This tasty, fast, and easy beef and bean chili recipe is made with beans, ground beef, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices that you probably already have in your spice rack.
This simple beaf and bean chili recipe is delicious and screams "COMFORT FOOD"!
This chili recipe with beans is slow simmered with ground beef in diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Chili is affordable, comforting, makes a lot, and freezable.
This makes a lot of portions of chili (7-8 portions for us). Freeze leftovers. Chili is the meal that keeps on giving!
What To Eat with Chili:
Grab a bowl of meat chili with beans and add:
- cheese
- sour cream
- chips
- guacamole
- tortillas
- corn on the cob, frozen corn
- cornbread
- Fritos (shout out to youth!)
Wanna stretch this simple chili recipe even further? Beef and bean chili is also delicious over nachos, rice, hot dogs, or spaghetti noodles.
Easy Beef and Bean Chili Cooking Tips
Taste the chili while cooking and add more spice as you like. Sometimes I'll want more chili powder and more cayenne if I want more "heat" in my chili. Just remember that the flavors and spices in chili will intensify as it cooks and as it cools and thickens.
Add water or broth at ½ cup increments if the beaf and bean chili begins to dry out as it cooks (this usually happens if you cook or simmer it at too high of a heat). If you think the chili is too "soupy", remember that it will thicken as it cools.
Beef and bean chili will taste better the next day. It will also taste better as it cools and thickens.
If you have time, make it early in the day and let the chili warm in the oven covered at 170F for the rest of the day.
Variations on Simple Beef and Bean Chili Recipe
The ground beef is interchangeable in chili recipes. Try ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef if that's what you have or like. I cook professionally for a living and have made this chili recipe with ground elk and deer as well.
The beans are also interchangeable in chili. I generally use kidney beans and/or pinto beans, but have also made this simple chili recipe with cannellini beans, navy beans, black beans, and chickpeas. Use what you got!
You can see in the video that I didn't have red peppers. Instead, use canned green chilis, yellow or green peppers, or poblano or banana peppers.
The spices in this chili recipe can also be changed. Although, chili powder is really a must :). Levels of cumin or oregano can be omitted or modified to your taste. Cayenne pepper can be left out or add more if you like spicy chili.
Simple Beef and Bean Chili Recipe FAQ
Nope. That soupy starchy liquid has a lot of flavor and also some sodium. It will add flavor to the chili. Having said that, if beans give you a bunch of gas then drain 'em and add a little broth to make up for the lost liquid.
This easy beef and bean chili recipe uses ground meat - beef specifically. Having said that, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground elk, or ground deer will work too.
Any beans work for this simple chili! This recipe calls for kidney beans but navy, pinto, cannellini, black beans, or garbanzo beans work too.
Who knows. Haha. I believe that Texans (generally speaking) believe that a purist chili is beef and chiles. No beans, no tomatoes.
It doesn't really matter. If you want a lighter healthier chili go for a meat/fat ratio of 95/5 or 90/10. For a little more fat in chili, then use 80/20. If there is ever too much fat in the pan for your taste, it can always be spooned out and discarded.
Easy Beef and Bean Chili
EatSimpleFood.com
Simple and comforting beef and beans slow simmered in diced tomatoes, chili powder, and other spices. This fast and easy beaf and bean chili recipe feeds a lot of people and screams "COMFORT FOOD"!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Dinner / Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 red peppers, diced
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 (15 oz) can kidney beans with juices
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional for more spicy
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated - optional as garnish
- 1 cup sour cream - optional as garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large "heavy bottomed" pot
to medium high heat and enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add beef and break it up. Add the onions and peppers and stir in half of the spices (chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper).
- Cook uncovered ~ 7 minutes, stirring, or until meat is nearly done and veggies translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add beans and tomatoes and remaining spices (chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne pepper) and stir.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered ~ 40 minutes (stirring occasionally). Taste half way through and add more salt and chili powder or other spices to taste.
- Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Happy Eating! Beckie
to medium high heat and enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add beef and break it up. Add the onions and peppers and stir in half of the spices (chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper). Notes
- Taste it as you're cooking and add more spice as you like. Sometimes I'll want more chili powder add more cayenne if I want more "heat" in my chili.
- Add water at ½ cup increments if the chili begins to dry out.
- If you think the chili is too "soupy", remember that it will thicken as it cools.
- The meat in interchangeable in chili. Try ground chicken or turkey if you want.
- This makes a lot of chili. Freeze it if you don't want to eat leftovers.
- This chili is also delicious over nachos or spaghetti.
Things In My Kitchen:
- 6 quart Dutch Oven - Made in America, solid, affordable, & perfect for searing & braising in the oven or stovetop.
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Serving Suggestion
Beef and Bean Chili can stand on its own but if you're looking for more, serve this recipe with one of these complimentary dishes:
This is very similar to the chili that I make. I did wonder, though, about the nutritional value list. Does it include the cheese and sour cream in the calorie count?
Hi Jo, I don't provide the nutritional analysis, so I think you got here through yummly's website as they provide nutritionals. I will double check with them but I believe that they include everything in the recipe, so that would include the cheese and sour cream. When I look at their site, it shows a serving size of 7 for the nutritional analysis and it looks like it should be correct. Thank you!
So easy and delicious! Will add more chili spice next time. Also combined ground beef with ground chicken. Did not use sour cream.
Thanks Karen! I generally add more spice too and will update the tips section to say so 🙂 . Have made it with turkey as well and was delicious.
On average, how much water do you add to make it the desired consistency.
Hi Carl! I don't generally add any water. The video shows a chili where I didn't add any water as well. If you cook or simmer this at too high of a heat, the liquid may evaporate and you should add water in ½ cup increments to thin it out if it starts to stick to the bottom. Generally, just keep the heat at a low simmer and you won't need to add water. Hope that makes sense!
Beckie, your chili recipe is DELICIOUS!!! This is my new go-to recipe for chili.
Hi Susan - thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment to let me know! I love it too, especially on nachos 🙂