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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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, you can skip 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.