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Home » Main Dish » Soups, Stews, and Chilis » Halftime Chili

Halftime Chili

By Valerie · January 25, 2021 15 Comments

OP One Pot MD Main Dish
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A bowl of chili with beer in the background with text overlay.

This hearty Halftime Chili is deliciously seasoned and chock full of beef, beans, and beer! Get all the work done in advance so you don’t miss a minute of the next big game.

A bowl of beer chili topped with cheese and sour cream.

We are BIG on chili in this house. I’ve made so many versions that I have fine-tuned my recipes to suit different occasions.

This Halftime Chili is precisely what is in order on a cold day when you’ve got the game on and lots of people to feed. The prep is super easy and then it needs time to sit and simmer on the stove which means that you get to sit and simmer, until halftime. Then it’s time to eat!

A bowl of chili on a plate with saltine crackers.

It is THE perfect football food. It makes a good amount and the leftovers will reheat or freeze beautifully for another meal on another day. Always a bonus in my book!

Ingredients

All the ingredients needed to make Halftime Chili with text overlay.
  • Three kinds of beans bulk up this tasty chili. Black beans, kidney beans, and chili beans, like Bush’s Chili Beans in Chili Sauce. Chili beans come in different varieties and I like to use pinto beans for a nice mix in this chili. The chili sauce adds nice flavor to the chili so you don’t want to drain the chili beans.
  • We have lots of dried seasonings in our pantry so why not use them? A wonderful blend of seasonings including chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper add great depth of flavor to this chili.

The Best Beer for Chili

I most frequently go with a stout, like Guinness, when I make a beer chili. Stouts are deep, dark and add great flavor to chili. If you prefer a lighter style of beer I don’t think it is necessary to run out and buy a stout. I love this chili with a Mexican beer like Modelo or Dos Equis which are pilsner-style lagers. I’ve also done this Halftime Chili with an ale like Newcastle or Sierra Nevada as well. I would not recommend using a lower quality or light beer.

A bowl of chili with a glass of beer in the background.

How to Make Halftime Chili

Three images showing ground beef, spices, and crushed tomatoes cooking in a Dutch oven.
  • Grab a great big pot or Dutch oven, place it over medium high heat and pour in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic for several minutes until softened. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break it up with a spoon until it is thoroughly cooked. Drain the grease and return the pot to the stove.
  • Add all the wonderful seasonings and cook and stir them into the ground beef for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Three images showing beans and beer being added to a pot of chili.
  • Add the kidney beans.
  • Add the black beans.
  • And, finally, the chili beans with their sauce and the beer. Combine it well and then bring the chili to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour.
A wooden spoon stirs a pot of Halftime Chili.
  • Pull yourself up off the couch just long enough to remove the lid and then let it continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes to thicken up a bit.
A ladle rests in a pot of chili with toppings set around it.

Set out your toppings of choice and let everyone have at it. We love grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. Of course an cold beer is a natural accompaniment for this easy beer chili.

A bowl of beer chili with cheese, sour cream, and saltine crackers.

How to Store Chili

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Cooked chili keeps well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, transfer the completely cooled chili to zippered gallon-size plastic storage bags. Push out the excess air, close the bags, lay them flat and freeze them solid. Once frozen, the bags can be stacked to save space.

To reheat, safely thaw the bags of chili in the refrigerator, then warm it on the stove or in the microwave.

More Amazing Chili Recipes

  • My Three Bean Turkey Chili is on regular rotation on my menu.
  • Try my White Chicken Chili for a delicious change from beef.
  • Skip the meat altogether and cook up a batch of this amazing Very Veggie Chili. SO good!
  • Check out my archives for all of my tasty chili recipes.

This post was originally published on December 1, 2013. It has been updated with new text and images.

A bowl of beer chili with cheese, sour cream, and saltine crackers.

Halftime Chili

This hearty Halftime Chili is deliciously seasoned and chock full of beef, beans, and beer! Get all the work done in advance so you don't miss a minute of the next big game.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 510kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 ½ pounds 90% lean ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste (I add lots!)
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 14 ½ ounce can tomato sauce
  • 16 ounce can chili pinto beans in chili sauce (like Bush's), undrained
  • 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 15 ounce can kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 12 ounce bottle beer (stout, ale, or pilsner style lager recommended)

Optional Toppings

  • grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, crushed tortilla chips or saltine crackers, hot sauce or salsa

Instructions

  • Heat oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the ground beef. Cook and stir, breaking up the ground beef until no pink remains. Drain off as much grease as you can from the pot and return it to the heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, all the beans, and the beer. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
  • Remove the lid and stir the chili. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with the toppings of your choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1445mg | Potassium: 1590mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1383IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 9mg
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Categories: Beef, Father's Day, Main Dish, One Pot, Recipe, Soups, Stews, and Chilis

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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  1. Tom says

    July 14, 2018 at 11:51 am

    I’m assuming this can be done in a crock pot?

    Reply
  2. Sharon Meyer says

    October 19, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    This recipe is for 6 to 8 servings. I was wondering what the portion size is for serving?
    I am making this for about 11 hungry people and don’t know if I should double or triple the recipe.

    thanks!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      October 20, 2016 at 8:40 pm

      For 11 I would definitely double it, Sharon. Leftovers are always a good thing when it comes to chili! As written this is plenty for 6.

      Reply
  3. Bill says

    February 4, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    This is the best ground beef chili I’ve ever had, it’s our go to chili recipe.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 4, 2016 at 6:32 pm

      Thanks, Bill! I’m so glad to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  4. Linda says

    December 7, 2013 at 6:42 pm

    I made your chili recipe today and we loved it. We’re really picky and have been looking for years for a good recipe. I think you definitely have a touch of Mom in you! I’m a true fan. Your sis, Linda XOX

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 8, 2013 at 10:10 am

      I’m glad you guys liked it! You have to try the turkey chili…it’s also very good. Love, ya!

      Reply
  5. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    December 4, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    Oh yeah sounds perfect for this cold weather too! I heard it’s a big game this Sunday? I’m always clueless when it comes to sports but I like to make and eat delicious food while everyone focuses on sports. 😀 This looks so good!

    Reply
  6. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says

    December 2, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    Yum! What a perfect comforting bowl of chili!

    Reply

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