Name: The Best Ground Beef Chili Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef; ½ onion ((1/2 cup)); 1 large carrot ((1 cup)); 1 green bell pepper ((optional)); 27 oz tomato ((canned)); 23 oz passata; 1 cup canned kidney beans ((optional)); 1 cup corn ((optional)); 1 tsp Paprika; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; ½ tbsp sugar ((optional)); ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; Jalapeno; Sour Cream; Cheddar Cheese

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This is the best ground beef chili recipe. It’s simple, quick and packed with flavours and nutrients. Your whole family will love it!

Cool fall days and dark winter evenings beg for a bowl of the best ground beef chili. It’s a heart, hot stew of meat and vegetables that is sure to satisfy all of your hunger and comfort needs.

This recipe is quite simple. With the use of ground beef, we make chili a quick meal. We also add a few vegetables to spruce this meal up even more.

There are many varieties of chili but this is by far my favourite. Simple ingredients, with simple spices, make this dish an excellent weeknight meal.

Did I mention that it also freezes really really well?

Preparing the Best Ground Beef Chili

Ingredients

Fresh Ingredients

Lean ground beef: Ground beef can come from many parts of the cow so if you have a preference make sure to read the label. It is usually made from the trimmings of other, larger cuts of beef and is then ground. The fat in the beef is really important for this recipe. It’s going to make the chili creamier and more delicious.

Onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.

Carrot: This root vegetable is slightly sweet, bright and filled with vitamin A and fibre. Baby-cut carrots are just smaller pieces cut from a larger carrot.

Green pepper: Green bell peppers are bell peppers that are picked early in their growth cycle. They are more bitter and earthy than red peppers. Though they are technically a fruit, bell peppers are typically used as a vegetable in cooking. Red bell peppers are high in vitamins C and A.

Pantry

Kidney beans: Kidney beans are a type of legume. They are named kidney beans because their shape looks like a human kidney. There are different kinds of kidney beans, here we use red. Kidney beans are a good source of protein and fiber.

Paprika: I use sweet paprika, or just paprika, which is most commonly found in grocery stores. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.

Chili powder: This powder comprises various varieties of dried chilies. The chilies are dried then ground and combined into this spice mix. Sometimes other spices are mixed in as well which is why you may find that different brands have slightly different flavours.

Garlic powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.

Passata: Passata is strained tomatoes which has the consistency of tomato sauce. Once cooked down it thickens slightly but not too much as it doesn’t have too much excess liquid.

Diced tomatoes: These tomatoes are chopped and cooked then canned. Canned doesn’t necessarily mean in a can although this is how you are most likely to find them in the grocery store.

Corn: Corn is a cereal grain that has been domesticated for thousands of years. It is a starchy vegetable that grows on stalks which produce ears covered in light yellow kernels. Canned corn is ideal for this recipe because it is already cooked and ready to go without compromising on flavour.

How to Make the Best Ground Beef Chili

Prep all of your ingredients in advance. There isn’t too much prep with this dish so it only takes 5 minutes.

Peel and dice the onion and peel and grate the carrot. If you are adding peppers then wash and dice those as well.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef. Use a spatula to break it up into small pieces as it cooks.

After about 2 minutes, add the carrot and onion and saute for another couple of minutes. Then add the peppers, diced tomatoes, passata and spices.

Stir everything well, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

TIP: The longer you simmer the more tender the meat will become so if you have (or need) extra time feel free to leave it simmering for longer. Be sure to keep an eye on it and stir it every so often to prevent burning.

After you have simmered the chili, rinse and drain the kidney beans and corn, if using canned. Add them to the pot and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

TIP: Taste the chili before adding the beans and corn and if its too acidic for you, add a teaspoon of sugar and stir it in.

That’s it! You’re all set.

Substitutions

As you can see in the ingredients list, many of the ingredients are optional. That means you can add them or leave them out.

Passata: Instead of passata, which can be more expensive, you can use canned crushed tomatoes. They really are perfect for this ground beef chili.

Kidney beans: Though kidney beans are most commonly added to chili they are actually easily replaceable. Try black beans or pinto beans instead and you’ll be surprised at how well they fit into this chili.

Garlic powder: If you don’t have garlic powder on hand, use fresh garlic instead, or garlic paste. The fresher the ingredient the better the flavour will be anyway.

Serving Chili

Chili is really great all on its own. It has protein, it has veggies and it’s saucy. You really don’t need anything else.

You can take it a step further of course by adding some toppings. Try it with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh jalapeno. Or sprinkle with cilantro. Add a few slices of avocado. There are tons of options to switch it up.

The big question is will you eat it with a fork or spoon?

Storing Ground Beef Chili

This ground beef chili is also the best because it freezes like a dream. Just add it to a freezer-safe air-tight container and it will keep for months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to have some.

To heat it up you can either use the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop. I promise that it will taste exactly the same as the day you made it!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.

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The Best Ground Beef Chili