Best Ever Chili Recipe
229 Comments
Updated Sep 20, 2023
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This is the best chili recipe, if I do say so myself! This classic beef chili is the perfect blend of meaty richness simmered with hearty vegetables and warming spices. It’s a delicious, and comforting one-pot meal that will have the whole family begging for seconds.
If it’s cold outside and you’re looking for an answer to that pesky what’s-for-dinner question, I’ve got you covered. The answer is chili! This one-pot wonder is a cinch to make, and it fills your house with enticing aromas as it simmers.
Chili is the perfect chunky mix of ground beef, bacon, vegetables, and beans with a touch of heat. But don’t forget to add your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, and a sprinkle of green onions – it really amps it up!
Chili recipes, whether it’s this classic beef chili, a white chicken chili, vegetarian chili, or turkey chili, are also budget friendly since they rely heavily on pantry staples. That makes them a perennial dinner winner!
Chili Ingredients
A few pantry items, some vegetables, ground beef, and a few strips of bacon are all you need to pull together this amazing chili recipe.
- Ground beef: Buy a good quality ground beef between 80% and 90% lean.
- Bacon: This adds a wonderful smoky flavor to the chili. I’d consider it the secret (or not so secret) ingredient!
- Beef broth: I recommend purchasing a high-quality beef broth for the best flavor.
- Dried spices: Besides the usual suspects of chili powder and cumin, I add smoked paprika for a touch of campfire flavor.
- Tomatoes: Almost any variety of canned tomatoes in their juices will work here. But I love canned fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor!
- Beans: I’m using a combination of black beans and red kidney beans which are classics in chili, but you can use any beans you like.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How to Make The Best Chili
This recipe is all about slowly adding in layers of flavors. Here’s what you do:
- Cook the bacon. I let my bacon cook until it’s perfectly browned and crisp.
- Brown the ground beef. Cook the beef with the bacon and drain off the excess fat.
- Add the vegetables. Let the vegetables soften and meld together with the beef.
- Toast the spices. Add them to the vegetables and meat to bring out their full flavor.
- Add the tomatoes and beans. Then give everything a good stir.
- Simmer the chili: Cook this low and slow for about 30 minutes for maximum deliciousness!
Can You Make Chili Ahead of Time?
You sure can! Here are a couple of make-ahead tips.
- Get a jump on your chili prep by chopping the vegetables and mixing your dried spices together the day before.
- Mix your dried chili spices in larger quantities so you can spoon out just what you need, when you need it.
- Chili always tastes better the day after you make it. Whip up a pot on the weekend and enjoy it as a quick dinner during the week.
What Do You Put On Top of Chili?
Almost anything tastes great on top of this classic chili. Here are a few of my favorite ideas.
- Cheese. Anything from shredded cheddar to cotija to feta works well.
- Onions: Sliced green onions or diced red onions go perfectly with chili. If the bite of red onion is a little strong for you, run the diced onion under running water and pat dry.
- Jalapeños: If you like spice, diced fresh or pickled jalapeños are delicious here.
- Sour cream. The creamy coolness plays nice with the warm spices.
- Cilantro or parsley: Just a sprinkle of chopped herbs gives a nice pop of freshness and flavor.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Chili freezes incredibly well, which makes it great for meal prepping.
- To Store: Place cooled chili in an airtight container and store for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Use a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store it for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To Reheat: Thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, until warmed through. If the chili thickens too much for your taste, add a splash of water or beef broth.
More Warming Winter Recipes
Want a few more delicious dinner ideas? These one-pot or one-pan recipes sure come in hand during the busy weekdays. And let’s not forget, chili in particular is great for parties, gatherings, and of course Super Bowl!
This big pot of chili will surely satisfy all your comfort food cravings. If you make this, I’d love to hear what you think in a comment below. You review will help the community!
Best Ever Chili Recipe
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce can) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, you can use diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce can) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional garnish: avocado, red onion, shredded cheese or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat, add the sliced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat if bacon is browning too quickly.
- Add the onion, and bell pepper to the pot, stirring frequently. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef, breaking into small pieces with a spatula, until cooked through. Strain off any accumulated liquid and fat from the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tomato paste, and dried spices, and cook until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes with juices, drained beans, beef broth, and bay leaf. Give it a stir.
- Increase the heat to high until the chili comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, remove bay leaf. Ladle servings into individual bowls. Garnish with avocado, red onion, cheese, cilantro or any other toppings.
Lisa’s Tips
- Serving Size: This recipe makes 9 cups, enough for 6 good-sized servings.
- To Store: Place cooled chili in an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Use a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- To Reheat: Thaw the chili either overnight in the fridge or in the microwave. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the chili thickens too much for your taste, add a bit of water or beef broth.
- To control the amount of salt in your chili, choose unsalted beef broth, beans, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Bacon can be tricky to slice. To make it easier, place your bacon in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm it up.
- Want to spice this up even more? Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper!
- Make sure to use a large pot, to accomodate all these ingredients. My favorite is the beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven you see pictured.
Nutrition
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Wow, Lisa! Just tried this for dinner tonight. Your blend of seasonings is spot on for tastiness! I usually buy packaged chili seasoning but will never go back. The bacon is oh so delicious as well! Thank you!
Yay, happy you loved it! The bacon really does add a little something extra, doesn’t it?
I added a touch of cinnamon too but the recipe is great as is!
Glad you enjoyed this chili recipe, Carolyn!
I’ve made this many many times and it always hits the right spots. Great for large batch meal-prepping too. Thank you Lisa for the easy-to-follow recipe!
This was my first time making chili and I was so excited to use your recipe. I made it for dinner tonight and it turned out perfectly! It was delicious, and I even made extra to store in the freezer. I already knew I’d be obsessed with it. It’s so good!
Thrilled to hear you loved this chili recipe Marina!
Wonderful. Guest I had over, loved it also!
Glad your guests enjoyed this chili recipe Joan!
Flavor is very balanced, I added a little bit of Anchovy to add more depth. It turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Your chili recipes have become my go to chili base. I’ve found I like it with a poblano in place of the bell pepper. I always add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and only do one 14 oz can of tomatoes as we like a little less acidity. Tonight we made it with ground bison, sweet potato, and a smidgen of cinnamon. Delicious!
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning chili recipe Amanda!
Hi Lisa, this chili recipe is the best and so happy I found you as all your recipes are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS.
Our favourite chili recipe! I make it a lot for my boyfriend’s parents and they love it! The four of us eat all 6 portions. Of course in that case I take the spiciness down a notch, and we also like sweet corn in it. 😋
Happy to hear everyone is loving this chili recipe!
Does heating this in a crockpot for a few hours instead of simmering on stove affect the flavor and texture?
I’m not sure, but I think it should be fine!
About to make this for the second time. Every one of Lisa’s recipe are perfect.
On a last minute whim looking for a quick easy chili recipe I found this one and wow was it good! The best part about it is that it isnt spicy hot at all (So if you like it hot you can add the peppers to taste) which made it a great chili for my 5 and 10 year old boys.
OMG! This is so delicious. I love the hint of bacon in every bite! It’s simple and easy and full of flavor!
Hi Erika – so happy you love it! The bacon really does add that extra kick of flavor. :)
I absolutely loved this recipe!!! The instructions were so easy to follow. It has all the perfect flavors and textures to complement the chili.
Lisa: This chili checks all the boxes of yummy comfort food. It is So good.
This will be my go to recipe for chili.
Thanks Lisa.
Never thought I would find a recipe of yours that we like more than Turmeric Chicken… but this might be the one. Adding it to football season’s Soup Sunday rotation, where it joins White Chicken Chili at the top! Thanks as always.
What a great addition to Sunday night football!
does halving the recipe impact the flavor? I only have a 3.5 qt Dutch oven so I’m afraid it won’t fit
You can just cut everything in half!
Great flavor – easy directions – great recipe
Husband wants to know – could you split the ground beef into half ground beef, half ground sausage? How do you think that would taste? He would love to try this as a three meat chili.
Yep, you can mix up the meats!