Even More Chili!
The Best Homemade Chili
With a serious simmer time, our award-winning chili recipe invites us to spend a cozy day in the kitchen, close to the stove. Stirring occasionally while the house fills up with the savory scent of chili. When Natalie’s dad gave us his recipe for the best homemade chili you’ve ever tasted, we knew we had to share it here. Serve with our chive biscuits, cornbread, or spoon bread.
Homemade Chili Ingredients
Pork and beef. Pork AND beef? Yep! Like we said earlier, our homemade chili recipe philosophy is basically that MORE is more.
Red enchilada sauce. A simple way to add lots of flavor, we always have enchilada sauce in the pantry. We especially love La Victoria brand.
Spices. A good dash of both cayenne and cumin—and, as always, be sure your ground spices are as fresh as can be. Our chili recipe calls for ½ cup of mild chili powder. It adds a bit of smokiness, but doesn’t add heat.
Tapatio. Because you know that red enchilada sauce isn’t enough. That sprinkle of cayenne? Still not quite enough. You could certainly use whatever hot sauce you have on hand, but Natalie's dad swears by Tapatio, and we defer to his expertise—after all, he’s the award-winner.
Garlic. Four cloves! That long, slow simmer will soften garlic’s sharp pungency into a gorgeous sweetness.
Three kinds of beans. Black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans are a classic chili recipe trifecta.
Sugar. Just a little bit of sugar, which both enhances and tempers all of the acidic ingredients—canned tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and Tapatio. Just a few teaspoons of sugar brings all of the ingredients into harmony with each other—don’t skip it!
How To Make This Easy Chili Recipe
Cook the ground beef and pork with the onions, peppers and garlic until the meat is browned.
Open all of the cans—tomatoes, beans, enchilada sauce. A good can opener is very handy here.
Add the canned ingredients and spices to the pot, and let that low, slow simmer do the rest.
How to Store Leftover Chili + Tips
Leftovers: Once cooled, leftover chili can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, or up to three months in the freezer.
Take your time. We love quick and easy weeknight meals as much as the next guy, but we also love when we have the chance to let cooking a meal be the thing that slows us down. This homemade chili is one of those meals.
The best chili is always going to be the one that suits your own tastes, so after the chili has had its long simmer, adjust the seasonings as you please! Add a little more cayenne, or a dash more Tapatio. Need a little more spice or smoke? Grab some chipotle or ancho chilies.
Don't’ forget to garnish! A big warm bowl of chili just screams for toppings like a dollop of sour cream, creamy avocado, or vibrant diced green onions. We like to offer a platter of toppings and let everyone make their own bowl. Did someone say Fritos?
We’ve got plenty more beef and soup recipes to make it through the winter: 30 Best Ground Beef Recipes, Black Bean Soup, all of the Soup and if you’re planning for the Super Bowl have a look here.
More Stews And Soups To Warm Your Bones
Find All Of Your Favorite Recipes
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