Classic Beef Chili Recipe

Beef
Recipes

by Kylie PerrottiPosted on June 30, 2023June 30, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

Jump to Recipe

This is my take on a classic beef chili recipe. It’s loaded with tons of spice, beans, ground beef, and plenty of peppers for a nice aroma and punch of heat. It’s a super easy chili recipe that I know you’ll love. I love this chili piled on baked potatoes or served with yummy chili toppings, like avocado, sour cream, and cheese, of course.

Classic Beef Chili Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (2)

I love chili, and if you’ve been to my site before, you know I have plenty of chili recipes. Beef and black bean, turkey, and white chicken chili, just to name a few! I love chili for its versatility, and it’s one of my favorite “dump” recipes. Follow a basic flavor premise, and you can add just about anything to it!

How to make this classic beef chili recipe:

In this beef chili recipe, I use a mix of the following:

Ground beef
Aromatics like onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, and canned green chilies
Plenty of spices like chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder
Tomato paste and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
Brown sugar
Light red kidney beans

Classic Beef Chili Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (3)

It comes together in about an hour and a half, including the simmering time. You can simmer it longer if you want an extra thick chili. Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Fry up the ground beef first and remove it from the pot.
Step 2: Cook up the aromatics until softened, and then add all the spices.
Step 3: Return the beef to the pot and add tomato paste. Fry it until the paste deepens in color and begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 4: Add the crushed tomatoes, water, brown sugar, and beans and bring to a boil. Simmer until nice and thick, at least 45 minutes.
Step 5: Serve it up! Pile it on baked potatoes or serve it with your favorite chili toppings.

This is my take on a classic beef chili recipe. It’s loaded with tons of spice, beans, ground beef, and plenty of peppers for a nice aroma and punch of heat.

4.78 from 9 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Equipment

Large pot

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, 90/10
1 tablespoon neutral oil, as needed
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
1 green bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
1 jalapeño, trimmed and small-diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder, more or less to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water or beef stock
4.5- ounce can chopped green chilies
14.5- ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
15- ounce can light red kidney beans. drained
2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more to your taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown the beef:

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, for 15 minutes until completely browned and cooked through. Season all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.

Cook the aromatics:

If the pot seems dry, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the onion and peppers soften. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter into the vegetables and add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne powder. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Brown the tomato paste:

Return the meat to the pot and toss to combine. Add the tomato paste and cook, mashing it into the beef until it deepens in color and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 3–5 minutes.

Simmer the chili:

Pour in the water or stock and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped green chilies, crushed tomatoes, beans, and brown sugar. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick.
After the chili finishes simmering, taste and season it again to your preferences.

To serve:

Ladle the chili into bowls or pile on top of baked potatoes. Enjoy with your favorite garnishes, like sour cream, radishes, avocado, or grated cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!