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How to Make the Best Chili Recipe

Published . Last updated by 93 Comments

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We don’t take it lightly when we call this the best chili recipe. We have made this chili recipe with our family for years. It’s the perfect hearty and full flavored classic chili recipe everyone loves.

Why is this the best chili recipe? I can’t tell you just yet, you have to keep reading and then be prepared to take this to your next chili cookoff – AND WIN! Or, if you don’t have time to read, hit that JUMP TO RECIPE button up top and print it out.

If you don’t have a few hours to dedicate to this chili recipe, you can also find the same recipe converted to a slow cooker chili.

Chili in a white bowl with onion in the background.

The Best Chili Recipe

The Best Chili Recipe

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can probably take it to any chili cookoff and win, or at least place in the top 3. I’m completely serious when I say this!  It’s full of delicious mouthwatering flavor and it is something my family and I have made for years.

I have several bags of this prepped and ready in my freezer for those days when I am craving this delicious recipe but don’t have the time it takes to make it.

The Best Chili recipe in white bowls with an onion next to it.

The Best Homemade Classic Chili Recipe

What Ingredients Go in Homemade Chili?

This is such a delicious recipe made with onion, peppers, oregano, beans, and tomato flavoring.  It takes some time to make it, but it is worth every single second. Here are the ingredients I use for my homemade chili recipe.

Note: this recipe does call for tomato paste, which some people have a strong aversion to. If that’s you, you can substitute the tomato paste for a larger size of tomato sauce. We’ve done that for you in the recipe below. 

  • chopped onions
  • bell pepper
  • pinto beans
  • kidney beans
  • tomato paste
  • tomato juice
  • ground beef

What Spices go into Homemade Chili?

You can add or takeaway spices to make it your own, but I love to add these spices into my homemade chili recipe:

  • cumin
  • cayenne pepper
  • black pepper
  • oregano
  • chili powder
  • white sugar

Many people ask “why sugar?” Believe it or not, adding a little bit of sweetness to this recipe changes the flavors to perfection.

Classic Serving Options for Homemade Chili

One thing I love about chili is all of the ways that you can serve it. There are so many different ways to serve this homemade chili, but here are a few of my favorites:

The Secret to The Best Chili Recipe

I am going to share a secret with you.  Remember I mentioned at the beginning of this post I would share what makes this the best chili recipe? Well, here it is.

Before we do ANYTHING else, we take the lean ground beef, make it into large hamburger shaped patties. We place those on a heated outdoor grill with mesquite wood chips and cook them thoroughly. The smokey mesquite flavor is what REALLY takes this chili to the next level.

Of course, you don’t have to do this extra step, but if you are looking to knock the socks off of anyone eating this chili, don’t skip this step.

How to Make the Best Homemade Chili Recipe

If you haven’t grilled the ground beef as we mentioned above, use your favorite skillet to get things started.

Step 1:  Brown the lean ground beef in a deep skillet.  Cook over medium heat until cooked all the way through, and then drain.

Step 2: In a large pan over high heat add in all of your additional ingredients: cooked ground beef, tomato juice, kidney beans, pinto beans, water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano, sugar, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, and chopped onions. Bring to a boil.

Step 3:  Once your large pot of chili has started to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours uncovered.

Best Chili Recipe

Homemade chili in a white bowl with an onion in the background.

The Best Homemade Chili Recipe

How do I store homemade chili?

After serving, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After that, I would consider freezing any leftovers for use on a later date.

How do I freeze homemade chili?

When you are ready to freeze, I recommend using a freezer system such as this one. They are able to correctly seal your food without leaving any air pockets, which can hasten freezer burn and ruin your frozen foods.

What did you think about this recipe? Are you ready to try the best chili recipe ever? I can’t wait to hear all about it! Make sure you leave a comment or tag me with a photo if you are on Instagram (#pinkwhenjen and @pinkwhenjen).

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The Best Chili Recipe you will ever taste!
Review Recipe
4.31 from 26 votes
Print

The Best Chili Recipe

This is the best mouthwatering, homemade chili recipe, and we've made it for years! 
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 174kcal
Author Jen @PinkWhen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white sugar
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp group black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 6oz cans tomato paste Can be subbed with a 15oz can of tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 150z can pinto beans
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans
  • 1 46 oz can tomato juice
  • 2 lbs lean ground beef

Instructions

  • Step 1: Brown the lean ground beef in a deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until cooked all the way through, and then drain.
  • Step 2: In a large pan over high heat add in all of your additional ingredients: cooked ground beef, tomato juice, kidney beans, pinto beans, water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano, sugar, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, and chopped onions. Bring to a boil.
  • Step 3: Once your large pot of chili has started to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours uncovered.

Notes

  1. The secret to making this the BEST is by grilling the meat with mesquite wood chips before adding it to the recipe. Don't skip this step if at all possible! 
  2. Consider doubling or tripling the batch and freeze some for later. 
  3. Substitute the tomato paste with a 15oz. can of tomato sauce if needed.  

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 462mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 6.3% | Vitamin C: 9.9% | Calcium: 2.2% | Iron: 17.5%
**Nutrition facts are based on my best estimation for this recipe. They may not be accurate depending on what brands you use or modifications you might make to the recipe. For most accurate calculations, I recommend using a nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you use with the recipe.
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Comments

    • I am totally loving my 50mm. I had a 50mm 1.8 but I always shot on AUTO (shudder, i know.) Now that I have the 50mm 1.4 and am teaching myself how to shoot on manual I am LOVING it. I think the pictures are looking MUCH better.

      Reply

  6. Hi. I’m making your chili right now and just noticed it calls for 1/2 a CUP of Chili powder. Is that correct??? That’s a ton!
    Thanks:)

    Reply

    • Holy cow good catch Susan! NO, It’s a 1/2 Tbsp, and I have updated the post. Thanks so much for pointing that out. That could have been quite a spicy pick me up!! 🙂

      Reply

  7. Jennifer,
    Thankfully I scrolled thru your entire post and you have your recipe written out twice. I saw the other one said 1/2 Tbs, which is what I figured it had to be, but I really appreciate you responding so quickly! I have it simmering now and I’m sure it will be wonderful!! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Thank goodness indeed! SO glad you did, that would not have been very good at all. I need to proofread better! Hope you enjoyed the chili as much as we do 🙂

      Reply

  9. Jennifer, do I drain the canned beans or just put them in even with their juices? I’m kind of new to making chili.

    Reply

    • If there is a lot of juice, I would drain, but if it is just a little, throw it in there! It will end up cooking off 🙂

      Reply

  10. I have this cooking on the stove now and it looks and smells delicious! I couldn’t find any canned tomato juice when I was picking up the ingredients so I had to use V8 juice instead. I can’t wait for it to be ready!

    Reply

  12. I just made the recipe using the card at the bottom…which wasn’t changed from 1/2 cup chili. Good thing boyfriend likes spicy. 🙁

    Reply

    • Oh no Angie! I did not realize that the card at the bottom was still wrong. 🙁 I have changed it and both the instructions at the top of the post and the bottom card you print out are now changed.

      Reply

    • NO! It’s one can, 1 (15oz.) can of Pinto beans. If you put ten cans of Pinto beans in there….it’s going to be bean soup! 🙂

      Reply


  16. I followed the recipe exactly as printed and I found it to be very bland. It tasted like tomato paste with beans and meat. I had to spice it up with with more spices and added tomatoes to it. I read the reviews thoroughly before trying. I was really disappointed in the outcome.

    Reply

    • Wow Patrice! Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully you didn’t miss something when you made it, because you are the first to dislike it. I would suggest doubling up on the cayenne in order to spice things up a bit. If that’s not good enough, add a little Louisiana Hot Sauce, that always makes things better 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend that to the average chili eater….otherwise they probably won’t be able to tolerate the heat.

      Reply

    • You could probably take a 14oz can of petite diced tomatoes, blend them up well, and substitute that for the paste. I have never tried it, but I bet that would work just fine. 🙂

      Reply


  18. I made this recipe tonight. It was awesome. I used ground turkey and V-8 juice instead of regular tomato juice. My husband had two bowls tonight and asked if we had enough for a couple more days. Best we have had in a long time. Thanks for a great recipe.

    Reply

  19. I didn’t realize I needed to get the small cans of tomato paste…so i used the regular size. Ugh. Is it totally ruined?

    Reply

  20. Definitely trying this tonight. My fiance is a chili lover and I’ve been too intimidated to try and compare to any chili’s he’s had before lol. I chose this recipe based on the reviews soo hope it goes well 🙂 thanks for posting it

    Reply


  21. Sounds delicious but instead of x cayene pepper I would use x chili powder by about 2 Tlbs. If you don’t like tomato paste, use some tomato sauce. I always use petite diced tomatoes (unblended). And V8 is a wonderful sub.

    Reply

    • Hi Brittney! Yes, I do actually use a lot of tomato juice in this recipe. If you purchased 4 cans, you should be close enough!

      Reply

  23. Will the recipe be good if I don’t use beans? Or will I need to change it at all? I can’t stand the texture of beans.

    Reply

    • Hi Makenzie! I don’t think so, I think if you don’t like beans, leave them out. Not everyone is a fan of beans, and this chili is just as good without them. 🙂

      Reply

  24. I’m excited to try this recipe, it looks delicious and the reviews are great, I will definitely write one of my own once I try it. I’m wondering if you have a suggestion to finishing it in the CrockPot instead of simmering on the stove for the 2 hours though, it’d be much appreciated!

    Reply

    • hi Sarah! To make this in the crockpot you would just need to brown the meat before placing it into the slow cooker and then add all of your other ingredients. 🙂

      Reply


  25. Hi I made this for Sunday dinner and it was great! I made as directed and used the v8 instead of tomato juice. My husband said it was the best chili I’ve ever made! I will be making again! Thanks for sharing this delicious chili recipe. I got lunch for two days too!

    Reply

    • I am so glad you love it as much as we do. It really is the best chili ever. If you ever make a double batch, freeze some! It’s perfect for those winter days when you want to eat something delicious but you don’t want to spend the time to do it. 🙂

      Reply

    • No, this will be simmering for 2 hours once you add them in there and the flavors are just AMAZING exactly as is. 🙂

      Reply

    • I have not done that, but I am not sure I would use dry beans because I would worry they would not cook all of the way through.

      Reply


  30. This recipe looks great. I’m just about to cook the meat, but I had some questions that were answered through the other comments, like whether to saute the onions and bell pepper first (no) and whether to toss the liquid from the beans (probably). I wish I had a sense of how spicy this will be.

    Reply

    • I don’t toss the liquid, I add it in. You can saute the onion and bell pepper first if you want to. I have done it both ways and can’t usually tell a difference. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  31. I’d like to make this in the crock pot,like you answered in another response having the meat browned first. how long does it need to cook once put into the crock pot on high for the same amount of time or longer?

    Reply

    • If you are going to brown the meat prior to placing it in the crock pot I would probably say 4 hours on high would be adequate enough in my opinion. Hope that helps!

      Reply

    • I am so glad you like it as much as we do, and thank you so much for heading back over to let us know 🙂

      Reply


  34. I’m giving this recipe 3 stard bc it was a good base for chili. I didn’t realize there was no salt in the recipe and I tasted it. I tweaked it a little by adding salt and pepper and a little extra chili power, onion powder, and garlic powder. After a few taste tests it turned out great. I’d make it again but with my additions. Thanks for this!

    Reply


  36. This is the first time I’ve made chili with spices… I’ve always used the crappy sodium-filled spice packets, but have vowed to turn a new leaf! There’s about 20 minutes left of simmering, and I’ve had a few nibbles here and there to make sure it’s spiced just right. I added a pinch of salt, some celery and mushrooms (gotta have mushrooms!!!). My fiance just walked through the door and said that it smells awesome! Tastes great so far too! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  37. I made this for the first time a couple weeks ago and my husband said it was the best chili I’ve ever made…(that is saying a lot bc Ive made many chili recipes). The only downfall I had about the recipe is that it seemed a tad liquidy. I drained all the juice from the beans. any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Did you simmer for 2 hours without a lid? I find that helps. Also, if you cut down the simmer time, it will have more liquid in it. You would need to make sure you simmer for 2 hours to reduce all of it. If you did simmer for 2 hours and there was still a lot of liquid, I would simmer for a little longer until it is the consistency you prefer. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  38. I just made this today and it smells amazing. I paired it with some buttermilk cornbread and cinnamon/honey/powdered sugar butter mixture for the cornbread. I didn’t add all of the tomato juice though it seemed too much. I added about half and also added a can of diced tomatoes. The spices melding together just seem so beautiful and it sure was fun to cook! And for a beginner like me teaching herself, it was easy and fun.

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you like it! It does make a lot, but we love to freeze extra portions when we make it.

      Reply


  39. I followed this recipe to a T. It seemed like it was all hamburger, and didnt look anything like the picture.

    Reply

    • That’s unfortunate Ashley. Hopefully you get better results if you try it again. You did use tomato juice versus tomato sauce, correct? That to me would be the only explanation as to why your chili thickened up, unless you cooked it on a higher heat level, which would have made it dry out faster.

      Reply

  40. Hi,

    I’m planning on making this recipe tomorrow and it’s the first time I’m going to make chilli.
    Can I know approx how long does it take to brown/cook the lean beef?

    Reply

    • You can probably count on cooking/browning of the beef for about 10 minutes. The entire recipe from start to finish is right at 2 hours, so make sure you set aside enough time.

      Reply

  42. today was the 10th time I have used this recipe! I love it, “gives the raspberries to all haters”. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply

  45. This looks really good. It actually looks like a chili my dear departed dad used to make, which also had tomato juice as an ingredient. It’s on the cooktop now, simmering away for supper tonight. One addition though; chili without garlic is like a PBJ sando without PB. Must have. Thanks for the rec.

    Reply

  46. “This chili attaches itself to your soul.”

    I received this compliment after sending a batch to work with my husband. Thank you so much for sharing the BEST chili recipe ever!

    Reply


  47. This has been my go to recipe for chili for about a year now so I thought I should post a review. I’m very picky about my chili and this has been by far the best recipe I have ever tried. Thank you for sharing . :)…..btw…I want to rate it 5 stars but the star will not register.

    Reply

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