Best Beef Chili Recipe
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Craving comfort food on a chilly day? This hearty, boldly spiced chili is just what you need—perfect for game day, family dinners, or a cozy night in.
This chili recipe is my absolute go-to. It’s everything you want in a classic ground beef chili—rich, flavorful, and perfectly spiced to warm you up. Whether you serve it with cornbread, spoon it over rice, pile it on baked potatoes, or scoop it up with tortilla chips, this homemade chili always hits the spot. Plus, it freezes beautifully, so go ahead and make a double batch.
You’ll notice I don’t add beans to my chili—my kids aren’t fans. But if you love beans in yours, go for it! I recommend 1 to 2 cans of kidney beans, pinto beans, or black beans. Just rinse and drain them, then stir them into the chili during the last half hour of cooking.
“We’re Texans and love your chili! It is so well flavored without being hot…Thank you for another great recipe!”
Video Tutorial
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Chili
- Ground Beef: Provides the hearty meaty base for the chili. Opt for 85% lean; the fat enriches the meat, enhancing the dish’s overall flavor and texture. And don’t stress about the fat—post-cooking, it’s easy to skim off any excess. If you’d like to use ground turkey as an alternative, I suggest this turkey chili recipe.
- Baking Soda: Helps tenderize the beef by locking in moisture. Also accelerates browning, resulting in a more flavorful, tender chili.
- Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper: Forms the aromatic base of the chili.
- Spices and Herbs: A mix of ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, ground cumin, oregano, ground coriander, smoked paprika, and cinnamon give the chili its distinctive flavor and heat. This recipe has a medium spice level, but you can easily adjust it to suit your taste. For a milder chili, reduce the chipotle chile powder. If you prefer it spicier, add cayenne pepper to taste.
- Cornmeal: Thickens the chili.
- Beef Broth: Provides liquid and enhances the beefy flavor of the chili.
- Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: Adds a rich tomato flavor and contributes to the chili’s thick texture.
- Molasses: Offers a touch of sweetness to balance the heat and spices.
- Lime Juice: Adds a hint of acidity and brightness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Tenderize the beef. Mix the ground beef, salt, baking soda, and water in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine everything evenly, then let it sit for 20 minutes. The baking soda works its magic by raising the meat’s pH, which helps it stay juicy and brown more quickly.
Step 2: Prep the veggies. While the meat rests, finely chop the veggies. I use a food processor to speed this up, but it’s fine to chop by hand too.
Step 3: Cook the veggies. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onions, garlic, and red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are softened—it will take about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Brown the beef and add the spices. Add the beef and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it’s nicely browned. The beef will give off quite a bit of fat and liquid—don’t worry, you’ll skim the fat off at the end, so no need to drain it. Stir in the ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, and cinnamon (if you’re using it). Cook until well combined and the spices are fragrant.
Step 5: Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Add the cornmeal, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and molasses (if you’re using it). Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
Step 6: Finish and serve. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the chili—it’ll be a good amount. Then stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings—sour cream, shredded Cheddar, scallions, corn, avocado, or whatever you love. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days; freeze for longer storage.
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Classic Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion (or 2 small), minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, (optional, for a sweeter chili)
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon molasses, such as Grandma's Original (optional, for a sweeter chili)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
For Serving (optional)
- Cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, cheese, scallions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, salt, baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of water. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined. Let the beef mixture sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the beef and increase the heat to high; cook, stirring with wooden spoon to break the meat into ¼-inch (6-mm) pieces, until the beef is browned, 10 to 12 minutes. The beef will release a lot of liquid—do not drain it; you'll skim the fat off at the end.
- Add the ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, and cinnamon (if using); cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until well combined and fragrant.
- Stir in the cornmeal, broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and molasses (if using); bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
- Skim any excess fat off the surface of the chili. There will be quite a bit; don't worry about getting all of it, as it adds flavor. Stir in the lime juice, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. For a thinner chili, you can add a bit of water. To thicken the chili, continue simmering, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Just made this for the wife and kids…huge hit! 5 stars!
Great chili and seasoned perfectly. Question: Your recipe says to cook ground beef on high heat. Is ground beef best cooked over high heat? We have a debate in the household. Thanks.
Hi Alicia, It really depends on the recipe – sorry I can’t be more definitive!
Hi Jenn…. I don’t have ancho and chipotle chili pepper. I only have Mc Cormick’s dark chili powder, paprika and cayenne. How would you advise the proportion of the chilis? Thank you in advance. I always love your website!
Hi Caroline, Glad you like the website. You can replace the chili powders with your regular chili powder. It won’t have much heat with that, so if you’d like some feel free to add a pinch or two of cayenne. Hope you enjoy!
Amazing!!!! Followed recipe exactly. I usually put red kidney beans in my own recipe, so I am going to do this exact recipe but add in red kidney beans the next time I make it. This is my son’s request. But thank you again Jenn for the fantastic recipe!
I always love your recipes, but i have never made or eat Chili you convince me, my husband love chili but i didn’t think i would like it i use your recipe and i was sold .
Thank you ,my husband thank you.
Awesome recipe.
A great recipe to use up your spices. It was perfect – not too spicy nor bland, we enjoyed the simplicity and the house smelled so good while it simmered. We used grass fed ground beef and I didn’t have cornmeal, so I substituted polenta. Always impressed with Jen’s recipes because any home cook can pick them up and make a wonderful fresh cooked meal. I love sharing time in the kitchen with my kids.
Could you recommend a substitute for cornmeal that doesn’t contain gluten or corn? Would arrowroot or gluten free breadcrumbs work?
I do think that would work, Bill; you could also just omit it for a slightly thinner chili.
What, if any is a substitute for cornmeal? Thanks, jo
Hi Jo, You can omit the cornmeal (the chili will just be a little thinner). If you have corn tortillas on hand, you could grind a few up in a food processor and use them. Hope you enjoy!
My fourth time for making your chili. It is amazing, along with the rest of all your recipes. I am so glad I found you on the Internet. I follow Food Network but find you’re Better than any others! Thank you Jen
I made this a few nights ago. I used cayenne pepper. The food was really amazing. btw I added half a can crushed beans, and half a can whole beans as I don’t have cornmeal. thanks again.
Hi there, this looks delicious. My 2 year old will not eat anything spicy. OK to leave out the ancho and chipotle entirely, and just stick with the other spices? Thanks!
Hi Neelie, Chipotle chili powder is primarily what adds the heat to this. The ancho chili powder is not quite as spicy, but if your 2-year-old is very sensitive to heat, you may want to either cut back or eliminate those spices. It will still be good, but keep in mind that it will alter the taste of the chili a bit. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it!
Jenn, I was really bored with my old recipe and am so happy to find yours. Have tried many of your soup recipes and never been disappointed. Love the mix of spices, but didn’t have the ancho or molasses, so skipped those ingredients. Ended up following it up to the simmering part, then put everything into my crock pot for 3 hours on low. Added more corn meal however to make up for extra moisture due to crock pot method. Added two cans of (rinsed) kidney beans for the last 30 minutes. Perfection. Turned out fantastic. Will be my go to. Thank you!