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This Classic Chili has to be my favorite recipe… and that’s saying a lot. It was one that I mastered early on when I was learning how to cook, and it always saves me when I just haven’t thought about dinner.
If you know me, you know that I’m always preaching to have a pound of ground beef thawed if you don’t have time (or energy) to think about what’s for dinner. Ground beef is so incredibly versatile and quickly transforms into tacos, burgers, or a lovely pot of chili.
I especially love recipes that will extend 1-lb of meat so that it feeds eight or more people. Hamburger Casserole, Shepherd’s Pie, Beef and Rice Casserole are other great choices if you have a lot of mouths to feed.
Ingredients to Keep on Hand (tips for the beginner cook)
This classic chili recipe calls for mostly shelf stable ingredients. So it’s easy to whip up an hour before dinner time without a trip to the grocery store. The only fresh ingredients are garlic, onion, and bell pepper.
If you’re new to cooking from scratch, start keeping garlic and onion on hand and learn to incorporate them into your daily meals. The general rule is to cook the onion in a fat (butter, lard, olive oil) first and add the garlic later. Simple. Skip the garlic powder or onion powder and go for the real thing.
Every trip to the grocery store I pick up at least one bell pepper so that I always have a couple in my fridge. I use them in chili or in Beans and Rice. They’re also a great addition to eggs for a breakfast burrito.
Canned Beans and Tomatoes
I use canned beans for my chili. If you are someone who soaks beans the night before – go for it. I’ve done it and realize it’s better for you, but sometimes I just can’t fight the convenience of canned beans. Azure Standard has some great organic canned beans and they even carry some in glass jars from Jovial Foods (I had to increase the salt when I used these). I also always have canned tomatoes and tomato paste on hand. I buy them by the case from Azure so I never run out.
Homemade Stock, Ground Beef, and… Liver?
You should be making your own beef/chicken/veggie stock if you aren’t already. I haven’t bought chicken stock in years and whether it’s replacing water in savory dishes or adding it to this Classic Chili, I use it every single week. I walk you through how to do it in this blog post.
I wrote a post about how to source meat from local farms. Give it a read if you’re still buying meat from a grocery store. Buying meat from your local farmer is both economical and much healthier. And chili is by far the easiest place to “hide” organ meats. I purée raw beef liver in a food processor and then freeze it in 1/3 cup amounts, so I can easily add it to any dish. The Weston A Price Foundation has a great article on liver, if you are unfamiliar with the health benefits.
The Steps for a Classic Chili One-Pot Meal
In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat the butter over medium heat. All ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe below.
Add the diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes, until soft. While the onion is cooking, chop the bell pepper and toss it in, allowing everything to cook a few more minutes.
Add the ground beef and beef liver (if using). Break up the meat with a wooden or silicone spatula. While it starts to cook, mix in all the seasonings (salt, chili powder, oregano, parsley, cumin, black pepper).
After meat has browned, stir in the minced Garlic. Allow the garlic to cook about 1 minute. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients: both cans of beans (you can mix up the beans if you don’t specifically have the two kinds listed on hand), tomatoes, tomato paste, and that lovely homemade stock.
Bring everything to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat down to a steady simmer, stir it a little, and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Allow the chili to cook for 30 minutes to an hour. (The longer it simmers, the more the flavors meld together.)
When you’re ready to serve, enjoy it warm with some raw shredded cheese and sour cream on top. We also like it with southern sweet cornbread.
Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! Do you have any secret ingredients you like in your chili?
Classic Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter, Olive Oil, or Lard
- 1 Onion, diced
- 1 Bell Pepper (any color), diced
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- ⅓ cup Beef Liver, puréed
- 3 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Parsley (dried)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Oregano
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15oz can Kidney beans, undrained
- 1 15oz can Cannellini beans, undrained
- 1 28oz can diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 1 6oz can Tomato paste
- 1½ cups Chicken, Beef, or Veggie stock
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes, until soft. Toss in bell pepper and let cook a few more minutes.3 tbsp Butter, Olive Oil, or Lard, 1 Onion, diced, 1 Bell Pepper (any color), diced
- Add ground beef and beef liver (if using). Break up the meat. While it starts to cook, mix in seasonings.1 lb Ground Beef, ⅓ cup Beef Liver, puréed, 2 tsp Salt, 3 tbsp Chili Powder, 1½ tsp Oregano, 1 tbsp Parsley (dried), 1 tbsp Cumin, ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- After meat has browned, stir in minced Garlic. Allow garlic to cook about 1 minute. Then, stir in remaining ingredients in order listed and bring to a boil.3 Garlic cloves, minced, 1 15oz can Kidney beans, undrained, 1 15oz can Cannellini beans, undrained, 1 28oz can diced Tomatoes, undrained, 1 6oz can Tomato paste, 1½ cups Chicken, Beef, or Veggie stock
- Reduce the heat down to a steady simmer and cover with a tight fitting lid. Allow the chili to cook for 30 minutes to an hour. Serve warm with optional shredded cheese, sour cream, and saltine crackers.
Nutrition
My crew loved this! 6 strs if I could.
Oh man, I love hearing that, Alisha! Thanks for letting me know.