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The Best Chili Recipe

8 · Aug 26, 2018

The Best Chili Recipe is the most basic and veggie-tastic one-pot dinner for chili there ever was!! SO easy and SO good! Enjoy!

Best Chili Recipe

Guys, this is the best chili recipe ever. I had a hankering for chili since Boise has had some chilly weather and on-again-off-again rain. So, I pulled up my recipe for chili from 2010 and the photo was completely old and outdated (and ugly).

So, I updated all these photos to prove/convince you that this really is a recipe worth making. My recipe calls for a bunch of veggies and I am more than ok loading on the toppings. If ever there were a recipe that required you to hide “gross” vegetable tastes and textures from little palates, this would be it. Everything cooks together and tastes the same. It’s really the perfect plan. Mwahahaha.

Read my Recipe Tips at the bottom of this post for more ideas and tricks.

Best Chili Recipe

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Original Post from 09/08/2010

I cannot tell you how good it feels to be home and back into the daily grind. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on vacation but sometimes it’s good to be home!

Yesterday for dinner, I decided to make some plain ol’ chili–not my usual white chicken chili (which is my husband’s favorite). Well, this chili was absolutely delicious and such a nice change from out usual not to mention pretty healthful. You can have this done and ready to go after 30 minutes or so, but the longer you let this cook the better it gets and the deeper the flavors. I let mine cook about 2 hours on low.   Anyways, this recipe is pretty basic and on my ‘go to’ list for ease. You do have to chop a few veggies, but after that, you just open a few cans and dump them into your pot. Super simple!

So make sure to add a few ingredients to your grocery list and make this soon! You’ll be glad you did!

Best Chili Recipe
Recipe Links and Tips

(Some affiliate links below)

I add in lots of veggies to this recipe because I CAN. It’s a strongly flavored 1-pot dinner and as those veggies cook, they absorb those flavors. It’s delicious!!

The recipe also calls for 1/2 lb. ground beef. I only had half a pound when I first developed this. If you are big into the protein or you’re trying to appease a big meat eater, add in the full pound.

Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for cooking. It will give you nice even heat. This is the one I have and used for this recipe.

Because this recipe calls for so many chopped veggies, using a big cutting board makes things easier! Chop, move it to the side. Mine is nearly identical to this one.

This recipe would work well in the crockpot; just make sure you cook it long enough to soften those carrots and cook the meat. Of course, you can brown the meat ahead, and save an hour or so of cooking time too 🙂

5 from 7 votes
Print

Best Chili Recipe

The Best Chili Recipe is the most basic and veggie-tastic one-pot dinner for chili there ever was!! SO easy and SO good! Enjoy!

Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 371 kcal
Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef 93% lean
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1-15 oz. can black beans drained & rinsed
  • 1-15 oz. can pinto beans drained & rinsed
  • 1 1/4 cup frozen corn
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • toppings: grated cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocados, lime juice
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery until slightly softened, 5 minutes.
  2. Drop meat into pot and break apart using a wooden spoon. Cook until meat is cooked thoroughly and browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 20 minutes but up to 3 hours.
  3. Serve with desired toppings and cornbread.
Nutrition Facts
Best Chili Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 371 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 351mg 15%
Potassium 974mg 28%
Total Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 6g
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 220.4%
Vitamin C 24.7%
Calcium 8.4%
Iron 21.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Other chili recipes you might like:

Skinny White Chicken Chili

Bean-Free Turkey Chili

Healthy Turkey Chili

Cheesy Turkey Chili Mac

Beef, Dinners, Mexican, Recipes & Food, Soup beans, best, chili, ground beef, simple

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Abby B says

    December 30, 2011 at 1:01 am


    This was DELICIOUS!!! I doubled the recipe and added a lot more Chili powder and about another 1/2 cup of beef stock. My husband can’t stop eating it! Thanks Lauren!

    Reply
  2. Peggy says

    February 3, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    I am making this up for our chili cook-off at church on Sunday… Wish me luck!!
    (I’m just happy to try out a new chili recipe…. i love me some good chili! and today I sent strombroli into school with the guys… one for french class, the rest for lunches! Yep I was the “cool” mom today! 🙂 Thanks for the recipes and inspiration!!

    Reply
  3. Vanessa says

    October 29, 2012 at 11:55 am

    Can you make this in the crockpot Lauren?

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      October 30, 2012 at 7:29 pm

      Yup! Just make sure to cook it long enough. 6-ish hours should be good!

      Reply
  4. Kate says

    March 9, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    Sounds delicious!!!

    Reply
  5. Mel says

    October 9, 2014 at 9:38 am


    I have made this at home once or twice but just made it for a lunch at work. Every person that I saw had seconds! I did not adjust a thing- it was perfect for a fall day!

    Reply
  6. Jessi says

    April 28, 2017 at 9:34 am

    That dish looks so delicious and healthy!!! Planning to try making it this weekend. Thanks for sharing:)

    Reply
  7. Dana says

    May 6, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    If I wanted to make this meat-free, should I just take out the beef or substitute it with something else?

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      May 6, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      If you take it out, it will taste just as good! No need to substitute.

      Reply
  8. Christeen says

    June 13, 2017 at 8:54 am

    This looks to be a great recipe. Even though it’s summer in Southern California, my family would still eat a bowl of chili in the heat. Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  9. Susan Van Alyne says

    June 13, 2017 at 7:03 pm


    I tried this chili recipe, and we both LOVED it!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Christina M. says

    June 17, 2017 at 8:26 pm


    Yummy! I really think I need some of this right now. It is all cloudy and cold here in my part of Idaho too!

    Reply
  11. Sarah Gifford says

    November 25, 2017 at 1:33 pm


    This is by far my families most favorite chili recipe! ❤️

    Reply

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