This quick Beef Chili Recipe with beans and ground beef takes just 30 minutes to prepare, but it tastes like it’s been cooking all day! It’s made with ground beef, hearty beans, and has a tasty but mild chili flavor.
If you love hearty soups and chili recipes, you can also try this White Chicken Chili, Southwest Turkey Soup, or Beef and Barley Soup.
Quick and Easy Beef Chili Recipe with Beans
Making delicious beef chili doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply craving a comforting meal, this quick and easy chili recipe is sure to hit the spot.
Follow along as I walk you through the steps to create a mouthwatering beef chili that everyone will love. If you’re wondering what to make with this chili recipe, you might consider our Homemade Cinnamon Rolls which is always a classic, our Cornbread or our cornbread muffins. This is a family dinner recipe that never gets old.
Chili Recipe Video Tutorial
Key Ingredients
- Beans: You can certainly use dry beans and go through the process of cooking your own beans. But in a pinch, I love using canned beans. You can use just about any type of canned beans. For this recipe I used 2 cans of black beans and 1 can of kidney beans, but pinto beans, garbanzo beans, or red beans would also work great. One other important note—don’t rinse your beans! It adds flavor.
- Tomato Base: The tomato base in this beef chili recipe is from one large can of crushed tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato paste. This chili recipe has a mild tomato flavor. It isn’t overpowering but you can taste just a hint of it. The crushed tomatoes give it a little variation in the chili texture and the tomato paste give it that rich tomato flavor we love.
- Ground Beef: This chili recipe is very forgiving. Use whatever fat content of beef you prefer. I like to use 85/15 beef (meaning it is 85% ground beef to 15% fat). The butcher adds different percentiles of fat to the ground beef. The percentage of fat content will keep the beef very lean and more on the dry side and the more fat that is added, the juicier the beef. I like a moderate amount of fat in this recipe because I like the chunks of hearty ground beef.
Helpful Tools
- I love cooking with my large cast iron Dutch oven. It cooks really evenly, looks beautiful, and cleans up really nice.
- A ladle with a nice handle and classic white bowls.
Favorite Ways to use Leftover Chili
- Jalupies: I don’t really know where this word came from but this is one of the staple meals I grew up with. I guess it’s because it’s not expensive, feeds a crowd, and is really versatile. It’s perfect for serving to a big group of people. This is how we layer our chili. Start out with a base of Frito’s tortilla chips, add a big scoop of chili, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, and some shredded lettuce. So good!
- Nachos: Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top with leftover chili and lots of shredded cheese, bake until cheese is melted and top with sour cream, olives and salsa.
- Stuffed Baked Potatoes: Slice baked potatoes in half, scoop out some of the flesh, fill with leftover chili, and top with sour cream and chives.
- Chili Mac and Cheese: Mix leftover chili with cooked macaroni and cheese for a hearty and flavorful meal.
- Stuffed Bell Peppers: Cut the tops off bell peppers, remove seeds, fill with chili, top with cheese, and bake until peppers are tender.
- Add to Quesadillas: Spread chili and shredded cheese between two tortillas, then cook in a skillet until crispy and cheese is melted. You can make them similar to these chicken Quesadillas.
Recipe Tips
- It make things quick and easy, use canned beans! You can certainly use dry beans and if you’re wanting to make it that way, follow my tutorial on how to make it using pinto beans.
- Don’t drain the canned beans!
- You can use canned tomatoes or home-canned tomatoes. They make the best homemade chili sauce recipe. The great thing about this recipe is that is so easy to always have these ingredients on hand.
- This recipe calls for 1.5 lb of ground beef but you can increase or decrease the amount as you please. You can also use ground turkey in place of the beef.
- This is a great freezer meal. You can store in a covered container and freeze for up to 3 months. It thaws great!
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, and shredded cheese for an easy meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground beef works great for homemade chili. Using a lower fat ground beef such as a 15/85 blend or 12/88 blend work great. This will ensure the beef is tender and has a ton of flavor.
Yes, browning the beef adds depth of flavor to the chili. It also caramelizes the meat, enhancing the overall taste.
To reduce the heat, consider using mild chili powder, or reducing the amount of chili powder. You can also add a dollop of sour cream.
Absolutely! You can brown the beef and sauté the aromatics before adding everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
You can make a slurry with cornstarch and water, then stir it into the chili and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Alternatively, you can add a can of refried beans or use a stick blender to puree some of the chili to thicken it.
Yes, chili often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or freeze it for longer storage.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- To reheat: transfer to a pot over medium high heat and warm. You can also microwave this soup to reheat.
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: store in freezer bags or another airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Quick Beef Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups yellow onions, diced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef, 85/15
- 3 15.25-ounce cans beans (black, kidney, red, or pinto), do not drain
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 4 ounces green chilis, do not drain
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add the avocado oil and heat over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the diced onions and cook until the onions begin to caramelize—about 5-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon and cooking over medium heat until there is only a little pink left. Pour 3 cans of beans along with their sauces into the hamburger mixture and add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, green chilis, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined and bring to a simmer, letting the chili cook on medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve with chili toppings like sour cream and shredded cheese. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Lasagna Soup
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- Black Bean Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
- Turkey Enchilada Soup
- Hearty Corn Chowder
- Turkey and Rice Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Creamy Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 30 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup
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- More Soup Recipes
- More Beef Recipes
This easy chili recipe is made with simple chili ingredients. This can be made in 30 minutes but taste like it’s been cooking all day! It’s made with ground beef and hearty beans and has a flavorful but mild chili flavor. The entire family will love this beef chili recipe!
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Categories:
30-Minute Meals, Beef, Easy Weeknight Meals, Fall Recipes, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Nut-Free, Soups, Videos,
This is my go to recipe! I wasn’t a chili fan until I found this! One of my cans of beans is garbanzo beans! They add a new texture. Thanks so much!
This made a big crockpot full, and sooo tasty. My family loved it.
Hooray!! So glad your family loved it! I love hearing your feedback!