Beef Chili
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Rich, hearty, and loaded with flavor, this beef chili recipe is just the thing for game day, a casual get-together, or a cozy night in.
This beef 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. It simmers low and slow until thick and hearty, with tender beef and just the right amount of heat.
I make my chili without beans—my kids aren’t fans—but if you prefer them, they’re easy to add. Just rinse and drain a can or two of kidney beans, pinto beans, or black beans and stir them into the chili during the last half hour of cooking. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings—shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, or whatever you like—and cornbread for a cozy, satisfying meal.
“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 & baking soda: I recommend 85% lean ground beef for the best flavor and texture. Tossing the beef with a little baking soda before cooking raises its pH, helping it retain moisture and brown more effectively rather than releasing all its liquid and steaming. This is a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
- Onion, garlic & red bell pepper: Form the aromatic base of the chili. I mince them fairly finely so they practically melt into the sauce as it simmers.
- Spices & herbs: Ancho and chipotle chile powders, cumin, oregano, coriander, and smoked paprika give the chili its deep, smoky flavor and moderate heat. A bit of cinnamon is optional and adds a subtle hint of sweetness. For a milder chili, cut back on the chipotle; for more heat, add cayenne.
- Beef broth: Adds savory depth and reinforces the beefy flavor of the chili.
- Crushed tomatoes & tomato paste: Give the chili its tomato base; the paste adds extra richness and helps create a thick consistency.
- Cornmeal: A small amount thickens the chili as it simmers without making it heavy.
- Molasses: Optional, but a little helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the chiles.
- Lime juice: Stirred in at the end to add acidity and brighten the rich, slow-cooked flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Chili
Prep the beef: Toss the ground beef with the baking soda mixture and let it sit while you get everything else ready. The baking soda works its magic by raising the meat’s pH, which helps it stay juicy and brown more quickly.
Prep the veggies: I use the food processor to quickly mince the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, but you can certainly do it by hand if you prefer. You want the vegetables quite fine so they practically melt into the chili as it cooks.
Cook the vegetables and brown the beef: Cook the veggies until softened, then add the beef. Break it up as it cooks, but leave some larger pieces rather than crumbling it too finely—you want the chili to have some texture. Cook until the beef is nicely browned.
Add the spices and simmer: Stir in the spices and cook briefly, until fragrant—this helps bring out their flavor. Add the cornmeal, broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and molasses, then let the chili simmer low and slow until thick and flavorful.
Finish the chili: Skim off any excess fat from the surface—it’ll be a good amount—then stir in the lime juice. Serve the chili with your favorite toppings and cornbread, or spoon it over a baked potato for an especially hearty meal. Like most chilis, it’s even better the next day, so it’s a great make-ahead meal and freezes well, too.
More Chili Recipes You’ll Love
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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This is such good chili! My husband hates beans in his chili so I tried this one. It’s delicious and easy to make. I’m definitely making it again soon.
Made for a chilli cook off and based off the comments I for sure thought we would win. Made it exactly as the recipe called and transferred into a crock pot for the remainder of time and for the contest. By the time it came to judging the liquid was completely absorbed and was thick mush. Came in 2nd last place :/ Is there something I should do differently when using a crock pot. I’m not giving up and want to try this same recipe next year for my chili cook off redemption.
Hi Amanda, I’m sorry you had a problem with this and came in second to last! I’m surprised that the liquid was absorbed in your crockpot. I don’t have any experience using one, but I thought that, if anything, they tend to make things more liquidy. If you try this again, maybe cook it entirely in a standard pot and then transfer it to a crockpot just for the contest/judging. Also, you could reduce the cornmeal (which serves as a thickener) to 1 tablespoon. Hope that helps!
Please, is there a way to make this recipe in an instant pot?
Hi Rita, I don’t have an instant pot but another reader used one and said the following: I followed everything but just sautéd and boiled in the instant pot and used the chili setting, which is 30 minutes on high. I used natural release for 10 minutes. Hope you find her guidance useful and enjoy the chili!
Thank you so much. That’s very helpful! I’ll try it.
Best chili- delish!!! We love beans so the only change I make is adding one can kidney & one can black beans. My boys eat it up!!!! Your recipes are always amazing, flavorful & easy to follow. Thank you ❤️
I had to make an adjustment, used 3 Tbsp chipotle chili powder (did not have ancho). Added a Corona beer and tsp sugar as I’m a wimp with heat now, so needed to tame the heat level.
My husband must have beans in his chili, so added 1 can dark kidney beans and 1 can white beans (limited bean choices in France).
By far the best chili recipe I’ve ever used, and I did taste before making my additions. In my younger years the recipe as written would have been perfect!
Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
Love this chili. I’ve made it several times and it’s always the first thing gone at a party. I made it exactly to the recipe with the addition of tri-color kidney beans. The cinnamon, molasses, smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder are crucial to its unique flavor.
Excellent chili! Everything I make from this website is excellent! I added 2 cans of kidney beans because that is chili to me and there was also so much liquid that the beans filled the pot and it was perfect. Will definetly be making this again.
Fantastic chili! When I need a good recipe for something, I always come and see what Jen has to offer. So many of her recipes are on repeat in my house. THIS is sooooo good. I only added 2 tsp. of the chipotle chili powder, because the one I have is scorching hot. I just added an extra tsp. of the adobo instead. I added a jalapeno, sans seeds, to the onion/pepper mixture. I also used Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, molasses and cinnamon (it doesn’t make the chili sweet, just gives it dimension of flavor). It has such a wonderful smokiness. Lastly, I added two cans of drained & rinsed kidney beans and one can of cannelini, because I like beans in my chili.
I made the chili for a small crowd tonight and it was a hit with everyone! I doubled the recipe (cooked the meat and veggies in two separate pots first and combined it) and added two cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed, and one can of white beans, drained and rinsed, because I didn’t have enough meat. I’ll definitely make this again in the future.
Wow. This is a proper chili. Worth every step, every spice. Add the cinnamon and molasses. It won’t be too sweet but it does add a depth of flavor. This chili packs some heat that I turned down with sour cream in my own bowl, though everyone else said it wasn’t too hot and I was the wimp. I only added one can of beans. Two would probably work better. I actually made this in a cast-iron pan and transferred to crockpot to cook on low for 3 hours. I love ground beef to be really tender. Having said all this, I don’t like chili in general. I made this recipe for my family and it is so flippin good, I will gladly make it again.
Made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely incredible! The depth of flavor was unparalleled and now I understand how others placed or won using this recipe in a cook-off. Another winner!