Chili Recipe

Part soup, part stew, chili recipes might vary from household to household, but no matter which chili ingredients you use, they always yield a hearty dinner that’s warm and comforting. Our team of expertly-trained chefs have come up with the best chili recipe ever — it’s a quintessential, classic chili recipe that combines ground beef with kidney beans and a vibrant array of spices. Whether you enjoy it over a bowl of rice, macaroni or mashed potatoes, this versatile dish that will surely become a dinnertime staple.

How to Make Chili Like a Pro

Brown the meat: Whether you make a turkey chili recipe or a classic beef chili recipe, it’s essential to brown the meat first. Any homemade chili recipe will require you to brown the meat in a pan before adding any extra ingredients. It helps ensure that all bits are cooked evenly and thoroughly, while developing a caramelized crust on each piece of the meat.

Season thoroughly: Homemade chili recipes get most of their flavor from dry spices like cumin, paprika, cayenne and chili powder. These bold and vibrant spices help balance out the fattiness of the beef with gentle spice in every bite.

Drain excess fat: Once the meat is finished cooking, it’s a good idea to drain off any excess fat. This is particularly important when making classic beef chili. Beef releases more fat than ground chicken or turkey does, so you’ll want to strain it off to make sure the finished chili isn’t too fatty or oily.

How to Thicken Chili

Any great chili recipe should yield a thick stew that can be ladled over noodles, rice, nachos or even a hot dog. Though chili will thicken naturally the longer you cook it — water evaporates in the form of steam as it cooks — there are a ton of ways to thicken homemade chili recipes quickly, too. Potatoes and rice are both full of starch (a natural thickener) so adding these ingredients to the chili can help thicken it as it cooks without changing the flavor. The same is true for beans. If you want to thicken chili quickly, incorporate a cup of mashed beans or refried beans. For more ways to quickly thicken chili, check out this guide.

What Are Some Lighter Variations of this Chili?

Chili ingredients can be really versatile. Though we think this is the best chili recipe ever, you can absolutely make it a bit lighter, too. Ground turkey and ground chicken are both easy swaps to incorporate into this recipe that help lighten it up without sacrificing flavor. Turkey chili recipes aren’t as fatty or heavy as chili made with beef, so they’re a great way to make a hearty dish that’s a bit on the lighter side. Ground chicken is also a great option; it has significantly less fat than ground beef and is super mild and neutral, so it easily soaks up the flavor of whatever it’s cooked in.