This homemade Ground Beef Chili is loaded with classic flavor. It’s an easy, comforting meal that’s perfect for game day entertaining.
I love to serve this chili with a slice of Mexican Cornbread, warm from the oven.
My husband is hooked on the chili from a little diner near us. It’s a classic red chili with ground beef and beans and a mild blend of chili seasonings. They serve it topped with cheese and onions with saltines on the side for dipping and the whole experience is something he craves over and over again.
This Ground Beef Chili recipe is my attempt to replicate the familiar, somewhat nostalgic flavor in the diner chili. And, I think I nailed it!
The secret is in the ingredient list, which is quite different than the ingredients for my Turkey Chili or Halftime Chili. I’ve already made this chili 4 or 5 times for dinner and I will definitely be doubling it up for a crowd watching football in the future.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: I use 90% lean ground beef. If you use a fattier beef, just be sure to drain off the excess grease the best you can.
- Beans: Canned kidney beans and pinto beans. You can substitute any beans you’d like (black beans are always a great choice) but I think this is the most classic combo.
- Produce: Yellow onion and minced garlic. Green bell pepper is an important piece of the flavor profile for this recipe. If you subtstitute red bell pepper, it will still be delicious but it won’t be the same.
- Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes. I highly recommend using San Marzano tomatoes if you can. They are sweeter, less acidic, and really worth the price if you can swing it.
- Broth: Low sodium beef broth.
- Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin, dry mustard, dried oregano, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes. This unique chili seasoning blend is absolutely delicious and creates a mild chili as written. You can increase the amount of red pepper flakes if you want a spicier chili.
- Brown sugar: There is just enough brown sugar to balance the flavors without making it taste sweet. It’s a nice enhancement!
- Worcestershire sauce: Beefs up the flavor of the beef!
- Oil: A little neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
How to Make Ground Beef Chili
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and cook the onion and bell pepper. When tender, add the garlic and cook briefly.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon. Drain the excess grease then add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.
- Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and beans.
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chili reaches the desired thickness.
Chili Consistency Tips
Cooking the chili uncovered for the last bit of the cooking time will reduce some of the liquid and help to thicken it up. For thicker chili, reduce the beef broth by ½ cup OR cook it longer without the cover. If you prefer a thinner chili you can add additional beef broth to loosen it up at the end of the cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
- Chili Toppings: Classic choices include shredded cheese, diced onion, and sour cream. It never hurts to have a little hot sauce on hand for those that want to spice it up.
- For Serving: For a diner chili experience, serve Ground Beef Chili with saltine crackers or oyster crackers. We also love it with Fritos and tortilla chips. For a more substantial meal, include Mexican Cornbread or Sweet Cornbread.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours. The chili will stay fresh and tasty for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freeze: Chili freezes well! Place it in freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little room for expansion. It will stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Allow frozen chili to thaw safely overnight in the refrigerator before warming on the stove or in the microwave.
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Ground Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground beef, 90% lean
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth, *see notes below
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, (use San Marzano tomatoes, if possible)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 16 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 16 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Optional Ingredients
- Shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, sour cream, for topping
- Saltine crackers,oyster crackers, Fritos, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over MEDIUM heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess grease and return the pot to LOW heat.
- Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir it into the meat mixture. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, dry mustard, oregano, salt and pepper over the mixture and stir until well combined. Allow the mixture to cook over LOW heat for a minute or two. Then add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and beans.
- Increase the heat as needed to bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to LOW, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches the desired thickness.
Notes
- Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours. The chili will stay fresh and tasty for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freeze: Chili freezes well! Place it in freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little room for expansion. It will stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Allow frozen chili to thaw safely overnight in the refrigerator before warming on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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