Homemade Chili

This homemade Chili is a thick ground beef and kidney bean chili in a tomato base with the perfect balance of spices. Enjoy this tasty chili in a bowl with cheese, sour cream, green onions, and cheddar.

Course dinner/lunch, soups/stews/chili

Cuisine American

Keyword best homemade chili, homemade chili recipe, how to make homemade chili, recipe for homemade chili

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 229kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teapoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teapsoon ground cayenne
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
3-4 tablespoons tomato paste depending on how thick you want it
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed

Instructions

Brown the ground beef in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, add the onion and continue cooking over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion is soft.
Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Stir in the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Worcestershire Sauce. Simmer for 30-40 minutes over low heat.
Add the drained kidney beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. Top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions or your favorite toppings.

Notes

For the best flavor, use ground beef with a little fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor and prevents it from tasting dry. I like to use ground chuck.
Substitute ground turkey or ground pork for the ground beef.
Pro-tip - Instead of trying to tilt the large pot over and drain the fat out, lean it a little bit until the fat drains to one side, and use a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. It is so much easier, and you won’t lose any of the meat while trying to get rid of the fat.
To add more veggies, try bell peppers, sweet potatoes, celery, or carrots.
To make it in a crock pot, follow the recipe up to and including the step where you add the garlic and other spices. Once that step is complete, transfer everything over to a crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the beans) and cook on low for about 5 hours, then add the beans and cook for 1 hour.

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