This is the best homemade chili, passed down and modified from my grandma to my mom and now to now me. I love the ability to share special recipes that have been in our family for years.
Toss this homemade chili in a crockpot or a large pot for a few long and slow hours and you’ll have dinner with minimal effort. This recipe is full of simple ingredients and your own spices, so you can feel good about what’s going into it. Pair this with my buttermilk cast iron skillet cornbread for a hearty and warm winter meal.
Soup is the holy grail of easy meal prep- it makes large quantities and reheats so so easily. AND its flavor only gets better throughout the week. You can even store this in the freezer to pull out on a busy day for an instant home-cooked dinner.
Ground beef, spices, beans, onion, and tomatoes slow cook to create a thick hearty chili. I love to top it with extra sharp cheddar cheese (bonus points if you shred your own block of cheese, and pair it with a thick slice of cornbread.
This homemade chili can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight if frozen, and heat up for an easy meal.
Best Homemade Chili
Equipment
- Crockpot or large stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salts
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 15 oz crushed tomato can
- 1 15 oz tomato sauce can
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- beef stock enough to cover meat
- 2 15 oz red bean can
- cheddar cheese to top
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with chopped onions and green pepper. Drain excess fat
- Add in garlic and onion powder, celery salt, chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, oregano to a large stock pot or crockpot
- Pour enough beef stock to the pot to just cover the meat. Mix in both cans of beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and cocoat powder
- Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours
Notes
Chili can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store extras in the freezer either in a ziplock bag or a glass jar. If freezing in glass, ensure that you keep the lid off for the firs 12 hours while the chili freezes before replacing the lid. The expansion will cause the glass to shatter if you seal the lid on it initially. If freezing in a bag, fill it and lay it flat on a cookie sheet to freeze flat for easy storage.
