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A white bowl filled with chili, topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, scallions, cilantro, and fritos.

Simple, Classic Chili Recipe


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5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Speshyl Smith
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, small dice
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, diamond crystal
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 14 ounce can tomato puree
  • 1 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Optional Toppings:

  • scallions
  • cheddar cheese
  • sour cream
  • cilantro
  • fritos chips

Instructions

  1. Pour vegetable oil into a dutch oven and heat over a medium high flame.
  2. Sauté onions and red bell peppers in the pot for 3-5 minutes, until they start to become translucent. Make a small space in the center of the pot and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
  3. Add ground beef to the pot and break up with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat about 80% of the way and then add in spices (chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes). Cook until the rest of the meat is browned.
  4. Pour in kidney beans, tomato puree, fire roasted tomatoes, and worcestershire sauce. Mix to combine and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes. If at any time the chili starts to look dry, add 3/4-1 cup of water. 
  6. Top with toppings of your choice, and enjoy!
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes