How to Make Chili

The short answer

Beef chili takes about 1 hour 30 minutes and serves 8. Brown 2 lb of ground beef, soften an onion and a bell pepper in the fat, then cook 3 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin and 2 tbsp tomato paste for a full 60 seconds before any liquid goes in — that blooming step is where the depth comes from. Add crushed tomatoes and broth and simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes until a spoon leaves a track, then add the beans for the final 15 minutes. Chili thickens by evaporation, so leave the lid off.

How to Make Chili, step by step

1. Brown the beef hard and set it aside — you want colour, not grey.
2. Soften the onion and pepper in the fat left behind.
3. Add the garlic, spices and tomato paste and cook 60 seconds until fragrant. Do not skip this.
4. Return the beef, add tomatoes and broth, and simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes.
5. Add the beans for the last 15 minutes so they hold their shape.

Classic Beef & Bean Chili

Serves 8 · 1 hr 30 min total · 30g protein / 26g carbs / 21g fat per serving

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (85/15)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 x 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until well coloured. Remove it with a slotted spoon and leave the fat.
2. Cook the onion and bell pepper in that fat 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and tomato paste. Stir constantly for 60 seconds — the spices should smell toasted and the paste should darken. This is where the depth comes from.
4. Return the beef, then add the crushed tomatoes and broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot clean.
5. Simmer uncovered 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough that a spoon leaves a track.
6. Stir in the beans and cook 15 minutes more. Salt to taste — it usually needs more than you expect.

Macro note: Leaving the beans out drops it to about 20g carbs and 5g fiber per serving; doubling them and halving the beef gets it under 300 cal.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my chili watery?

It has not simmered long enough, or it simmered with the lid on. Chili thickens by evaporation. Leave it uncovered and give it the full hour — if you are still short on time, a tablespoon of masa harina or cornmeal stirred in will tighten it in a few minutes.

Beans or no beans?

Regional and genuinely contested. Texas-style chili is meat and chiles only, no beans. Everywhere else, beans are standard. Both are on this page — the open recipe includes them, and the no-bean chuck version is in the variations.

Is chili really better the next day?

Yes, and not just as folklore. Overnight the starches from the beans continue to thicken it and the spice flavours distribute through the fat. Cool it quickly, refrigerate, and reheat gently.