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–+ servings
two bowls of chili in white bowls
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5 from 12 votes

Quick and Easy Chili Recipe

This is such a flavor-filled quick and easy chili recipe! It's the perfect meal for Fall and Winter days when you're craving something hearty and warm!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 8
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 medium yellow onions diced
  • 1 to 2 jalapenos finely chopped, optional
  • 2 tablespoons garlic (about 8 cloves), minced
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (15 ounce)
  • 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounce)
  • 1 can dark kidney beans (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can light kidney beans (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can pinto beans (15 ounce, drained and rinsed)
  • 2 cups beef or chicken stock
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings:

  • Grated cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Hot sauce
  • Oyster crackers
  • Cornbread
  • Crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

  • In a large dutch oven or heavy stock pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes. Don't be afraid to let the beef sit on the bottom of the pot and get really brown. The brown, charred meat is great for this recipe.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (and jalapenos if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, and stir to combine.
  • Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to combine, and let the spices cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, all of the beans, and the beef or chicken stock. Stir to combine, scraping up any meat bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Adjust the spices to taste.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium so that the mixture simmers. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.
  • Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve hot with toppings of your choice.

Notes

  • You can make this recipe ahead of time. Skip the simmering stage, and put it in the fridge after it cools a bit. Just bring it back up to heat and simmer 10 or so minutes before serving. It's excellent as leftovers.
  • This recipe freezes very well.
  • Use whatever beans you like in this recipe. I use kidney and pinto but any you have on hand works.
  • Double this recipe in a very large pot to feed a crowd.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 8 servings | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 995mg | Potassium: 1211mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1541IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 7mg

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