How to Make the Best Chili Recipe
This hearty homemade chili recipe is made with onions, bell pepper, ground beef, tomato sauce, and more. It’s the best chili recipe I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to share all of the yummy goodness with you. We love to make this recipe and triple it for freezer meals, and it’s the perfect meal for prepping. You can find our version for Instant Pot Chili here.
If you’re looking for a delicious chili that’s healthy and packed full of protein, check out this Slow Cooker Turkey Chili or this Instant Pot Turkey Chili.
Homemade Chili is good on those cold days, on those lazy days, and during the football season on those game day chili dogs. It’s our “go to” recipe when we are looking to enjoy a good, hearty meal, and just chill out. If you don’t have a couple of hours to dedicate to this homemade chili, you can try this same recipe as a slow cooker chili. Or better yet, prepare this recipe in bulk and freeze it for later for meal planning purposes.
This is such a delicious recipe with onion, peppers, beans, seasonings, and tomato flavoring. It will warm you up from the inside out and leave you satisfied and full. My friends and family love it when we make this chili because it really is the best chili recipe. Most of the time they will leave with a bag to take home for their freezer.
What Ingredients Do I Need for the Best Chili Recipe?
You will need to have a few ingredients on hand. Make sure you head down to the bottom of this post to print out the full recipe card with all of our notes to make this the best chili you’ve ever had.
What you will need on hand:
- chopped onions
- bell pepper
- cayenne pepper
- white sugar
- oregano
- black pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
- tomato paste
- water
- pinto beans
- kidney beans
- tomato juice
- ground beef
How to Make the Best Homemade Chili
Step 1: Brown the lean ground beef in a deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until cooked all the way through, and then drain.
- TIP: We love to take the ground beef and make large hamburger-like patties. We will smoke them on the grill until fully cooked and then crumble on a cutting board. Add this smoked beef to the chili. It creates a delicious smokey flavor that is mouthwateringly delicious!
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.
Step 4: Serve.
How Do I Serve Homemade Chili?
What I love the most about a homemade chili is that I can change up the flavors so many different ways and serve it in different ways as well. Here are a few of the ways our family prefers to serve chili.
- Serve in a bowl shredded cheese with cornbread
- Over crushed Fritos and topped with sour cream and cheese
- Smothering a hot dog to make a chili dog, then covering with cheese
- In a bread bowl and topped with cheese
There are so many ways to serve chili. If you have another favorite way to serve homemade chili I haven’t listed above, leave a comment below so I can check it out! I love to update my posts frequently and if it fits, I will add it to the notes section of the recipe card below.
What Seasonings Do I Need to Make Homemade Chili?
The seasonings are also where you can make your homemade chili stand out from “just ok” to the level of winning a chili contest. Here are the seasonings we use with our chili recipe.
- cayenne pepper
- white sugar
- oregano
- black pepper
- cumin
- chili powder
If you make and love this chili as much as we do, consider making this homemade chili seasoning in bulk to save time for future meals. You can store the seasonings in an airtight container for up to a year.
Chili Recipe Substitutions
You can change things up with this chili and still have one heck of a recipe. Here are a few of our favorite meat substitutions. As always, leave a comment below if you have a different idea that we might add to this recipe.
- venison
- ground turkey
- ground chicken
You could even choose to go meatless with this recipe if that’s what you prefer.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHILI FLAVORFUL?
If you have the time, I one-thousand percent recommend you cook the ground beef over a grill with mesquite chips. We’ve made this chili numerous times, and when my husband smokes the meat over the grill, it changes the flavors up from great to AMAZING.
To smoke the meat over the grill, he will make the beef into large patties, like you would for hamburgers. Once the beef is cooked, crumble it into the chili mixture. Leave me a comment below if you add this extra step and what you think about the different flavors.
How Do I Store Chili?
This chili is definitely not for those who are looking for a quick recipe, so consider making more of it. When you tackle this chili I recommend doubling the batch. We love to double and triple this recipe and freeze it in the fall so that we have quick access to it in the winter. Here is how we store our chili:
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I hope you enjoy this chili recipe as much as we do. It’s one of our favorites and one we make several times a year. If you love this recipe, give it a rating and leave me a comment. Once you make it, it will be your new favorite chili recipe.
You might also like:
- Instant Pot Chili
- Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken Chili
The Best Chili Recipe
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
- 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!
- Consider doubling or tripling the batch and freeze some for later.
- Substitute the tomato paste with a 15oz. can of tomato sauce if needed.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you’re using with each recipe.
©PinkWhen 2023
Make sure to print out the recipe card above and make it over the winter; you will be pleasantly surprised at the friendly nature and with just the right amount of “kick.” Double the recipe and make sure to freeze some for a rainy day. It is the best chili recipe. Sometimes I use this same recipe as my slow cooker chili recipe and freeze bags of it to place in the slow cooker. No matter how you do it, it turns out amazing!
This looks like the perfect chili recipe, which my hubby adores! I am totally pinning this right now! :)-Ashley
It’s so good, and we are also picky when it comes to our chili. It’s delicious!
I’m picky about my chili too. This looks great and your photos are awesome. Are you loving the 50mm?
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.
Oooohhhh… that looks so good! I love chili. It really does warm you up from the inside. Sounds so good!
I love chili too…now I want to make this this week!
That looks incredible! I love chili.
Thanks Alison, it really is delicious. 🙂
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:)
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!! 🙂
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!!
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 🙂
Looks awesome, going to get ingredients now! What size cans of tomato paste are we talking?
Hi Amber, they are the small cans, I believe it’s 6oz? The smallest one’s you can get!
Jennifer, do I drain the canned beans or just put them in even with their juices? I’m kind of new to making chili.
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 🙂
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!
I bet that will still be amazing! I can’t wait to hear how you like it when it’s all done! 🙂
I just made this and it is amaaazing! Thanks for sharing!
Yay! So glad you liked it 🙂
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. 🙁
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.
I’m making chili and it calls for 150 Oz of pinto beans right? Trying right now so excited to try
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! 🙂
Hi There! Your chili looks delicious! What color of bell pepper do you suggest? Thank you!
I always use green 🙂
I noticed there is no salt in the recipe. Can that be right?
That is correct! There is NO salt added in the recipe. It’s perfect without it. 🙂
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.
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.
Hi, my husband is not a fan of tomato paste. Is there anything I can use in place of it?
Thanks,
Jessica from Oak Creek, WI
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. 🙂
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.
Thanks Stephanie, I am so happy you made it and love it as much as we do. 🙂
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?
I don’t think it will be ruined AT ALL. It will just be a little thicker.
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
I bet you will have a winner on your hands with this one 🙂 Let me know what he thinks!
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.
So do you really use 46 oz of tomato juice? I bought the 11 oz cans :/
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!
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.
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. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
I am interested in this recipe. Do you not sauté the onion and pepper before adding it to the mix?
No, this will be simmering for 2 hours once you add them in there and the flavors are just AMAZING exactly as is. 🙂
I was wondering if I cook this in the slow cooker can I use dried beans
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.
makin this tonight!
Can I add cooked bacon to this? You think i should at it so it simmers for the 2 hours or at the end?
You can probably add bacon, I would just cook it first.
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.
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!
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?
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!
I just made this recipe. It is so easy to follow and chili tastes great!!!! Thank you for sharing.
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 🙂
Can I use Bush baked beans instead of Pinto & Kidney beans?
You could, but I am not sure how that would turn out.
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!
I also added salt. It really brings out the flavor of things.
What color onion do you use?
I am a huge fan of red onions, but I have used white and still loved it.
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!
That sounds amazing!
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?
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!
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.
I’m so glad you like it! It does make a lot, but we love to freeze extra portions when we make it.
I followed this recipe to a T. It seemed like it was all hamburger, and didnt look anything like the picture.
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.
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?
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.
Omg!!! This is truly the best chilli ever and it’s so healthy. Love it.
today was the 10th time I have used this recipe! I love it, “gives the raspberries to all haters”. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Ha! I am so glad you love it as much as we do 🙂
Could you also make this in a crockpot?
yes you can, and I have the recipe on my blog already! Here is the link: https://www.pinkwhen.com/slow-cooker-chili-recipe/
I love this chili recipe. I’ve used it so many times for family and friends. You should totally enter this chili contest! I think you have a good chance at winning (because I don’t want to steal your credit)!
http://bushbeans.thedailymeal.com/
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.
We loved it. Very tasty indeed.
“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!
I am so glad it was loved!!! 🙂
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.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times & everyone always loves it!
This is wonderful and so simple! My family loves it, and it freezes very well!
I am so glad you all like it! We just made it this weekend. Always a favorite in our house!