Beef and Bean Chili is a great recipe for a cold day. It’s hearty and filling, and is full of delicious ingredients, such as fresh vegetables, spices, ground beef, and beans.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Beef and Bean Chili Recipe is a Keeper
If you love chili, this is the best recipe ever! This chili recipe is made with ground beef, chili beans and tomatoes, and all your favorite flavors. Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to try this classic chili recipe:
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients for stovetop chili can be found in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Adaptable: Add your favorite beans, vegetables, or spices to this easy homemade chili.
- Comforting: This easy chili is a classic comfort food, perfect for fall days.
How Do I Thicken Chili?
For thick chili, you don’t want to start with too much liquid. Some great ways to thicken it include mixing in masa harina, cornstarch, cornmeal, or pureed beans. Simmering the chili also allows it to thicken.
Easy Chili Ingredient Notes for the Best Chili Recipe
- Beef: Use ground beef to make this chili, or use ground chicken or ground turkey for a different ground meat.
- Chili Seasoning: Make this chili with beans using our chili seasoning recipe.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Ground Beef Chili
The best thing about chili is that this wonderful recipe tastes even better the next day. If you can’t wait to try this recipe, here’s how to save time and make it ahead:
- Make Ahead: Cook the chili beef ahead of time, keep in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator, and precut all of your toppings.
Special Equipment Needed for Beef Chili Recipe
- Dutch Oven: Cook the chili in a Dutch oven on the stovetop.
Fun Fact about this Classic Chili Recipe
Did you know that chili originated in the American Southwest and was originally a hearty stew made with meat, beans, and vegetables? It wasn’t until later that it became a more spicy and flavorful dish associated with Texas cuisine.
How to Make Classic Chili with Beef
These are the basic steps for making bean and beef chili. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Brown the Beef
Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, and all purpose seasoning to a large pot, along with the raw ground beef. Cook the beef until no longer pink, then drain excess fat.
2. Stir in Ingredients
Stir chili seasoning mix, brown sugar, chili in adobo and flour into meat mixture; Cook for 2 minutes. Then, add crushed tomatoes, squash, kidney beans, black beans and corn; stir until combined.
3. Simmer
Reduce heat and cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes until squash is tender. Top and serve.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Beef Chili with Beans
- Storing: Store leftover chili in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat chili on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Using Leftovers: Leftover chili can be eaten for lunch or dinner. Serve with crackers, bread, shredded cheese, etc.
Variations and Substitutions for Making Chili
- Variation tip: Serve this chili over rice or beans for even a heartier meal.
- Add different beans: Pinto beans make a great addition to this chili.
- Spices: Add more spices, such as chili powder and cumin, or cayenne pepper. You can also flavor it with hot sauce.
Homemade Chili Recipe FAQs
This chili recipe goes great with chili lime grilled corn, grilled warm potato salad, and southern baked beans.
Top the chili with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, scallions, etc.
Texas chili, or chili con carne, typically does not include beans, and is made of meat. Cincinnati chili is made with beans, and is typically served alongside pasta or oyster crackers.
Expert Tips for Making the Best Classic Beef Chili
- Slow Cooker: Make this easy chili recipe in the crockpot to cook this recipe low and slow.
- Alternate ingredient: Sweet potatoes or white potatoes can replace the squash.
- Broth: If your chili is too dry, add some beef broth.
- Dietary consideration tip: Replace sour cream with Greek yogurt, or use a low-fat or fat-free cheese as toppings for stovetop chili.
- Bread Bowl: Instead of a regular bowl, serve this beef chili recipe in bread bowls for a delicious meal.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Beef and Bean Chili
Video
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Sweet Onion, diced
- 1 Bell Pepper, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Chili Seasoning Mix
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Chili in Adobo
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 29 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, 1 can
- 2 cups Butternut Squash, diced
- 15.5 ounces Kidney Beans, 1 can
- 15.5 ounces Black Beans, 1 can
- 15.25 ounces Corn, 1 can
Instructions
- In a large pot, add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic and House Seasoning blend and cook over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink.
- Drain excess fat from meat.
- Stir chili seasoning mix, brown sugar, chili in adobo and flour into meat mixture; Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, squash, kidney beans, black beans and corn; Stir until combined.
- Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until squash is fork-tender.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Christina’s Notes
- Slow Cooker: Make this easy chili recipe in the crockpot to cook this recipe low and slow.
- Alternate ingredient: Sweet potatoes or white potatoes can replace the squash.
- Broth: If your chili is too dry, add some beef broth.
- Dietary consideration tip: Replace sour cream with Greek yogurt, or use a low-fat or fat-free cheese as toppings for stovetop chili.
- Bread Bowl: Instead of a regular bowl, serve this beef chili recipe in bread bowls.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Oh this is amazing chili!!
Great recipe. It was a huge hit will definitely make again.
Absolutely delicious!!! Such a deep depth of flavor, I can’t wait to make it again!! Side note – I left out the butternut squash so I didn’t freak out my husband’s purist heart!! He loved it!
This is legit the best chili ever. My friend made it for me, and I HAD to have the recipe! This chili is SPECIAL. Mmmm mmmm mmm MMMMM!
What makes it so spicy? How can I tone the spice down? I haven’t made it. Just going by what you said.
I think the spice is matter of taste and everyone’s is different. Just use the spice that you like and it will be great.
Love this recipe!!!! I add a bottle of SBC Toboggan beer at the end, which adds another layer of flavor.
Great idea!! thanks for sharing!
Do you drain the beans and corn?
Yes, you do.
I can’t get enough of the smokey adobo sauce! Delicious!
Thanks! That’s one of my favorite parts too!
I search for an award winning chili to make for a chili cook off among friends. Not only did they pick my chili as the winner, it’s a winner with my family as well! It’s loaded with flavor and doesn’t take all day to make. Will definitely make again. Thanks!!
Glad that they liked it. My family loves it too!
As soon as I saw the colorful tortilla strips and generous dollop of sour cream, I just knew I had to make this recipe. So today I wanted to drop by to tell you how scrumptious it was. It’s loaded up with all the flavors I love!
The butternut squash is genius! I never thought about adding it before. Great way to sneak veggies in on my kids. Shhhh…. don’t tell them. 🙂 The hint of smoke-y flavor from the adobo is really nice.
I think the adobo is what makes it!
Oooh – I love this recipe! I have never added butternut squash to my chili – what a great idea!
Thanks! I love to sneak in veggies when I can!
The recipe I used for chili before this was really close, but the adobo and corn in this one definitely make a big difference. Love this chili!
Oh my gosh – this chili recipe was so delicious! As soon as I saw the gorgeous image and ingredients I pinned it to Pinterest. This warm yummy recipe made a cold fall night cozy and comfy.
The butternut squash added a little extra warmth and made it even more filling. Perfect recipe for fall.
I love the addition of corn and butternut squash. Such a unique and flavorful chili recipe!