Classic Ground Beef Chili
This quick and easy chili is filled with ground beef, two kinds of beans, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spices. It's a hearty one-pot meal that's packed with flavor and ready in under an hour!
Servings: 4
Estimated Calories: 614
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, I use 80/20
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup chopped green bell peppers, about ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped onions, about ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup chopped celery, about ½-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, do not drain
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, do not drain
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
- ½ tablespoon cumin, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat (I use a 5-quart pot), cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as you go, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the butter, bell peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.I use about 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and about ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, put the lid on the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chili is the consistency you want. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy as-is or with your favorite toppings (such as cheese, green onions, sour cream, corn chips, or fresh cilantro).
Recipe Notes
- Ground beef with a higher fat content, such as 80/20, generally has better flavor and texture than beef with less fat. You can use a leaner option if you prefer.
- The liquid from the canned beans not only adds flavor, but it contains starches that help thicken the chili. You can drain and rinse the beans if you'd like.
- Simmering the chili with the lid off for the last 10 minutes allows some of the liquid to evaporate, making the chili thicker (you can do this longer if you want it even thicker).
- On the other hand, if you prefer a more soupy chili, you can simmer it with the lid on for the entire 30 minutes, or you can add some beef broth or water to loosen it up.
- The sugar balances out the acidity from the tomatoes. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your own personal tastes (or you can omit it).
- Please refer to the post for additional tips, step-by-step photos, substitutions and variations, info on storing leftovers and reheating, and serving suggestions.
- Estimated calories shown does not include any toppings you might add.
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