Ground Beef Chili Recipe - Dessert for Two (2024)

This recipe for Easy Ground Beef Chili is the one my mom made when I was growing up. It came from her butcher, and we love that it only has 7 ingredients! The flavors are bold, and everyone always finishes their bowl. It's great to make for a party and set out bowls of chili toppings.

Quick & Easy Chili Recipe

A few weeks ago, I was feeling under the weather with a unique mixed bag of misery that is allergies, sinus trouble and toothaches all at once. Even though I hid from everyone, my Mom still picked up in my text messages that I was down and out.

My parents came over to my house with all the ingredients to make this beef chili. I was overjoyed beyond belief. We plowed through the pot of chili in just a few short days, and I missed it when it was gone.

I wanted to make it again, but I feared it wouldn't taste as good if I made it. You know how the deliciousness of a dish is heightened by the fact that you didn't have to make it?

Well, I'm happy to report that this ground beef chili is just as good if you have to make it for yourself. Even if you have to do the dishes, it's still delicious.

If you have to do the dishes, everything is made in one pot. Plus, there's only 7 ingredients in this ground beef chili. Onion, fire-roasted green chiles, garlic, crushed tomatoes, chili beans (or kidney beans), chili powder, and ground beef! You can totally make this even if it's your first time cooking!

I'm using a small Dutch oven to make this recipe. It's the 3.5 quart Le Creuset pot, and I absolutely love it. This is the exact one I use. If you've always wanted a Dutch oven , making chili is the best reason to take the plunge! You'll use it a ton, I promise.

Why my Quick Chili has beans:

I'm a Texan, so you can trust this recipe for chili. I say that, but this ground beef chili recipe actually has beans in it, which is a huge no-no for Texas. But, as a Texan, I get to decide if my chili has beans or not, and this one definitely does.

I have a hard time definitively calling this 'the chili recipe' for my blog, but my Mom reminds me that every Texan has several recipes for chili. I don't have to put all my eggs in one basket and say 'this is the only chili I will make from now on.' That's too much pressure for me!

This is the only chili I will always make from now on when I only have 30 minutes to get it on the table. And, this is the only chili I will make from now on when a chili con carne sauce is needed for enchiladas or hot dogs.

I have a recipe for 'all day' chili that simmers on the stove and uses chuck roast. It's a whole different type of chili, in my opinion. We have room for more than one chili recipe in our lives!

Don't miss my white chicken chili for two!

Simple Chili Recipe for Two

I love that this recipe is a scaled down version of chili, because I don't need a gallon of chili leftover in my fridge. This ground beef chili recipe makes just enough for 4 bowls, no leftovers! For my family, we eat it for dinner one night and then lunch the next day.

Actually, the real way my family eats it is to make it the night before, and then eat it for dinner the following day. Chili tastes even better after it sits overnight in the fridge. When we have leftovers, I suddenly want lunch at 10:30am, hah!

This chili has one of my favorite pantry staples: fire-roasted green chiles! I love them! And speaking of fire-roasted green chiles, don't miss my recipes for green chile chicken enchiladas, green chile stew, or chile and cheese stuffed chicken breast.

Ground Beef Chili Recipe Ingredients

• Ground Beef: The type of ground beef you use is entirely up to you. I like to use a leaner variety so I don’t have to drain as much fat from the pan, so I typically use 90% ground beef. You can use 80% but you might want to dip a paper towel gently into the pot after the beef browns to absorb the extra oil.
• Onion: It’s not chili until it has diced onion! We need a white or yellow non-sweet onion, diced.
• Garlic: You can use two cloves of fresh garlic, minced, or you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder; your choice.
• Chili Powder: Do not just grab any bottle of chili powder if you want to make the best chili! Try to find a small-batch artisan brand that is a bright red color and the ingredient list contains: smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, and cumin at minimum. My favorite brand is a Texan brand called ‘Gebhardt Chili Powder' and it’s in a blue and yellow bottle.
• Tomatoes: The base for any chili is tomatoes, and for this recipe, we’re using canned crushed tomatoes.
• Beans: The type of beans you put in your chili is highly personal, but we use either one of these two products: a can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or a can of ‘chili beans,' which are small red beans.
• Chili Toppings: The best part of ground beef chili is the toppings! We like Fritos chips, grated cheddar, cilantro, sour cream, and extra finely diced onion, but the choice is yours!

Best Ground Beef for Chili

Personally, we use a 90% ground beef, which means 90% lean and 10% fat. The most common type of ground beef in the grocery store is 80-20, which is 80% lean and 20% fat. You can use whatever ground beef you like, but after searing the meat, it’s helpful if you either drain or use a paper towel to blot up some of the excess fat. Fat is definitely flavor, so you don’t want to remove every trace of grease from the pan, but if the ground beef releases too much fat, it will float on top of the chili in an unsavory way.

Quick Chili Recipe Substitutions

My Mom says the recipe was handed to her by someone behind the meat counter at Central Market. He recommends using bison meat but I almost always use beef. I've probably eaten it with bison meat at my mom's house a few times and never noticed!

I make this ground beef chili kid-friendly by serving it with steamed rice and corn.The rice waters down some of the 'spice' and the corn sweetens it up for a toddler palate. I even like my bowl with some corn for sweetness!

How to Make Ground Beef Chili

1. In the bottom of a small stockpot, add the beef and diced onion. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cook while stirring frequently until the beef is cooked through and no pink remains.
2. Next, add the garlic, green chiles, and chili powder and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
3. Finally, add the crushed tomatoes and beans.
4. Stir everything together, add the salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
5. Let the chili simmer with the lid on for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
6. Taste the chili before serving, and add extra salt and pepper, if needed.
7. Divide into bowl, and serve with toppings.

How to Serve Ground Beef Chili

The first time my toddler tasted chili powder, she insisted that it was spicy, but I kept trying again. Finally, she recognizes that full-flavor is not the same as spicy, and she is okay with it.

The best thing to serve on the side with ground beef chili is myCornbread Muffins.

Ground Beef Chili Recipe Toppings

This is the chili recipe that made me believe in chili. I sometimes have a 'take it or leave it' relationship with chili. Chili can be more about the toppings than the actual 'bowl of red.' This one is so good on its own, that all I added was sour cream and grated cheddar! Diced onions and chips are great on top, too!

How to Store Quick Beef Chili

Let chili cool completely, and then transfer it to food storage containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also put it in freezer-safe containers in individual portions and freeze. To defrost, remove and place in the fridge or overnight, or use defrost setting in microwave. Heat again to a simmer before serving.

Quick Chili Recipe FAQs

How much ground beef for chili per person?

One pound of ground beef makes 8 bowls of chili.

Is 80 20 or 90 10 better for chili?

I prefer 90 10 ground beef for chili, because it’s meatier and less grease is released. The 80 20 has more fat, and while fat does equal flavor, you will need to remove some of the fat after the meat browns. If you don’t remove most of the grease from the chili, it will float on top of the bowl.

Should chili be thick or soupy?

I like my chili thick, but you can add more beef broth if you want it to be soupy. If you’re reheating chili that has been chilled or frozen, you might have to add a splash of beef broth to help it come together.

Should you cook chili covered or uncovered?

This recipe for ground beef chili calls for most of the cooking to be done with the lid off, but it does require a 20 minute lid-on simmer. Using the lid helps the mixture get hot faster, and helps preserve some of the moisture from evaporating from the pan.

Should I drain the fat for chili?

Yes, you should absolutely drain most of the fat for chili. The easiest way to do is this is after the ground beef is brown in the pan. Turn off the heat to the pan, and carefully dip a paper towel to absorb the oil. You can tilt the pan so it collects on one side. You may need to use several paper towels. An alternative method is scooping out all of the browned meat into a paper-towel lined plate, and then draining the pan. However, I’ve found if you cook with 90 10 beef, you don’t need to do this step!

Okay, on to the recipe (finally!)