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    Simple Chili Recipe

    March 24, 2025

    Beefy, porky, beany and most of all EASY, the Monday night blahs are no match for this super hearty, super delicious chili recipe.

    homemade simple chili in a bowl topped with cheddar cheese and green onion

    Quite Simply a Simple Chili Recipe

    Homemade chili doesn’t have to be a whole thing. Sometimes it’s fun to go over the top—if you’re looking to do that, may we suggest you hop on over to our award-winning chili recipe. There’s also our White Bean Chicken Chili recipe if you’re looking for another tasty chili, but without the beef. But sometimes you just want to eat chili ASAP. Beefy and full of spices and beans, too, this chili recipe will get you there quick and is quite delicious despite being substantially easier than most chili recipes. You can adjust the heat, too—if you want spicy chili, double the jalapeño. If you need it to be mild, stick with just one and be sure to carefully remove the seeds. Lean beef and pork mean that this chili recipe is loaded with protein and, of course, low carb too. If you’re not worried about carbs, though, whip up a batch of cornbread while the chili simmers—you can thank us later. For another easy chili recipe, try our. healthy Turkey Chili or our Cincinnati Chili.

    ground beef and pork, veggies, spices, kidney beans, canned tomatoes and chicken stock on the counter to make simple chili

    What Is the Best Secret Ingredient for Chili?

    Easy. The best chili recipe ever is one that gets enough time on the stove. That’s why, even though this chili recipe is super simple—mostly pantry ingredients, and not much prep time at all—it still requires about 45 minutes of simmering on the stove. There’s simply no way around the deep and wonderful way that all of the chili ingredients come together when they have time over heat to meld into each other. We’re not asking much effort with this one, so just give it time and you’ll be richly rewarded! Plus, like we said above, use that simmer time to make some cornbread and take your chili dinner to the next level.

    ground beef and pork, onion, peppers, jalapeño and garlic in a pot
    ground beef and pork, onion, peppers, jalapeño and garlic being cooked in a pot

    The Best, Simplest Beef Chili Ingredients

    If you’re the kind of smarty who keeps ground meat in the freezer and some canned stuff and spices in the cupboard, you just might have all of these ingredients on hand already! And even if you’re not, these are easy-to-find, inexpensive things that you can probably remember to grab even if you leave your grocery list at home. Here’s everything you’ll need to make our simple chili recipe:

    • Meat: Ground beef and ground pork.

    • Veggies: onion, bell peppers, fresh garlic, jalapeños.

    • Spices: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar.

    • Kidney beans.

    • Canned tomatoes.

    • Chicken or beef stock.

    ingredients for a simple chili recipe in a pot on the counter
    homemade simple chili in a pot on the counter

    How To Make the Easiest Chili Ever

    Yeah, start-to-finish this chili recipe will take about an hour. But most of that time is totally inactive time, meaning you can use it to get other stuff done or play with your kids or watch TV or seriously, make that cornbread. Here’s how easy this chili recipe is to make:

    1. Cook the ground meats with the onion, peppers, jalapeño and garlic.

    2. Add the spices, beans, stock and tomatoes.

    3. Bring the chili to a boil!

    4. Stir constantly for about five minutes, to give everything a chance to mix together.

    5. Simmer for about half an hour, until the chili tastes perfect.

    6. Dig in!

    a pot of homemade chili in a on the counter

    The Best Chili Toppings

    Chili night excitement is sort of like baked potato night excitement in our homes—it’s all about the toppings! What are your favorite chili toppings? Our absolute favorite, go-to chili toppings are:

    • Cheese! Cheddar is classic, but we sometimes put out shredded mozzarella, too.

    • Sour cream. Full-fat, real-deal sour cream please and no subs!

    • Scallions.

    • Avocado. Because we love it, and it makes us feel like we’re fitting in something green (almost unheard of on chili night).

    homemade simple chili in a bowl topped with cheddar cheese and green onion

    Can I Make It Ahead? How To Store and Freeze This Easy Chili Recipe.

    Yep! This chili will keep well in the fridge for a few days and you can definitely freeze it if you’d like to! It’ll keep in the freezer for up to three months, but the kidney beans may lose a bit of their texture. This chili recipe is also one of our favorites for making for friends—hellooo meal trains!

    homemade chili recipe in a bowl topped with cheddar cheese and green onion

    Tools You’ll Need:

    More Chili Recipes to Try

    homemade simple chili in a bowl topped with cheddar cheese and green onion

    Winter Weather Is No Match for This Cozy Chili Recipe

    Stick-to-your-ribs comfort is what this chili recipe is all about. We hope you try it and we hope you love it! When you do, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

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    Simple Chili Recipe

    Updated March 24, 2025

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  45 min
    • Calories:  539
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    Ingredients

    • 1 pound 90/10 ground beef
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
    • 1 large jalapeño, seeded and minced or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
    • 2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 ½ cups chicken or beef stock

    For serving (optional)

    • Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
    • Chopped cilantro
    • Corn chips

    Method

    1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, pork, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned and the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 6-7 minutes. 

    2. Add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, kidney beans, tomatoes, and stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 5 minutes. If the chili splatters, turn the heat down to medium-low. 

    3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for another 25 minutes until thickened and the flavors have come together. 

    4. Serve topped with cheese, cilantro, and corn chips, if desired.

    Notes

    This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. To reheat, thaw out in the refrigerator, then gently warm in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 539
    • Protein 43 g
    • Carbohydrates 35 g
    • Total Fat 22 g
    • Dietary Fiber 16 g
    • Cholesterol 94 mg
    • Sodium 1825 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Simple Chili Recipe

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Taylor

      is their a crockpot version of this?

      We don't have a crock pot version at this time.

    • Austin

      What is the serving size for the caloric values listed?

      we don't have a yield measurement for this one but 1/6 of the pot of soup is what the calories listed are for.

    • Kay

      Does your recipe book contain instructions about how much liquid you add to the instant pot in the recipe?

      Hi Kay, we haven't tested this recipe in the instant pot.

    • Julia

      Wow! Fantastic recipe - excellent with loads of chopped scallions, jalapenos, sour cream, and mexican shredded cheddar blend. Reminds me of lunches on ski mountains!

      Thanks Julia, so glad you love it!

    • Ami

      Probably the best chili Ive ever tried! So good!!

      Thanks, we are so glad you love it!

    • Julie

      I have made this chili so many times and it is one of my favorites. I love the brothiness of this recipe!

      Thanks Julie, we are so happy to hear it's a favorite!

    • Ayisha

      This came together really quick and was so tasty. I had half a can of chipotle chilis in adobo left over from another recipe so I added it into the pot. It definitely kicked up the heat a and added some smokiness (always a good thing). I also added a 6oz can of tomato sauce and 2 table spoons of ketchup. My husband and my 7 year old loved it. This will be my go to chili recipe from now on.

      Thanks Ayisha, so happy you loved it! Love that it became your go to.

    • Katie

      This recipe was so simple and so delicious! I added in a few carrots and celery at the start too, along with cheese and green onions at the end. Thanks for the great eats. 😃

      Thank you Katie, we are so glad you loved it!