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A bowl of chili with a spoon topped with fritos chips.

Stovetop Chili

Need a no-brainer, great chili recipe? One that is made with pantry ingredients, is flavorful enough for adults, but not too spicy for kids? Our Stovetop Chili checks all the boxes and more.

Yield: 6 servings 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
Units:
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Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
  • 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

  1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Once the oil is shimmery, add in the onions and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute another 30-60 seconds. 
  2. Add ground beef to the pot and cook until no more pink is visible. Drain excess fat if necessary. (Tip: Place a metal colander over a large bowl and drain the meat. Then discard the cooled grease into the trash later.)
  3. Stir in the kidney beans, black beans, tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  4. Bring to a boil, stirring almost constantly, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid scorching the bottom.
  5. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts. Serve topped with your favorite chili toppings, like shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, green onion, or any other favorite toppings.

Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-3. Freeze the uncooked chili in large freezer bag(s) or container(s). Alternatively, you can fully cook and cool the soup and then freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw completely. Follow Steps 4-5. If the soup was fully cooked, then all you need to do is thaw it and warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave.


Notes/Tips

  • Use this Instant Pot Chili recipe to make this same version in the pressure cooker.
  • Petite diced tomatoes can be substituted with regular diced or crushed tomatoes.
  • Beef broth can be substituted with chicken broth. 
  • Ground chicken or ground turkey can be substituted for the ground beef. 
© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: American Method: Stovetop