One of the first things I make come fall is a big, comforting pot of homemade chili. Growing up, chili was on regular rotation in our house. Sometimes it was my mom’s homemade chili, sometimes it was a good ole can of Hormel, and honestly? I loved them both.
I’m of the opinion that chili is deeply personal, which means the best chili is really just the one you love most. My personal philosophy is that chili should be deeply flavorful, but above all, unfussy, aka the kind of thing you eventually know how to throw together without even looking at a recipe.
So I’m not here to tell you to abandon your beloved family chili recipe because mine is the best (although, I have to say, mine is pretty damn good). Instead, I want to give you a few simple techniques that will make just about any pot of chili taste better. Brown the beef properly. Give the onions time. Caramelize your tomato paste. Bloom your spices (and use a blend of chili powders for extra flavor!). Let the whole thing simmer until all those flavors become one. Learn those building blocks, and eventually you might not need a chili recipe at all.
And in my house, no bowl of chili is complete without my mom’s famous cornbread. It’s essentially a zhuzhed-up box of Jiffy, and it is ridiculously moist, buttery, and good. No dry cornbread around here partner. If you’re making the chili, you’re gonna have to make that one too. You can find the recipe here.
This is the kind of meal that ends up with a text in the group chat, “I’ve got chili on the stove and the Eagles are on at 1, open invite to come on over.” Put a pot on the stove, invite your people, throw a game on, set out a toppings bar, and let everyone help themselves. That, to me, is peak chili season.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s just a darn good bowl of chili. Beefy, smoky, hearty, saucy, and even better piled high with all the fixins.
- Ancho chile powder adds another layer of flavor. It brings a deeper, slightly smoky chile flavor alongside your standard chili powder without making the chili overwhelmingly spicy.
- Taking a little extra time to brown and caramelize your ingredients before adding the next one gives you a much richer chili without adding a bunch of complicated ingredients.
- It gets better with time. Thirty minutes will give you a delicious chili, but let it hang out on the stove for an hour or two and it gets even better. And like most chili, the leftovers are arguably better the next day, making it great for meal prep or stocking your freezer.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like ground beef for a classic, hearty chili. As it browns, it also leaves behind plenty of flavorful fond that becomes the base of the flavor.
- Onion + poblano pepper: The aromatic base of the chili. Poblano adds more flavor than a standard bell pepper without bringing a ton of heat. Feel free to throw in a diced jalapeño as well if you like things spicier.
- Chili powder + ancho chile powder: Standard chili powder gives you that familiar classic chili flavor, while ancho chile powder adds a deeper, smokier chile flavor.
- Kidney beans + black beans: My favorite bean combination for chili. You can swap either for pinto beans or use whatever combination you love.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: I love the extra flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes here. Use diced tomatoes for a chunkier chili or crushed tomatoes for a smoother consistency.
- Canned green chilies: An easy way to add another layer of mild chile flavor without much additional heat.
- Tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor and helps give the chili a richer base. We’ll cook it until it caramelizes before adding any liquid.
- Beer: Adds another layer of savory flavor and helps us deglaze all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. If you’d rather skip it, just use additional broth. Use a lager for more neutral flavor, or a stout to amp up the bold flavor.
- Beef broth: Adds savory flavor while giving the chili enough liquid to simmer and reduce. Chicken broth also works!
- Worcestershire sauce: Just a little adds an extra hit of savory, umami flavor.
- Brown sugar + ketchup: Not enough to make the chili sweet! A little of each helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and round out all those smoky, savory flavors.
Tips & Tricks
- If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this recipe, it’s this: don’t rush the beginning. Giving each ingredient a chance to brown before adding the next is where so much of the flavor comes from.
- Start with the beef. Press it into the hot pot and leave it alone for a couple of minutes before breaking it apart. You want an actual golden-brown color (no gray steamed beef here). Those browned bits left behind on the bottom of the pot are flavor.
- Give the onion and poblano time. Let them soften and begin to caramelize in the beef drippings before moving on.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Cooking tomato paste for a few minutes deepens its flavor, mellows its raw acidity, and adds another layer of richness.
- Bloom your spices. Toasting the spices briefly in the fat before adding liquid wakes up their flavors and makes them much more aromatic.
- Deglaze with beer. Scrape up all that fond from the bottom of the pot, then let the beer reduce until it has mostly evaporated before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Simmer it uncovered. This allows excess liquid to evaporate, concentrating the flavors and naturally thickening the chili. Thirty minutes works when you need dinner on the table, but if you have the time, let it gently simmer for 1–2 hours.
- Adjust as you need. Chili changes as it cooks and reduces, so wait until the end to make your final adjustments. Taste it for salt, spice, thickness, etc.
What to Serve with Homemade Chili
As I said before, chili is simply not complete in my house without a side of cornbread, and my Mama’s Cornbread is by far the easiest (and one of the best) I’ve ever had.
And then there are the fixins, which are arguably half the fun. Set everything out and let people build their own bowls. My favorites are:
- Pickled jalapeños
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Crushed tortilla chips for crunch—Trader Joe’s elote corn chips are my absolute favorite!
More Cozy Recipes to Try
If a big pot of something simmering away on the stove is your idea of a good time, try one of these next:
Print
Classic Homemade Chili
- Total Time: 85
- Yield: 6
Description
This classic homemade chili is hearty, smoky, and deeply flavorful with ground beef, beans, poblano peppers, and two types of chile powder.
Ingredients
For the Classic Homemade Chili:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, deseeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1½ tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup beer (or substitute for more beef broth)
- 1 14oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 4oz can diced green chilies
- 1 (15.5oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- Splash of pickled jalapeño juice (optional)
- Salt to taste
Desired Toppings:
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Pickled jalapenos
- Crushed tortilla chips for crunch (preferably TJ’s elote corn chips!)
Instructions
For the Classic Homemade Chili:
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the ground beef and press it into an even layer across the bottom of the pot. Let cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, or until deeply browned on the bottom. Flip, then break the beef into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking until mostly browned. If there is a lot of excess grease, drain it, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot.
- Add the onion and poblano along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize. If the pot looks dry, add another drizzle of olive oil.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring it into the beef and vegetables, until it darkens slightly and begins to caramelize.
- Add the chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and well incorporated.
- Pour in the beer and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, or until the beer has mostly evaporated.
- Stir in the tomatoes, green chilies, kidney beans, black beans, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, splash of jalapeño juice, and another pinch of salt.
- Increase the heat and bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes, or preferably 1–2 hours for a deeper flavor and thicker consistency. Stir occasionally, scraping along the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. If the chili becomes thicker than you’d like, add a splash of beef broth, or cover to prevent more liquid from evaporating.
- Taste and adjust the salt and seasonings as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream or Greek yogurt, pickled jalapeños, and crushed tortilla chips.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 75
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Let leftover chili cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The flavor gets even better after a night in the fridge, making this a great recipe to make ahead.
Freezer: Chili freezes beautifully. Once completely cooled, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room at the top for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: Warm the chili in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. It will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of beef broth or water as needed to loosen it back up. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chili ahead of time?
Absolutely—and I actually recommend it if you have the time. Chili is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to mingle. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate it, then gently reheat it on the stove before serving.
How long should I simmer chili?
You can serve this chili after about 30 minutes of simmering, but I prefer giving it 1–2 hours when possible. The longer simmer allows some of the liquid to evaporate and gives the flavors more time to develop. Just keep the heat low and stir occasionally.
Should chili be simmered covered or uncovered?
I prefer to simmer this chili uncovered. It allows excess moisture to evaporate, which concentrates the flavors and gives you a thicker, richer chili. If it starts getting too thick before you’re ready to serve, simply add a splash of broth.
Can I make this chili without beer?
Yes! Replace the beer with an equal amount of beef broth. You’ll lose a little of the malty flavor the beer brings, but the chili will still be delicious.
What kind of beer is best for chili?
You don’t need anything fancy. A lager, amber ale, or other relatively mild beer works well. I’d avoid anything extremely hoppy, like a strong IPA, since reducing it can concentrate the bitterness.
Can I make this chili spicier?
Definitely. Add a diced jalapeño along with the poblano, add cayenne with the other spices, or finish your bowl with hot sauce and pickled jalapeños. That way you can make the base chili approachable and let everyone customize the heat.
Can I use different beans?
Of course. Kidney and black beans are my favorite combination, but pinto beans are great here too. Use whatever combination you prefer—or whatever is sitting in your pantry.
How do I thicken chili?
The easiest way is simply to let it simmer uncovered for longer. As the liquid evaporates, the chili will naturally become thicker and more concentrated. I’d do this before reaching for any additional thickeners.
