Simple Chili Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

Beefy, porky, beany and most of all EASY, the Monday night blahs are no match for this super hearty, super delicious chili recipe.

Categories:

  • Dairy-Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Low-Carb
  • Freezer Meals
  • Kid Friendly
  • One Pot
Simple Chili Recipe | The Modern Proper (1)

Quite Simply a Simple Chili Recipe

Homemade chili doesn’t have to be a whole thing. Sometimes it’s fun to go over the top—if you’re looking to do that, may we suggest you hop on over to our award-winning chili recipe. There’s also our White Bean Chicken Chili recipe if you’re looking for another tasty chili, but without the beef. But sometimes you just want to eat chili ASAP. Beefy and full of spices and beans, too, this chili recipe will get you there quick and is quite delicious despite being substantially easier than most chili recipes. You can adjust the heat, too—if you want spicy chili, double the jalapeño. If you need it to be mild, stick with just one and be sure to carefully remove the seeds. Lean beef and pork mean that this chili recipe is loaded with protein and, of course, low carb too. If you’re not worried about carbs, though, whip up a batch of cornbread while the chili simmers—you can thank us later.

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What Is the Best Secret Ingredient for Chili?

Easy. The best chili recipe ever is one that gets enough time on the stove. That’s why, even though this chili recipe is super simple—mostly pantry ingredients, and not much prep time at all—it still requires about 45 minutes of simmering on the stove. There’s simply no way around the deep and wonderful way that all of the chili ingredients come together when they have time over heat to meld into each other. We’re not asking much effort with this one, so just give it time and you’ll be richly rewarded! Plus, like we said above, use that simmer time to make some cornbread and take your chili dinner to the next level.

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The Best, Simplest Beef Chili Ingredients

If you’re the kind of smarty who keeps ground meat in the freezer and some canned stuff and spices in the cupboard, you just might have all of these ingredients on hand already! And even if you’re not, these are easy-to-find, inexpensive things that you can probably remember to grab even if you leave your grocery list at home. Here’s everything you’ll need to make our simple chili recipe:

  • Meat: Ground beef and ground pork.

  • Veggies: onion, bell peppers, fresh garlic, jalapeños.

  • Spices: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar.

  • Kidney beans.

  • Canned tomatoes.

  • Chicken or beef stock.

How To Make the Easiest Chili Ever

Yeah, start-to-finish this chili recipe will take about an hour. But most of that time is totally inactive time, meaning you can use it to get other stuff done or play with your kids or watch TV or seriously, make that cornbread. Here’s how easy this chili recipe is to make:

  1. Cook the ground meats with the onion, peppers, jalapeño and garlic.

  2. Add the spices, beans, stock and tomatoes.

  3. Bring the chili to a boil!

  4. Stir constantly for about five minutes, to give everything a chance to mix together.

  5. Simmer for about half an hour, until the chili tastes perfect.

  6. Dig in!

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The Best Chili Toppings

Chili night excitement is sort of like baked potato night excitement in our homes—it’s all about the toppings! What are your favorite chili toppings? Our absolute favorite, go-to chili toppings are:

  • Cheese! Cheddar is classic, but we sometimes put out shredded mozzarella, too.

  • Sour cream. Full-fat, real-deal sour cream please and no subs!

  • Scallions.

  • Avocado. Because we love it, and it makes us feel like we’re fitting in something green (almost unheard of on chili night).

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Can I Make It Ahead? How To Store and Freeze This Easy Chili Recipe.

Yep! This chili will keep well in the fridge for a few days and you can definitely freeze it if you’d like to! It’ll keep in the freezer for up to three months, but the kidney beans may lose a bit of their texture. This chili recipe is also one of our favorites for making for friends—hellooo meal trains!

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Tools You’ll Need:

More Chili Recipes to Try

  • Turkey Pumpkin Chili

  • Vegetarian Chili

  • Crockpot Paleo Chili

  • Award Winning Chili

  • Green Chicken Chili Soup

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Winter Weather Is No Match for This Cozy Chili Recipe

Stick-to-your-ribs comfort is what this chili recipe is all about. We hope you try it and we hope you love it! When you do, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

Simple Chili Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to really good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

What secret ingredient will deepen the flavor of your chili? ›

A cup of strong, brewed coffee will work wonders for your pot of chili, imparting a deep, roasted flavor that will make the chili taste like it simmered away all day long. For maximum flavor, reduce the coffee along with a blend of tomato paste, aromatic veggies and spices like we do in our Spicy Vegetarian Chili.

What makes can chili taste better? ›

Although canned chili will already have some seasonings, fresh herbs and spices will add bolder flavor. You can upgrade your chili using ingredients you likely already have on your spice rack, such as chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Why add vinegar to chili? ›

Acidity: Vinegar is acidic, and this acidity helps cut through the heat of the chili peppers. It balances the spiciness and prevents it from becoming overwhelming. The acidity of vinegar can help tame the intense heat and make the hot sauce more palatable.

What not to put in chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

What adds the most flavor to chili? ›

If you want more of a smoky flavor, add cumin, Spanish paprika, ancho chili powder, or a combination. If you are looking for more heat, add cayenne, crushed red pepper, or Hungarian paprika. If it's too spicy add a little brown sugar and some sweet paprika.

What is the most important spice in chili? ›

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

How do you make homemade chili taste better? ›

How to Give Chili a Flavor Boost
  1. Add something acidic. ...
  2. Try to identify what about your chili is boring. ...
  3. Add tomato paste. ...
  4. Drop in some chocolate. ...
  5. Embrace pickling liquid. ...
  6. Stir in some molasses.

Does chili need tomato paste? ›

Tomato paste may come in a small can (or tube), but it packs a powerful punch and is an essential flavor building block for dishes like chili and beef stew.

What is my chili missing? ›

Sometimes after a long simmer, your chili will taste wonderful be maybe missing one little thing you can't figure out. Try a tad bit of vinegar or a squeeze of lime! The acidity in vinegar & limes bring a good roundness to the pot and binds all the flavors together.

Do you cook onions or meat first for chili? ›

So make sure you've got a nice sear—this goes for both diced and ground meat. 2. Wrong. Sautéing onions, garlic, and other veggies first coaxes maximum flavor out of them.

What is a good secret ingredient for chili? ›

Canned Puréed Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a great addition to chili because it adds body, providing a natural creaminess and richness to your chili. This helps smooth things out a bit in that sea of meat and beans. It's flavorful too. It has a sweet earthiness to it that, when cooked, gets even tastier.

Why put onions in chili? ›

Onions contribute to your chili recipes in three significant ways: flavor, texture, and aroma. Whether you sauté them with chili spices at the outset of your cooking journey or opt to serve them raw as a final flourish, onions make a notable impact.

Why do people put baking soda in chili? ›

According to the magazine's food experimenters, the baking soda treatment will definitely keep the meat tender and juicy when cooked.

What makes the best chili meat? ›

You can really use any meat for chili, but here are the cuts that are most popular for classic chili:
  • Ground beef (80/20) ...
  • Ground sirloin (90/10) ...
  • Brisket. ...
  • Short ribs. ...
  • Tri-tip sirloin. ...
  • Work with your butcher to get multiple textures. ...
  • Use multiple animals to add depth. ...
  • Go for grass-fed and grass-finished beef.
May 11, 2021

What makes a good competition chili? ›

The chili contains very little or no grease. Winning chili must look good, smell good and taste good. Because the judging process takes a couple of hours, chili must retain its color, consistency, aroma, taste and afterbite while hot, warm, lukewarm and then cool in a styrofoam judging cup.

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