Are you a novice cook? This easy chili for beginners recipe is a very basic chili recipe for you. It is part of my learn to cook series where I am cooking through my old home economics cookbook.
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Simple homemade chili
There are about a zillion chili recipes out there. Some of them are complex with multiple types of meats and an ingredients list about a mile, and others, like this beginner chili recipe, are straightforward and foolproof. You no longer have any excuse to spend extra money buying premade chili from the deli department or those awful cans when you can whip up this fresh and tasty homemade chili recipe for pennies on the dollar.
Even if you are a chili-making expert, this inexpensive version is the perfect recipe for camping, taking to a potluck, or really, any time when you can’t be bothered with preparing something a little fancier.
How do you make chili? Follow these recipe basics
There isn’t much more to making this chili than browning the ground beef, dumping in a couple of cans, and adding some seasoning, but learning a few chili basics can help your chili turn out better than you can imagine.
It is always essential to start with quality ground beef. For this basic chili, you want to buy a ground beef mixture that isn’t too lean. Remember that fat equals flavor, but too much fat is not only unhealthy but can turn your chili into an unpleasant oil slick. An 85/15 ground beef mix is pretty much ideal, but you can feel free to play around with the fat content a little. Anything within the range of 80 to 90 percent lean is going to be good. If you choose to use a mixture with a bit more fat, you may want to wait to season your meat until after cooking it and draining off most of the fat.
Make sure to drain the beans and tomatoes before adding them to the ground beef. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes before adding half of the tomato juice to the saucepan. You don’t want all the liquid in the pot to evaporate, but at the same time, you are not making soup, and too much liquid will dilute the chili’s flavor. Continue to simmer the chili, stirring occasionally, and add a few splashes of tomato juice if you notice the chili drying out.
Be patient! Avoid the urge to rush the simmering process. Ground beef needs at least an hour to break down and help to thicken up the chili.
Chili ingredients
Chili ingredients are very basic, and you can always change your chili to your personal preferences. You don’t need to buy special packets of seasoning. You just need a few simple ingredients for making this chili for beginners recipe.
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Chili powder
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Canned beans (red kidney, pinto, or black beans)
- Tomato juice or V8
Ingredient notes
Onions are popular in chili. When it comes to onions, I have a small preference for white onions over yellow. I think white onions are a little sweeter. Honestly, I just look at what is less expensive.
How to make homemade chili
- Brown the ground beef and chopped onions in a skillet over medium heat.
- Season ground beef with salt and black pepper as it is browning.
- Drain the beef after it has browned.
- In a pot, add chili powder, tomatoes, beans, tomato juice, and cooked ground beef. Stir to combine.
- Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Recipe tips
Bring out the complex flavors of your chili powder. Thirty seconds is all it takes to lightly toast the chili powder in a dry sauté pan over high heat. Just cook until you can smell the spices and immediately remove the chili powder from the pan to avoid burning.
Chili is always better the day after making it. You can make chili a few days in advance to save time preparing dinner on weekdays. Chili will last up to three days in the fridge or three months in the freezer!
Provide plenty of your favorite toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped hot chili peppers, and corn chips are just some of the most popular options.
Chili variations
I think the biggest question people have is to add beans or not? While if you are living in Texas, you may feel that chili does not contain beans. It is up to you if you want to add the beans. I like to add either red kidney beans, pinto beans, or even Ranch Style Beans.
You may also want to add other spices. The spices I like to use are cumin, chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, or extra chili powder.
Keep in mind you can add a lot of different items to your chili. Be sure to practice adding one thing at a time and in small amounts. This way you can feel confident that the variations you choose to make if you make small changes at a time.
Check out our other chili recipes on YouTube!
What to serve with chili
Here are some great toppings and sides to serve with chili:
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Sour Cream
- Chopped Avocado
- Jalapeno peppers
- Tortilla Chips
- Baked Potato
- Garden Salad
How to store, freeze, and reheat homemade chili
Storing – Let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the chili to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. Stored this way, chili will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Freezing – After cooling, portion out the chili into airtight freezer-safe containers or resealable freezer bags, leaving some space at the top for expansion as it freezes. Laying the freezer bags flat can save space and make thawing quicker. Your chili will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, transfer the chili to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
Reheating – For a quick meal, transfer the desired amount to a microwave-safe bowl, cover it loosely, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through. If you prefer stovetop reheating, add the chili to a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your preferred temperature. Add a splash of broth or water if the chili has thickened too much during storage.
More chili recipes
- Chili Verde
- Cincinnati Chili Recipe
- Coney Island Chili
- Fritos Chili Cheese Wrap
- Indiana Chili
- Quick Easy Chili Recipe
- SOS Chili
- Steak and Shake Chili
- Weight Watchers White Chicken Chili
- Wendy’s Chili
Hearty soup and stew recipes
Check out more of the best soup recipes and easy recipes for beginners here on CopyKat!
Chili for Beginners
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (you can add additional up to 1 tablespoon)
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 29 ounces canned beans (red kidney, pinto, or black beans) 2 cans
- 1 cup tomato juice (V8 is a great substitute)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and chopped onions in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- Season ground beef with salt and black pepper as it is browning.
- Drain beef after it is browned.
- In a medium-sized pot, add tomatoes, beans, tomato juice, and chili powder.
- Add cooked ground beef and onion. Stir to combine.
- Simmer for approximately 1 hour before serving.
Carly Mckeen
Thank you for stating that chili ingredients are very basic, and you can always change your chili to your personal preferences. My husband’s favorite food is chili, and his birthday is coming up, so I really want to make it for him, but have never made it before. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when trying to make my husband some yummy chili.
Tara
Just wondering if u don’t use tomatoes can u use a can of tomato paste instead to substitute dieced tomatoes?
Stephanie
So a can of tomato paste is smaller than a can of tomatoes. You would need to add additional water to make up for the missing tomatoes. I would add an additional 10 ounces of water to make up for the missing liquid from the tomatoes.
Bill
IN YOUR VIDEO YOU ADDED PAPRIKA HOW MUCH PAPRIKA DO YOU USE
Shandra
Thanks for doing this! I am going to make this for my husband tonight. Just FYI, those of us that are truly novice (myself) don’t know exactly what “simmer” means or if that means to simmer with the lid on or off.
Shandra
*Or, if you stir periodically during simmering.
Stephanie
Simmer to me, means that you turn the heat on very low, and stir it once in awhile. You can leave the lid on or off. It doesn’t matter. When I say stir it once in awhile, I mean I want you to stir the chili about 15 minutes or so.
mjp
Hi Stephanie, I live in a small town in Spain and haven’t been able to find chili powder. What are it’s basic ingredients?
Stephanie Manley
The basic ingredients are listed in the recipe. I really think that chili powder is critical in this recipe.
bastisraul
Every great chili recipe I have ever tasted either dinning out or made at home has chili powder, except one. Skyline (Cincinnati Chili) has no chili powder but it does include one square of semi-sweet chocolate. It is our # 2 go to recipe at home.
CLARA KOSS
Buy chili powder on line….
craig
Or you can be like a real chef and make your own: â…› cup sweet paprika
▢½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
▢1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
▢½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
▢1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
â–¢1 teaspoon dried oregano
â–¢1 teaspoon ground cumin
Keith
Hi Stephanie, I enjoy the recipes you post. After someone gets past their first attempt they can try adding “chili” that will make it a bit more authentic. Just buy about 6 dried peppers at the market. Make up about two cups of Chicken or Beef bullion and place the peppers in the bullion and bring to a boil. Let tem set for about three hours and then remover the seeds and stems and blend them into a paste. This will not add a lot of spice to the recipe but it will give it some authentic flavor
Stephanie Manley
I want to try this sometime. I also want to try making enchilada sauce like this as well.
Stephanie Manley
What do you like in your chili?
CLARA KOSS
I like anything you put in chili as long as it’s not spicy….