Recipes & Cooking Dinner & Meal Ideas Soup & Chili Chili Quick and Easy Chili Recipe 4.0 (144) 10 Reviews This easy chili recipe has been a tried-and-true favorite for decades. Make this quick chili recipe stand out by piling on extra cheese, onions, and sour cream. By Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 28, 2024 Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts Making chili is easy and quick when you have this classic chili recipe. In fact, it only takes 35 minutes from start to finish to have this chili recipe on your table. Just one look at its ingredients and there’s no question why this hearty chili is one of our most popular recipes. Since it's made with beef, flavorful veggies, and traditional seasonings, it’s simple to stir up and serve to your family and friends with no need to shop for ingredients that aren’t already in your pantry. The simplicity of this chili’s ingredients also allows you to easily adjust its consistency, just in case you’re eager to learn how to thicken chili. Once you make this chili recipe, challenge yourself to make the recipe’s Chili for Two variation or Cincinnati-Style Chili variation. If you love chili but want to substitute beef for chicken, try our white chicken chili recipes—made with fresh poblano chile peppers which have a mild heat level that is perfect for when you want a little heat without the burn. 26 Cozy Chili Recipes to Keep You Warm All Season Long BHG / Abbey Littlejohn Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef ½ cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small) ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, undrained 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained 2 - 3 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Shredded cheddar cheese (optional) Chopped onion (optional) Dairy sour cream (optional) Crushed red pepper (optional) Directions BHG / Abbey Littlejohn In a 3-quart saucepan cook and stir ground beef, sweet pepper, ½ cup chopped onion, and the garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. BHG / Abbey Littlejohn Stir in tomato sauce, undrained beans, undrained tomatoes, chili powder, salt, basil, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. BHG / Abbey Littlejohn To serve, ladle chili into bowls. If desired, top each serving with cheese, chopped onion, and/or sour cream and pass crushed red pepper. Makes 4 main-dish servings. Chili for Two Variation Prepare as above, except divide all ingredients in half. Cincinnati-Style Chili Variation Prepare as above, except omit sweet pepper, basil, and optional garnishes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the tomato sauce. To serve, place ½ cup hot cooked spaghetti on each of 4 serving plates; make an indentation in center of each portion. Top each serving with some of the chili, 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped onion, and/or ¼ cup additional kidney beans. Frequently Asked Questions How long is chili good for in the refrigerator? Once you have ladled the cooled chili into a large bowl or individual containers, you can cover and store the chili in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The flavor of chili often improves after a day in the fridge because the extra time allows flavors to meld. Can you freeze chili? Yes, you can freeze chili. You’ll need to divide the cooled chili among shallow freezer-safe containers. Leave ½ to 1-inch space between the top of the chili and the container rim. This gives the chili room to expand while it freezes without breaking the container or causing the lid to pop off. Freeze chili for up to 3 months. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 381 Calories 15g Fat 35g Carbs 32g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 381 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15g 19% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 71mg 24% Sodium 1265mg 55% Total Carbohydrate 35g 13% Protein 32g 64% Calcium 111.1mg 9% Iron 5.2mg 29% Potassium 905mg 19% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.