Looking for The Best Easy Chili to make? This crowd pleasing chili combines ground beef, onions, peppers, crushed tomatoes and dark red kidney beans. Comfort food at its best!
Chili is the ultimate comfort food, especially when it’s both quick to prepare and hearty enough to satisfy a hungry crowd. Whether you’re whipping up a weeknight dinner or feeding a group at a casual gathering, this is the Best Easy Chili recipe. Packed with rich flavors, tender ground beef, and protein-packed beans, this chili is as versatile as it is delicious.
Why you’ll love this Easy Chili
- Easy to whip up!
- Comfort food at its best!
- Great for large gatherings!
- Crowd pleaser!
- Perfect for freezing!
Understanding the Ingredients
To create a truly flavorful chili, it all starts with the ingredients. Using fresh, high-quality ingredients can make all the difference in the final dish.
- Ground beef is the star of this recipe, providing richness and a satisfying texture. Opt for ground beef with a higher fat content, such as 80/20, to achieve a more flavorful result, though leaner options can work if you prefer a lighter chili.
- Onions provide texture and sweetness to the base of the chili. Use vidalia or yellow onions depending on your preference.
- Peppers like red, green or yellow bell peppers add a pop of flavor and color to the chili.
- Beans add heartiness and nutritional value, making the chili more filling and adding a pleasing texture. You can use kidney beans, black beans, or pinto beans depending on your preference.
- Crushed tomatoes/tomato sauce the combination of both helps create the perfect texture for a rich, hearty meal.
- Spices including chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh ground pepper—creates the depth of flavor that makes chili so irresistible. Using fresh spices will enhance the aroma and taste, ensuring every bite is packed with bold flavors.
The Best Easy Chili-Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground beef (80% or 85%)
- 3 large green bell peppers (diced)
- 2 large vidalia onions (diced)
- 6 15 1/2 oz cans dark red kidney beans (with juice)
- 2 28 oz cans Crushed tomatoes (with basil, Hunt’s)
- 1 28 oz can Tomato sauce
- 7-8 tbsp dark red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (for extra spice add more)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2-3 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Wash and dice green peppers.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a sauce pan, add peppers and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Dice vidalia onions and add to the sauce pan.
- Add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. Peppers and onions should be translucent and slightly soft.
- While the peppers and onions are cooking, brown the ground beef over medium heat until cooked through. (no red should be showing). Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Add ground beef, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans (with juice), chili powder, cayenne, paprika, salt, fresh ground pepper and stir to combine.
- Once the chili starts to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours. The longer it simmers, the better it will taste and the thicker it will get. Stir and taste along the way. Additional spices may be needed based on flavor and heat preference.
- Serve with pasta, rice, taco chips. Add on toppings.
- Enjoy!
Adjusting the Consistency and Seasoning
As the chili simmers, you may need to adjust its consistency. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up. If it’s too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a bit longer to reduce the liquid. The goal is a thick, hearty chili that clings to a spoon.
Taste the chili as it simmers and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. if you prefer more heat, consider adding in more cayenne pepper, a dash of hot sauce or jalapeño, habanero or other hot peppers. However, I recommend keeping it on the milder side especially when serving to a large crowd. Your guests can always add more heat to their individual bowls if desired. In addition, you may want to add a touch of sweetness, such as a small amount of sugar or a splash of vinegar, that can help balance out the flavors, especially if the chili is particularly acidic from the tomatoes.
Serving and Topping Suggestions
Once the chili is perfectly seasoned and simmered, it’s ready to serve. This chili is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Serve it on its own, over pasta, rice, or with a side of warm cornbread or taco chips. For added flavor and texture, consider topping the chili with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or a handful of chopped green onions. Fresh cilantro, jalapeños and avocado slices also make excellent garnishes.
If you have leftovers, this chili tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. It also freezes well, making it an excellent option for meal prep. To freeze, place in air tight containers and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in a sauce pan.
Add some serious heat to your chili with these peppers!
- Jalapeños: For those that like a little more milder spice, cut up some fresh jalapeños. Jalapeños range from 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville heat scale. Much milder than a habanero.
- Habaneros: Years ago, the habanero was listed as one of the world’s hottest chilis. However, in recent years, it has been displaced by hotter peppers. The habanero is categorized in the extra-hot zone on the Scoville heat scale, ranging from 100,000-350,000, just below the super-hot peppers. Cut them up and add some real heat!
- Ghost peppers: Second hottest pepper in the world measuring between 855,000 to 1,041,427 Scoville Heat Units.
- Carolina Reapers: Reaches a peak heat of 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units. It’s 440 times hotter than a jalapeño, and twice as hot as a Ghost Pepper!
Make some chili for your next party!
This is The Best Easy Chili! This straightforward, delicious and easy recipe is sure to become a favorite in your household. With simple ingredients and a few easy steps, you can have a warm, comforting meal on the table in no time. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking for a satisfying weeknight dinner, this chili has you covered. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients to make this recipe your own, and don’t forget to share your chili creations with us in the comments below! Enjoy comfort food at its best! And remember..
Life’s too short to eat bad food!
For other delicious comfort food recipes try:
Cheesy Stuffed Shells Casserole
The Best Easy Chili
Equipment
- Large Frying Pan
- 8 quart sauce pan
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground beef 80% or 85%
- 3 large green bell peppers diced
- 2 large vidalia onions diced
- 6 15 1/2 oz cans dark red kidney beans with juice
- 2 28 oz cans Crushed tomatoes with basil, Hunt's
- 1 28 oz can Tomato sauce
- 7-8 tbsp dark red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper for extra spice add more
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2-3 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dice green peppers.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a sauce pan, add peppers and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Dice vidalia onions and add to the sauce pan.
- Add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. Peppers and onions should be translucent and slightly soft.
- While the peppers and onions are cooking, brown the ground beef over medium heat until cooked through. (no red should be showing). Remove from heat and drain grease.
- Add ground beef, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans (with juice), chili powder, cayenne, paprika, salt, fresh ground pepper and stir to combine.
- Once the chili starts to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours. The longer it simmers, the better it will taste and the thicker it will get. Stir and taste along the way. Additional spices may be needed based on flavor and heat preference.
- Serve with pasta, rice, taco chips. Add on toppings.
- Enjoy!
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