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American

Classic Beef Chili

Ground beef, beans, and tomatoes simmered with chili powder and cumin. The stovetop pot is about 55 minutes. The slow cooker is 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.

Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy

Cook time above is the stovetop. Slow cooker: 6 hr on low / 3 hr on high.

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A bowl of beef chili with beans, shredded cheddar, and green onion.

Why you’ll love it

  • Both methods are written out, so you can pick the one that fits the day.
  • The spice amounts are listed, not hidden in a packet.
  • Beans make it a full bowl without a second pound of beef.
  • It tastes better the next day, which is useful.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cook the beef, onion, and pepper in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the beef is browned and 160°F, about 8 minutes. Drain extra fat. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir 1 minute, until the spices smell toasty.

  3. 3

    Add the tomatoes, both beans, and the water. Stir.

  4. 4

    Stovetop: simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Slow cooker: transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

  5. 5

    Stir in the vinegar. Taste and add salt if it needs it.

  6. 6

    Serve with cheddar, onion, or crackers if you want them. The chili is complete without them.

Pro tips

  • Toasting the spices in the fat for a full minute is the difference between flat chili and chili that tastes seasoned.
  • Vinegar at the end wakes it up. Do not skip it and then add more salt first.
  • If it is too thick, add water. If it is thin, simmer uncovered longer.

Easy substitutions

Ground beef
Half beef and half a can of lentils, for a lighter pot.
Kidney beans
Pinto beans.
Crushed tomatoes
Diced tomatoes, knowing the chili will be chunkier.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating

Warm on the stove with a splash of water, stirring, until hot. Or microwave covered.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
390
Protein
28 g
Carbs
32 g
Fat
16 g
Fiber
10 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop, Slow Cooker

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients