My Favorite Homemade Chili Recipe
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Being from Iowa, I grew up eating a lot of chili. I’m not mad about it. In fact, I absolutely love chili! And I have to say this recipe for my homemade chili really hits the spot. It has a classic feel and taste which makes it ultra comforting. It’s made with ground beef, onion, garlic, beans, spices, tomatoes and my secret ingredient, masa flour! It’s all cooked in one pot, you know how much I love cooking in my dutch oven. I have to say, if I’m making chili, this is the recipe I’m using! Hands down.
If you’re a one-pot recipe lover like me, then you are definitely making chili this season. My kids love chili so it’s definitely hitting the dinner table often in my house. I also love to make my Healthy Turkey Chili and my Chicken Chili (slow cooker recipe). Both are delicious in their own way. But if you’re craving a traditional beef and bean chili, this is the one. In fact, this chili is my good friend, Tina’s, go-to recipe! This is a compliment because Tina is an amazing cook! I’ll take it. 🙂
Homemade Chili Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onion: yellow or white will work. A medium size is perfect.
- Green bell pepper: I love adding bell peppers to stews, casseroles and meat sauces.
- Garlic: for flavor.
- Ground beef: Any kind will do. If you use a higher fat ground beef, drain some of the fat after it cooks. You can sub ground turkey if you’d like.
- Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. This combination of tomatoes creates a nice, rich base for the chili to cook in.
- Red kidney beans: Red are classic, but pinto are another great option.
- Water: A cup of water is needed to mix with the masa flour. It also thins the sauce out so that it can simmer and cook down.
- Masa flour: This is my secret ingredient. The masa helps thicken the chili, make a smooth sauce and add corn flavor. It’s a game changer.
- Chili powder, cumin, oregano, parsley, basil, cayenne pepper (optional), salt and pepper: I love this combo of spices for chili. It’s just enough, without being over powering. It’s very kid-friendly.
Instructions
There are three easy steps to making this homemade chili. It’s all cooked in one large pot and takes about an hour to fully cook. With that said, the longer chili simmers, the better it will be.
- Sauté the vegetables: First, sauté the onion and green bell pepper in a little olive oil. This allows them to soften and caramelize. About 5 minutes.
- Brown the meet and add the spices: Add the ground beef, garlic and spices. Cook the beef until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon. The garlic is added at this time to prevent burning.
- Add the tomatoes, masa slurry and simmer: Mix masa with water and stir into the pot along with the tomatoes. Bring the chili to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. The chili will cook down, the meat will tenderize the flavors will meld together.
Healthy Swaps
This homemade chili recipe is already pretty healthy. However, there are a few swaps you can make. These swaps will result in a leaner and more nutrient-dense chili.
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef for a leaner protein. I would suggest using dark meat ground turkey if you can.
- Use Greek yogurt, avocado and cilantro for garnishes. This is how I like to eat it!
Serving Suggestions:
- Over a baked potato – this is classic and SO good.
- With cornbread. Classic and delicious.
- Over hot dogs with cheese – I mean come on. This is a once a year type of situation but it’s darn good.
- Garnish with shredded cheese, red onion, chives, green onion, sour cream, or tortilla chips. The list can go on and on!
Enjoy!
The Best Homemade Chili Recipe
This is my go-to recipe for homemade chili. It's inspired from my Iowa roots so you know it's good! It definitelt has that classic chili taste and feel. It's also super easy to make and feeds a crowd!
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3-4 garlic cloves)
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1, 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
- 1, 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1, 15 ounce can red kidney beans (drained. Can add 1 more can if you like more beans)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup masa flour
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium heat and drizzle2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom. Add diced onion and green bell pepper and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ground beef and continue cooking until ground beef is cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Next add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- In a small bowl mix 1 cup water with 1/4 cup masa flour and add to the chili.
- Finally add the red kidney beans and spices. Stir and turn heat to low and let chili simmer for 1 hour stirring every 10-15 minutes. If chili becomes too thick, add 1/4 cup of water at a time to thin it out. After chili has simmered, taste for spices. Add more to your liking. Garnish with your favorite toppings: avocado, cheese, green onion or red onion, sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, tortilla chips or corn bread.
Notes
Chili will last refrigerated for up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 619Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 1621mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 12gSugar: 14gProtein: 52g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
I’m making this chili for dinner as we speak. It has 20 minutes left to cook. My husband and I have tasted this chili and he likes it. Me, not so much. I think it lacks real “chili” flavor. Although I’m a lover of tomatoes, for me it has too much tomato flavor. Next time, I will omit the can of tomato sauce and increase the chili powder. Personally, I don’t like green bell pepper in my chili so I would omit that as well. Maybe it will taste better tomorrow! 🙁
Hi Lori – thank you for your comment and for trying out my chili recipe! So sorry you didn’t like it as much as your husband – like all recipes, adapt them to what YOU like. My family happens to love tomatoes – married to an Italian man so the tomato flavor is delicious to us. Did it taste better the next day? Most soups and stews tend to taste better the next day as it allows the flavor to settle a little.
Just made your chilli yesterday and I loved it!!!
So glad you liked it Joey!
do you know if this can be made in the crockpot? and if so how would you adjust the recipe?
Sooo good! A recipe my whole family enjoys. Comforting and makes enough for a big crowd!
I’ve never put masa flour in my chili. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I think I’d try this recipe with ground bison. I have an irrational fear of mad cow disease…
It’s a great trick to adding more warmth and body to chili! 😉
Nice recipe. Thank you.