Why Is Chili So Great?
This easy stovetop chili recipe is such a simple go-to for dinner. I especially love chili on a dreary, frigid day. The namesake is after the pepper, not the forecast, but it easily could be on a cool fall day or wintery weekend. Aside from being a delicious, beefy, hearty meal, the next best part of chili is the one pot cooking on the stovetop. Clean up should be easy peasy!
Lastly, and what makes me smile ear to ear, are all the amazing toppings you can pile on top of chili or the delicious things you can bury in chili. So, ask me again, why is chili so great?
What You’ll Need to Easy Stovetop Chili
- Ground Beef – The cornerstone of this dish. Use what you like, but I think and 85/15 mix of lean to fat is a good place to start.
- Beans – I liked to use a combination of traditional kidney beans and a softer, creamier Northern bean. Northern beans also add a bit of color.
- Tomatoes – Three kinds! Large cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes for texture, and crushed tomatoes. This amount of tomatoes will quickly fill up your pot – so find a big one!
- Seasonings – Paprika, Ancho, chili powder, powered onion, powdered garlic, and the standard salt and pepper duo give this dish all its flavor.
- Coffee – Yes, coffee. Trust me.
- Peppers and Onions – While beef is the cornerstone, this chili is actually pretty balanced between beef, beans, and vegetables. Green peppers and onions add texture, flavor, and color.
How To Make This Easy Stovetop Chili Recipe
Making chili is essentially 4 steps. First, dice the onions and peppers. Then, place the onions, peppers, and meat in a very large pot. The meat will create enough grease that additional oil isn’t needed.
Cook the veggies and meat over medium heat until all the pink is gone from the beef and the veggies are tender. While the meat and veggie mix is cooking, open all the cans and rinse the beans.
Lastly, dump all the remaining ingredients into the pot (tomatoes, beans, seasonings… and coffee), cook until heated through.
Toppings for Your Chili?
Below are just a few of my favorites. Serve your chili just as it is, or top it with any or all of these options! For just a minute, can I say how geeked I am about this photo?!
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
- How to peel an onion? I think the easiest way is to cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Cut off the ends, then remove the peel.
- What are the best chili toppings? I treat my chili like a baked potato… so many of the same topping. Try sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions. For a twist, try diced avocados or mangoes.
- How to use leftover chili? Store leftover chili in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Chili will freeze well. Top hot dogs and baked potatoes, or macaroni pasta with chili and cheese.
- For visual interest, slice the green onions thin on an angle.
- Spread mashed avocado on a thick slice of toasted Texas toast. Top the avocado with chili, cheddar cheese, and an egg over medium or fried egg. Top with diced onions and tomatoes!
Easy Chili Recipe Stovetop
Equipment
- cutting board
- paring knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 8 quart or very large pot
- mesh strainer (beans)
- can opener
- large spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced sweet onions (1 large onion)
- 2 cups diced green peppers (1 large pepper)
- 1.25 lbs ground beef
- 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15.5 oz can kidney beans
- 15.5 oz can Northern beans
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons instant dark roast ground coffee
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ancho powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons powdered garlic
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- Peel the onion and dice into small pieces. I think cutting the onion in half from top to bottom, cutting the top and bottom off, then peeling is the easiest way to remove the skin. Then, slice each half into ribbons following the natural lines on the onion, then slice those the other way to make uniform pieces.
- Similarly to the onion, cut the pepper in half, remove the stem, seeds, and any white of the ribs. Slice each half into ribbons, then slice those ribbons again into uniform pieces.
- In a large pot, add the ground beef, onions, and peppers. Cook the meat and veggies over medium heat. About 10 minutes.
- While the meat and veggies cook, take this time to open all of the cans. Rinse the beans and drain. Set aside.
- As the meat cooks, use a large spoon or spatula to break the meat apart and stir occasionally. Continue to cook the meat until all the pink is gone.
- Remove the meat from the heat. Carefully spoon out any grease and discard. I removed about 3/4 of a cup from my mix. Them more fat in the meat, the more grease your chili mix will yield. If you can't get all of it out, that's ok.
- To the meat and veggies, add all the remaining ingredients. Toss in the tomato juice too – don't waste anything! Simmer the chili over medium heat and allow the it to cook for 15-20 minutes minutes over medium low heat to warm through. Top with a lid to prevent splattering.
- Remove from heat. Spoon into bowls. Enjoy as is, or top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, green onions, (just like a potato!), even diced mangos!
