This Best Classic Chili Recipe will bring the heat to warm you from the inside out on chilly days. Serve it with assorted toppings, tortilla chips and cornbread for game day eats or any day when hearty meals are on the menu.

Best Classic Chili Recipe

Chili usually brings with it strong opinions about what type of meat should be used and if it should include beans. Some feel it should only be beef, and not ground beef but, chunks of prime beef stewed in a delicious spicy sauce. Some chili lovers feel it should never include beans of any kind, and some say only pintos, or only red beans or only kidney beans. I say, to each their own. I love each and every variation of chili. Whether it’s made with or without beans, spicy or mild, tomato based or not. I even enjoy the occasional bowl of the stepchild of chili, white chicken chili. They all have their place on the menu. How to make Best Classic Chili Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

Ground Beef and Peppers – In a large pot or 6 quart dutch oven cook together beef, onion, poblano and jalapeno in a few drizzles of olive oil. Cook over medium-high until no pink remains, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer. Drain excess fat from pot.
Mix-ins – To the pot add beans, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix well.
Simmer – Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
Add Cilantro – Mix in cilantro at the end of cooking.
Serve – Serve with shredded cheese, green onion, sour cream and tortilla chips.

onions-peppers-ground-beef-beans in a pot

How to Make the Best Classic Chili Recipe

One of the many things I love about chili is, that it gets better and better with each passing day. Much like soup, the flavors become even more intense as they marry. This recipe is my go-to when I need to whip-up a pot for my family to serve along with cornbread or tortilla chips for a cold weather meal.

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Best Classic Chili: Lean ground beef, onion, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, olive oil, garlic, light red kidney beans, diced chili seasoned tomatoes, beef bone broth, tomato paste, lime, dark chili powder, ground cumin, cocoa powder, Mexican oregano, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon and fresh cilantro.
Kitchen tools you’ll need: Large pot or Dutch oven, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and cutting board.
Use a quality mix of beef such as a mix of ground chuck and ground sirloin for the best flavor.
You may thicken the chili further, or less, to your liking by adjusting the amount of tomato paste used. You can also add additional beans that have been mashed to thicken.
Prepared chili powder often has other seasonings included in addition to a variety of ground chilies. You can use your favorite blend and adjust the amount used to your liking as the level of heat may vary, too. Checkout Alton Brown’s homemade chili powder recipe, if you’d like to make your own.
This chili can be made up to 2 days in advance and reheated.
You can freeze this chili for up to 2 months.

More Chili Recipes to Make

All Beef Texas Style Chili is packed with flavor.
Fusion Chili Spaghetti topped with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Chili Cheese Frito Pie for casual meals and game day eating.
Buffalo Chicken Chili features all of the same flavors we love about buffalo wings.
Better than copycat Chipotle Turkey Chili.
Chicken Chili with Chorizo Sausage is a kicked up chicken chili.
Instant Pot Beef and Bean Chili comes together in no time flat using a pressure cooker.
Hearty Vegetarian Chili from Two Peas and Their Pod.

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