We have a few chili recipes on the blog, and honestly, I love them all, but this is the chili I’ve made the most. It checks all the comfort boxes for me: tender ground beef cooked with beans in a hearty, flavorful, spiced tomato sauce. (Yes, I add beans to my chili, but of course, you can leave them out.) More of the most loved chili recipes on the blog include this healthier turkey chili, my vegetarian chili with quinoa and sweet potato, our white chicken chili, and this authentic Texas red chili (it’s good!!). As you can see, we love chili!
Key Ingredients
Ground Meat: We used ground beef in the photos, but this chili recipe works just as well with ground chicken, turkey, pork, goat, or lamb. Choose ground meat with 10% to 20% fat content for the best flavor and texture. Beans: We love this chili with beans, and like pinto or kidney beans. If you prefer it without, leave them out. Consider increasing the ground beef to 1 ½ to 2 pounds to compensate. For a beanless chili recipe, try this Texas red chili. Onion and Garlic: These aromatics are essential for building that classic chili flavor profile. Tomatoes: I’ve made this chili with pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Pureed tomatoes create the best texture and flavor. Use what you have on hand, but opt for pureed tomatoes if possible (you won’t regret it)! I usually blend a can of diced tomatoes in my food processor or blender. Spices: Our unique blend of chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt creates an incredibly flavorful chili. Masa Harina: This is my secret ingredient! Mixing a bit of masa harina with water and stirring it into the chili adds a subtle nuttiness and thickens the sauce. Diced corn tortillas work similarly, so feel free to use those instead.
How to Make the Best Homemade Chili
You’ll cook ground meat in a bit of oil until well browned so that it’s crispy and flavorful. Next, throw in chopped onions and cook until they smell sweet. When your onions are sweet and soft, it’s time for lots of minced garlic, tomato paste, and our perfect blend of spices. The tomato paste adds color and rich flavor to our chili. Now we have our flavorful base, you are going to finish the chili with pureed tomatoes, beef broth (or chicken broth), and beans. Beans make this chili hearty, if you aren’t one for beans in your chili, feel free to leave them out. Before serving, we add my secret ingredient: masa harina. Masa harina is what we use to make corn tortillas, and it’s what I think makes this recipe for chili so darn good. Stirring a bit of masa with water and then stirring it into our chili adds a slight nuttiness while thickening the sauce at the same time. If you don’t have masa harina, chopped corn tortillas will do the trick. As you stir them into the chili, they will break apart and thicken just like the masa does.
What to Serve with Chili
Thanks to the beans, this classic chili is a meal on its own, but you can always add a few more things to make it extra special. I love adding shredded or crumbled cheese, chopped onion, sliced green onions, sour cream, avocado, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, cowboy candy (candied jalapeños) or pickled onions. It’s also nice to have something on hand to dunk into chili. I especially love homemade cornbread, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or crumbled tortilla chips (here’s how to make homemade tortilla chips). 1 large white onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced, one heaping tablespoon 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon chili powder blend, see notes 1 tablespoon pure ancho chili powder, see notes 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle powder, optional for heat 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes, pureed, see notes 1 ½ to 2 cups (350ml to 470ml) stock, use vegetable, chicken, or beef 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, kidney beans, or chili beans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon masa harina or 1 to 2 small corn tortillas torn into small pieces, optional Salt, to taste, we add 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons 2Add the onions, and cook, occasionally stirring, until they begin to sweat and soften, about 3 minutes. 3Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne (or chipotle powder), and 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Cook for one minute. 4Pour in the tomatoes and 1 ½ cups of stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any bits of onion or meat that’s stuck. Bring the chili to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and then cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes. If you notice the chili is dry, turn the heat down a little and add an extra 1/2 cup of stock. 5Taste the chili, and then add salt as needed. We typically add another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon but add to your taste. 6Stir in the beans and cook until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes. 7Mix the tablespoon of masa with three tablespoons of water into a smooth paste, and then stir into the chili. If you are using corn tortillas instead of the masa paste, tear the tortillas into small pieces, and then stir them into the chili. After a minute or so, the tortillas will disintegrate into the chili. 8Take the chili off of the heat, and then serve.
