The Best Beef Chili
Easy, hearty and packed with flavor – this is the BEST chili recipe and it's made in one pot with pantry staple ingredients. Serve it topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream for the perfect cozy dinner.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (around 1 cup)
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded, cored and diced (around 1 cup)
- 2-3 jalapeño peppers, seeded, cored and diced (optional)
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef (see Note 1)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 ½ tbsp smoked paprika (see Note 2)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (see Note 3)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef or chicken stock (see Note 4)
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can cannellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (see Note 5)
For Serving (Optional)
- Cooked white rice
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream
- Green onions or chives, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the oil
- Add the onion, season with a little salt and pepper, and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes
- Add the bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes
- Increase the heat to medium-high then add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the beef for 3-4 minutes, draining if necessary, until mostly cooked through (I like to tilt the pot sideways and use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil)
- Add the tomato paste and all the spices except the salt and pepper; cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste has darkened and the spices are toasted and fragrant
- Pour in the tomatoes and the broth (transfer some broth to the tomato cans so you get all the tomato juices) and stir
- Stir in the beans and the salt and pepper
- Cover and bring to a boil then uncover, reduce the heat to low and scrape the bottom of the pot
- Simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid for at least 1 hour or longer if possible (see Note 6)
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired, then serve with rice, cheddar cheese and sour cream (see Note 7)
Notes
1. Ground turkey or chicken can be used as a substitute for ground beef.
2. I love the flavor of smoked paprika in this recipe. If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, regular paprika works great, or you can use a combination of both.
3. This chili is not too spicy, but if you don’t like spice at all, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper by half or skip it (and skip the jalapeño peppers, too).
4. I prefer my chili on the thicker side; if you like a thinner, soupier chili, add an extra cup of broth.
5. I always use two kinds of beans in this recipe for more depth of flavor. You can use any two kinds you like such as pinto beans, black beans, navy beans or even chickpeas.
6. The longer this chili simmers, the better the flavor. I love to make it in the morning, then let it simmer over low heat for several hours until dinner time. If you have time, definitely let it simmer for 4-5 hours for optimal flavor (cover it after the first hour and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting).
7. My absolute favorite way to enjoy chili is with white rice, cheddar cheese and sour cream, but that’s totally optional. Other great options are to serve this with tortilla chips for dipping or with cornbread. You can also use it to make my Pull Apart Mini Chili Cheese Dogs! It freezes beautifully, so you can freeze the leftovers or make a double batch to have some easy freezer meals on hand!
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 288kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 28gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 882mgFiber: 10gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2415IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 7mg
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