This easy homemade chili recipe makes the perfect store cupboard family dinner.
The other great thing about this ground beef chili is how versatile it is. Serve it on nachos or rice, in tacos or a baked potato, or even with buttered noodles.
This easy chili recipe was handed down to me by my dad. Every time he cooked this for anyone, they would ask for the recipe... and nobody could believe how easy it was!
Honestly - this homemade chili recipe is so easy, you feel like you are cheating!
I have tried many different homemade chili recipes over the years but I always come back to this one. For me it is the absolute best homemade chili. Not just because it is so simple, but it is delicious too.
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Ingredients to make Chili
This is the ultimate store cupboard chili recipe, using just a few basic chili ingredients: ground beef, onions, garlic, canned tomato soup, kidney beans, chili powder and vinegar.
You don't have to add the vinegar if you don't have any, but I find it really does help bring out the flavor of the chili.
For the soup, try to use concentrated tomato soup. I have made it with cream of tomato soup before and the results aren't nearly as good. If you only have cream of tomato soup, then maybe add a spoonful of tomato paste to add some richness to the dish.
I love a kidney bean chili but you could easily substitute them with black beans, cannellini beans or pinto beans - whatever you have in your pantry!
How much chili powder you add depends on how spicy you like your chili and how spicy your chili powder is. Remember it is much easier to add more spice later than it is to take it away!
You may also like this recipe: Leftover Chicken Chili.
How to make homemade Chili
Making homemade chili from scratch is so easy with this recipe!
All you need to do is cook the onions and garlic, then brown the beef... and then tip in all the other ingredients and let them cook together. That's it!
Just be sure you give it a stir every now and then to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
I also recommend that you let this easy to make chili cook for at least 30 minutes.
The longer you cook it the better it will taste. I find if you cook any ground beef recipe (like bolognese for example) they definitely benefit from cooking for AT LEAST 30 minutes - and longer if you can.
How to serve a simple homemade chili
The beauty of this beef chili recipe is just how versatile it is. My favorite way to serve it is on top of nachos, topped with melted cheese and a dollop of sour cream and guacamole, and maybe some pico de gallo.
Here are some other suggestions for serving homemade beef chili:
- Served in a burrito bowl
- In tacos
- In a steaming hot baked potato
- With buttered noodles
- In Sloppy Joes
- On a hotdog
- Mixed with rice to make stuffed peppers
- On a homemade pizza
- To make chilli cheese fries...
Can you freeze beef chili?
Yes you absolutely can freeze chili. It freezes and re-heats really well.
I often make up a big batch and freeze half for an easy make-ahead meal on days when I don't have time to cook a meal from scratch.
Looking for more ideas for Ground Beef? Try these recipes:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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Easy Homemade Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped / crushed
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cans condensed tomato soup
- 1 can kidney beans undrained
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon malt vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft.
- Add the mince and cook until lightly browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add the remaining ingredients (tomato soup, kidney beans, chili powder and vinegar) and cook over a low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring often.
Chris says
Do you add the water that the condensed soup says to add?
Marianne Rogerson says
Hi Chris - no, no need. Just tip in the can of soup.
Chris says
What size tomato soup please?
John says
This recipe is a good start, but the real taste of chili is cumin, so add it to taste.
Other nice things to add:
-use multiple kinds of beans simultaneously - black, red, pink, kidney, pinto, etc.
- a few ounces of red wine
- a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder
- chopped spinach adds a lot of good nutrients
- s pponful of flour or cornstarch will help thicken it
- make half the meat ground pork
Or substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for beef/pork
Marianne Rogerson says
Thanks for the tips John!
Antoinette Blair says
Hello. Do you have to use malt vinegar or can any other vinegar work?
Thank you so much for this simple recipe!
Marianne Rogerson says
I use malt vinegar but any vinegar will be fine - it just helps bring out the flavour of the chilli.