Beef Chili

4.87 from 186 votes
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The best chili recipe you’ll ever eat is right here! Our classic beef chili is made with ground beef, beans, diced tomatoes, homemade chili seasoning, and our secret ingredient – a little maple syrup.

So many of you have made this chili recipe and it has OVER 1,000 5-star reviews. It is hands-down our most popular chili recipe on Fit Foodie Finds and we can’t wait for you to make it!

4 bowls of beef chili with Fritos on top.
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5-Star, Award-Winning Chili Recipe

If you’re looking for a 5-star, award-winning chili recipe –> it’s right here! We’ve won multiple chili bake-off contests with this tried-and-true recipe and it’s truly the best chili recipe ever. Oh, and this just in, so have you! Scroll down to the comments to read all about other people using this recipe in chili cook-offs 😍

A quick rundown: Cook ground beef in a large stockpot with onion, garlic, beans, chili seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and our secret ingredient –> a little maple syrup.

Made with Classic Chili Ingredients

There’s a big debacle on the internet about whether classic chili has beans or no beans. In my opinion, the best chili recipe is a base of ground beef, tomato, spices, and BEANS. I love the number of fiber beans add to this dish and I promise you won’t regret adding them.

  • Ground beef: The star of the show here is ground beef. I’ll give you one secret, the fat in your beef matters! We’re big fans of 80% or 85% fat because that little bit of fat adds so much flavor. If you go any leaner, you risk compromising flavor and texture.
  • Tomatoes: One of the reasons I love chili is because it’s made with tomato products. Thick, creamy, and so delicious. This recipe calls for 3 different kinds: tomato sauce (gives this recipe a delicious tomato flavor), diced tomatoes (adds great texture) , tomato puree (helps to thicken and intensify the flavors)
  • Beans: While some traditional beef chili does not call for beans, we like to up the ante a little bit in the nutrition department and include 2 different variations to make this the most epic chili beans recipe. Pinto beans and kidney beans add texture and fiber to this beef chili recipe.
  • Chili seasoning: Do yourself a favor and make your own chili seasoning. I promise you the flavor is better AND there isn’t any added junk. Try our homemade chili seasoning and keep a batch in your cabinet at all times.

homemade chili seasoning ingredients

  • Chili powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Smoked paprika
  • Salt
  • Ground pepper

#1 Secret Ingredient for Beef Chili

Every chili needs a little bit of sugar in some form to bring out all of the savory flavors from the chili seasoning. Our classic chili recipe calls for a little bit of maple syrup. It’s warm, unrefined, and absolutely delightful.

Don’t have maple? Swap it with some brown sugar or even some honey.

beef and onions in stockpot.

How to Make Chili (Stove Top)

  1. Brown the ground beef with the minced onion and garlic.
  2. Add the beans, tomato products, and maple syrup.
  3. Add the chili seasoning and broth and bring to a boil.
  4. Let simmer for around 10 minutes to thicken.

Other Cook Methods

  • Slow Cooker Directions: partially cook the beef on the stove. Then, transfer all ingredients in your slow cooker and mix. Cook on low for around 4 hours. Check out our slow cooker chili recipe.
  • Instant Pot Directions: add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and mix. Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Check out our Instant Pot chili recipe.

How do you thicken chili?

The best way to thicken chili is to let it simmer on the stove over a low heat. This will reduce the moisture from the tomato products and thicken it right up.

Storing it in the fridge overnight will also thicken everything and often times, you need to add a splash of broth or water before serving the next day.

stockpot of the best chili recipe.

Chili Variations

One great thing about chili is that it’s so versatile! Here are some swaps to make this recipe your own:

  • Meat: You can really use any ground meat (or no ground meat at all). We recommend trying ground turkey or chicken.
  • Beans: All variations of beans are up for grabs. Readers in the comments have added black beans and loved it.
  • Spice: If you like it spicy, add some vinegar-based hot sauce or diced jalapeños.
  • Tomato products: many people in the comments said they swapped diced tomatoes for fire-roasted tomatoes and it turned out great.

Topping Ideas

In my opinion, chili isn’t chili without the toppings! I’ll share what we at our bowl of chili with and some other ideas.

  • shredded cheese
  • chips – tortilla or Fritos
  • green onions
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • chives
  • hot sauce
bowl of beef chili with cheese on top.

Leftover Chili Ideas

Got leftovers? Here are a few ideas on how to repurpose this recipe:

Chili Baked Potatoes: Top either a baked potato or baked sweet potato with leftover chili and shredded cheese.

Chili Nachos: Are you a fan of nachos just like us? Place a bag of tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Then, top with leftover chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and other nachos toppings.

Chili Mac and Cheese: It doesn’t get much better than combining 2 of your favorite things into 1 dish. That’s exactly what we did in our Chili Mac and Cheese recipe.

How long does chili last in the fridge?

Store beef chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat: Either place multiple servings of the beef chili back into the stockpot and heat over medium heat until boiling or place 1 serving of chili into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Great Jones the Dutchess

Great Jones

The Dutchess

This is hands-down our favorite Dutch oven. It’s a 6.75 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s super high-quality and gorgeous.

bowl of beef chili with Fritos and shredded cheese.

Can I freeze this chili recipe?

Beef Chili is the perfect chili recipe to freeze! We wrote an entire post on how to freeze soup and it works the exact same way for chili.

  1. Let your beef chili cool completely.
  2. Then, transfer it into an airtight container or freezer-safe gallon-size bag.
  3. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
  4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

We recommend freezing in a freezer-safe gallon-size bag or freezer-safe storage container. Make sure that you remove as much air as possible before sealing.

To thaw + reheat: let thaw overnight in the fridge. Then, transfer back into a large stockpot and heat over low/medium.

4.87 from 186 votes

Best Chili Recipe

The best chili recipe you’ll ever eat is right here! Our beef chili is made with ground beef, beans, diced tomatoes, and a homemade chili seasoning.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients 

Optional toppings

  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • Fritos
  • green onion

Instructions 

  • First, heat a large stockpot over medium/high heat.
  • Then, add ground beef, yellow onion, and minced garlic and sauté for 7-10 minutes or until beef is fully browned.
    beef and onions in pot.
  • Next, add pinto beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and maple syrup to the pot and stir to combine.
  • Add spices and 1 cup of broth and stir to combine.
  • Bring beef chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
    Best chili with spoon.
  • Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
    Four bowls of the best chili with cheese and tortilla chips.

Tips & Notes

  • Nutrition information is for 6 servings and does not include toppings.
  • Slow Cooker Directions: partially cook the beef on the stove. Then, transfer all ingredients in your slow cooker and mix. Cook on low for around 4 hours. Check out our slow cooker chili recipe.
    Instant Pot Directions: add all ingredients to the Instant Pot and mix. Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Check out our Instant Pot chili recipe.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”LZV0Hbyw” upload-date=”2019-09-15T09:00:00.000Z” name=”Best Beef Chili” description=”The best chili recipe you’ll ever eat is right here! Our beef chili is made with ground beef, beans, diced tomatoes, and a homemade chili seasoning.”]

Nutrition

Calories: 367 kcal, Carbohydrates: 38 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 14 g, Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 11 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Chili 101

What is the best secret ingredient for chili?

The best secret ingredient for chili is a little bit of sugar. Whether you use white sugar, brown sugar, or my favorite, maple syrup, a little bit of sugar will bring out all of the savory spices of your chili.

Does traditional chili have beans?

Traditionally, chili used to be served without beans, but in my opinion, it’s so much better with beans!

How do you make chili more flavorful?

o make chili more flavorful, we suggest using more homemade chili seasoning. We always recommend making your own spice blend at home because you can really control the flavor that way. Other ways to add more flavor include: more salt, more heat (diced jalapeño, hot sauce, or green chiles), or add a jar of salsa.

What are good chili toppings?

Good chili toppings include shredded cheese, green onion, sour cream or Greek yogurt, Fritos, tortilla chips, and chives.

How do you make chili spicy?

How do you make chili spicy? To make this beef chili spicy, you can add a few tablespoons of diced jalapeños, poblano peppers, or green chiles. You can even add a few tablespoons of hot sauce.

What can I use instead of ground beef in chili?

Ohhhh, if you must! Yes, ground chicken or turkey both work for this recipe. We’ve even made this chili recipe with a plant-based ground to make it vegetarian.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Rachel
Rachel
February 23, 2024 3:03 pm

5 stars
Says 2 cups of broth, but then in the directions says 1 cup. Not sure if a typo or just missed. But I think I added 2 cups and the family loves it! I also make double and freeze.

Roy
Roy
February 21, 2024 4:04 pm

5 stars
Great tasting chili. I make it monthly for my family and they all love it. I made a few modifications to the recipe, I added a small can of green chili peppers and used black beans instead of pinto beans.

Kerri
Kerri
February 18, 2024 12:57 pm

5 stars
Really great tasting chili. I could really taste the beef and all the classic tastes of a chili. This is really a solid recipe. I did omit the maple because we are cutting back on sugar right now. I will be making this again and again. Oh I also added Trader Joeโ€™s fire roasted diced tomatoes and thatโ€™s makes a difference as well.

Samantha
Samantha
February 13, 2024 3:11 pm

Can you make this chili on the stovetop, but transfer it to a crockpot just to keep it warm for an event?

Kimberly
Kimberly
January 24, 2024 3:47 pm

5 stars
This recipe is amazing! I was a bit skeptical about the maple syrup, but decided to add it anyways and glad I did! It doesn’t make the chili sweet at all, but adds a great flavor. The only changes I made was I used Rotel diced tomatoes w/chilis and only a small can of tomato sauce as that is all I had. This was the best chili recipe I’ve made and the leftovers were even better!

Phyllis
Phyllis
January 23, 2024 2:25 pm

5 stars
Really good. Stuck with the recipe except adding green chilies, just cause I had a can hanging around. Good flavor and just the right amount of heat. Thanks so much!

Jan Miller
Jan Miller
January 19, 2024 1:01 pm

5 stars
I make this recipe over and over and over. Everyone loves it! It’s whats for dinner tonight!

Margaret Shoemaker
Margaret Shoemaker
January 19, 2024 7:06 am

5 stars
I made this recipe yesterday and it is delicious. I made it in a crockpot. I added jalapenos. It’s great! I also used chili beans instead and rotel diced tomatoes with green chili’s.

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mauricegregory
mauricegregory
January 18, 2024 5:58 pm

5 stars
I prepared this for a big group meeting after skiing, and we spent a long time in the hot tub enjoying it, adults and kids alike. Without a doubt, I’ll cook it again, but maybe with some mushrooms this time.
Please get ready to play pico park with us.

Andrea
Andrea
January 14, 2024 12:20 pm

5 stars
I won a chili cook off with this recipe. The highest compliment came from an older gentleman who said that when he tasted it, it tasted like he had โ€œgone home.โ€ This recipe is as delicious as it is easy.

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Vicki
Vicki
May 26, 2024 7:30 pm
Reply to  Andrea

I had someone tell me the same when I made it for a chili cook off tooโ€ฆ and thatโ€™s what sold me on making it, was the fact that so many comments talked about searching for their grandmotherโ€™s recipe, or like one they grew up with and this was it. So fun to make comfort food and bring joy to others!