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 fluffy 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 making a double batch is always a smart move.
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 (ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, ground cumin, oregano, ground coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon): These 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: Acts as a thickening agent.
- 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
Start by mixing 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.
Meanwhile, chop the veggies. I use a food processor to speed this up, but it’s fine to chop by hand too.
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.
Add the beef and turn the heat up to high. 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. Then 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. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the chili—it’ll be a good amount.
Stir in the lime juice, then 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, making it great for make-ahead meals; freeze for longer storage.
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Classic Beef Chili
This hearty, flavor-packed chili is my go-to for any occasion. It’s perfect for meal prep, feeds a crowd, and freezes like a dream—so go ahead and make extra!
Ingredients
- 2.5 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 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.
- Make Ahead: Cool slightly, and then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 655
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Sodium: 1711 mg
- Cholesterol: 134 mg
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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Has become my go-to chili recipe. Sooo good!
Just delicious! I didn’t find the recipe to be sweet, just flavourful with a lovely woody undertone. I’m not usually a fan of chili, but made this as my husband loves chili (and what better meal during a snow storm in Maine); I loved it! Hubbie is especially thrilled, as this was his most favourite chili ever (and that’s saying something!) and I will most definitely be making it more frequently, as I was relishing each bite! Loved throwing all the veggies in the food processor, made preparation super quick and easy, meat just melted in the mouth, and lined up all the herbs ready to fire in the pot! Again, thank you for yet another winner of a recipe!
Why the baking soda?
Hi Stephanie, The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and accelerate browning (which helps make it very tender). Enjoy!
After I tasted this chill, I immediately ripped up my previous recipe and put this in its place. It is so so good. The spice combination is just perfect. A must try. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Had this for dinner tonight. Tasted great. Wife and I are not too big on spicy foods so I reduced the chipotle chili pepper to 1 teaspoon. I would advise anyone making this to have all your ingredients out in advance. Get the spices all measured out and in a small bowl ready to add. Also, have the onion, red pepper and garlic all sliced up and ready to add. There isn’t enough time to do those things while the meat is cooking. Local store only had 80 and 90% lean ground beef so went with the 80 and skimmed a lot of fat off it. Still came out great.
Thank you for sharing this delicious Beef Chilli recipe! I have been searching for a recipe like this for a very long time and knew that I could rely on you to post an amazing recipe that my whole family would love!! I followed the recipe exactly with the only addition of a can of red kidney beans. I will be making this chilli again very soon and will not be making any substitutions or changes. I served the chilli over rice with corn chips on the side and everyone enjoyed it so much they came back for seconds! Using the baking soda and salt made a big difference to the beef, I loved how the meat turned into little meatballs! Do you think this recipe would work with ground chicken as a different option to the beef?! Thanks again!!
Hi Marilyn, so glad your family enjoyed the chili! Yes, you can use ground chicken here– if you do, need to use the baking soda but don’t omit the salt (just add with the other spices). I’d love to hear how it turns out with chicken!
This chili is delicious — and a perfect party recipe! I was astonished at what a difference it made to tenderize the meat beforehand: the texture was silky smooth. (BTW, I used 80/20 ground beef because our grocery store only sells 90/10 or 80/20, and I thought the higher fat option would work better.) Since no one in my family cares for overly spicy chili, I went easy on the chipotle chili powder — and the combination of the other spices was just lovely. Towards the end of cooking I added one can of red kidney beans and actually wished I hadn’t. I like beans, but I thought they distracted a bit from the sweet, slightly complex taste of the beef/spice/tomato combination — so what I will do the next time is to warm up some beans and put them on the side. Chopped avocado and a little grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top were nice additions. On the side I served the pumpkin cornbread muffins whose recipe is on this site; the muffins are yummy, but I think I prefer something with a little more crunch (e.g., corn chips) on the side.
Absolutely delicious! My family loved it.
Can I use the baking soda solution on chop meat when I am making a Bolognese sauce.
It worked so well on the chili. Great, great chili recipe.
Also as a thickening agent, can cornmeal be used on other recipes instead of flour or cornstarch.
Yes and yes :).
This really is the best ground beef chili I have ever had. It comes on somewhat sweet initially, but then the overall blend of spices and flavors come in followed by some nice heat. I did not have a lime, but it was perfect to us. The ground beef was very tender too. I cooked the vegetables & the beef, added the spice mix and cooked that as in the recipe. Then threw all ingredients in a crock pot & into the fridge overnight. In the morning I set it on low for 6 hours. I did add a can of rinsed dark red beans during the last half hour. We served it over rice, topped with shredded sharp cheddar and sour cream and a square of cornbread on the side.