:
- Ground beef. I like to use lean ground beef (93/7). However I have used 85% lean beef as well. I have also used ground turkey with excellent results!
- Minced garlic. garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic.
- Bell peppers. any color variety of bell pepper works well in this recipe! If you like to add some heat, add some spicier peppers!
- Fire roasted tomatoes. You can substitute regular canned, diced tomatoes.
- Kidney Beans. I use one can of kidney beans because my husband is not a fan of beans so I don't like to make our chili too "beany." However you can add another can (2 cans total) if you love beans. You can also use any type of beans you like! My other favorites are black beans, great northern (white) beans, and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)!
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.To Freeze
- Let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To thaw, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a stockpot over low heat.
Nutrition
More delicious recipes
- This crockpot chicken chili is one of our all-time favorites. Every time I take a meal to a friend, it's this chicken chili.
- We enjoy this turkey chili too!
- Try this slow cooker white bean chicken chili - it's creamy, cheesy and delicious.
- We love this Slow Cooker Ground Turkey with an Asian flare. It's delicious served over rice.
- This is the best homemade meatloaf - yum!
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Vanessa
This quickly became my favorite chili recipe! Sometime I follow it pretty close, sometimes I use it as a framework 😉 (I add carrots and mushrooms chopped really small almost every time)) so yummy! As always, I love your recipes!
Vanessa
This quickly became my favorite chili recipe! Sometime I follow it pretty close, sometimes I use it as a framework 😉 (I add carrots and mushrooms chopped really small almost every time)) so yummy! As always, I love your recipes!
Laura
Thank you so much Vanessa! I actually just made a double batch of this yesterday, one for our family and one for a friend! 🙂
Michelle
My husband suggested chili on a VERY cold (-10º) Alaskan night. I just happened to have MOST of the ingredients you suggested and it turned out great! We used ground turkey instead of beef and we doubled the beans. This one is definitely going into the recipe box. Thank you so much for having such an easy and delicious recipe. <3
Alex
Delicious! This was a hit with my toddler and my Husband! My toddler throw out the Kidney beans but it’s still a success in my book!
Laura
Your toddler sounds exactly like my husband! 😂
Emily
This looks like the best bowl of chili in the whole world. I love chili especially with cheese and sour cream and chips. :-). I love how you call it Keilah chili.
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite
You mention beans in the recipe post, but not the actual recipe ingredients. How many cans of beans do you use and what type?
Laura
Oh my word thank you so much Audra! Sometimes important details get by me even though I read (and re-read) my blog posts dozens of times! I went ahead and fixed that! We use 1 can of beans, usually kidney beans or black beans. My husband loathes beans so I don't make our chili too "beany!" so he will still eat it (LOL). But adding up to 2 cans of your favorite beans would still taste great! I like black beans, great northern beans (white), or garbanzo beans too!