Quick and Easy Chili Recipe
on Oct 26, 2019, Updated Mar 15, 2024
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This is such a flavor-filled quick and easy chili recipe! It’s the perfect meal for Fall and Winter days when you’re craving something hearty and warm!
You know what goes amazingly well with this recipe? My Golden, Sweet & Fluffy Cornbread recipe!
An Easy Stovetop Chili Recipe for Busy Weeknights
Chili season is officially upon us, friends! And I couldn’t be happier about it. Chili doesn’t just mean big flavor and a hearty and warming bowl of goodness. It signifies crunchy and colorful leaves, the approach of the holidays, crisp evening air, and time spent huddled around the kitchen table with loved ones. And for how silly easy this chili is to make, it sure does pack in the flavor and satisfaction elements!
My Favorite Chili Topping Ideas
I love topping a bowl of chili with some cheese, oyster crackers, and sour cream. But you could also add a little hot sauce, crushed tortilla chips, cornbread, or sliced green onion, and it would be divine. One of my favorite things is to get a slice of homemade cornbread and crumble it on top of my chili. I mix it in and then each spoonful has chili and cornbread in it – SO GOOD.
Tips & Tricks for Making the Perfect Chili:
How to Customize This Chili Recipe:
The best thing about chili is it’s totally customizable! You can add any other veggies or spices you love, or take out things you don’t like, too. It’s really up to the cook, but common chili ingredients (other than the ones listed in this recipe) include: carrots, celery, corn, black beans, bell pepper, and all kinds of savory spices.
Have fun with it, and add what you like! You can also use different ground meat, too, like chicken, turkey, or bison, if you prefer.
How Long to Cook Chili on the Stove:
You can let chili simmer for a while to let the flavors continue to mingle. Anything much longer than an hour, though, will make it really thick, so you may need to add more liquid if it’s too thick for your liking. I recommend simmering this recipe for 20 minutes on the stovetop.
Can You Use Water Instead of Stock?
You certainly can if you don’t have beef or chicken stock, but it won’t contribute the savory flavor that stock does. If you just need to add a little liquid to make it a somewhat thinner consistency, mixing in a splash of water would be a great idea.
How to Adjust the Thickness of Your Chili
This is also totally up to your personal preference! If you like it thick, then let it simmer for longer, but if you prefer a soupier consistency, don’t simmer it for so long, or add a bit more liquid.
This Chili is an Amazing Freezer Meal Idea!
This chili is also a wonderful freezer meal for you to make and save for a later (preferably chilly) date. You can also easily double the recipe in a giant pot to bring to a party or to serve to a large group! The options are endless, and you really can’t mess it up. Isn’t that just the best thing about chili?
How to Make Homemade Chili:
- Brown the ground beef over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (and jalapenos if using). Add the garlic.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, all of the beans, and the beef or chicken stock.
- Adjust the spices to taste.
- Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Serve hot with toppings of your choice.
How easy is that? Just a few simple steps, some cooking time, and a whole lot of deliciousness in the end. I love making chili because it’s easy and full of flavor.
Quick and Easy Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 1 to 2 jalapenos, finely chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoons garlic, (about 8 cloves), minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, (15 ounce)
- 1 can tomato sauce, (15 ounce)
- 1 can dark kidney beans, (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
- 1 can light kidney beans, (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
- 1 can pinto beans, (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups beef or chicken stock
- Additional salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings:
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Oyster crackers
- Cornbread
- Crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy stock pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes. Don’t be afraid to let the beef sit on the bottom of the pot and get really brown. The brown, charred meat is great for this recipe.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (and jalapenos if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and stir to combine.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to combine, and let the spices cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, all of the beans, and the beef or chicken stock. Stir to combine, scraping up any meat bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Adjust the spices to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium so that the mixture simmers. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with toppings of your choice.
Notes
- You can make this recipe ahead of time. Skip the simmering stage, and put it in the fridge after it cools a bit. Just bring it back up to heat and simmer 10-or-so minutes before serving. It’s excellent as leftovers.
- This recipes freezes very well.
- You can use whatever beans you like in this recipe.
- You can double this recipe in a very large pot to feed a crowd.
Nutrition
More chili recipes you’ll love:
- Easy Slow Cooker Chili
- Cornbread Waffles with Chili
- Easy Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Lentil Chili
- Easy White Chicken Chili Recipe
Hi Melissa,
I live in the heart of red and green chiles but sometimes like to make what I call Gringo Chili. It is a quick and easy dish for potlucks and football Sundays. Thanks for your recipe. It was quick and very delicious. I liked your suggestion to include cornbread with the chili. I made a variation called Memphis Corn pudding. The base of it is a Cornbread Jiffy mix. It is also quick and easy.
I look forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks again.
Turned out really delicious !
And so easy too right? This is one of those recipe I can ask a kid to help me on and they can make just about all of it! Thanks for the review Crystal!
This is a Great Recipe, It was Easy to Follow Along, and it was Really good!
Very fun, yummy, and easy! Not too many ingredients, but not too little
Worked really well overall, timing may vary depending on what things you use.
As always, your recipes are easy to follow and delicious! I used 2 cans of 10oz diced tomatoes with habaneros. I also made your delicious cornbread! Thank you for such yummy recipes.
Loved this recipe! I subbed the chicken/beef stock for liquid ready to use vegetable bouillon. I used a red onion and white onion. This was so good, my husband actually admitted he liked it (hard to do) and requested I make him a separate batch for himself so he can doctor it up with his hot sauce. It was a battle for who would be able to eat the leftovers. He’s not one to eat leftovers at all! Definitely a keeper to use in the future!
I typically start with a mix to make chili. Today I didn’t have a mix but had all the ingredients (except beans) for your recipe. WOW is this delicious! It was so flavorful and hard to stop eating. We like spicy so I used Rotel HOT tomatoes. Delish! Can’t wait to make it with beans!
Thank you for leaving a review, I’m so glad you liked it!
Needed a quickie tonight and this was perfect! The leftovers are already in the freezer for a lazy night! Thanks for another keeper recipe!!!!!! PS….I love to eat it with lots of cheese and sour cream plopped on top.
Hooray! I love that you are so diligent about leaving reviews and making recipes. I’ve had a rough morning and you reminded me why I keep at it. Thank you.
I made this with your cornbread recipe and it was super good! I love your recipes.
YAY! I think they are the perfect combo! And I really appreciate that you left a review on BOTH recipes, that’s so helpful to me, thank you.