Great chili recipes should meet a handful of requirements: They must be relatively forgiving, improve with slow cooking, and be welcoming to your favorite toppings. This easy recipe, which won a 2006 reader poll in honor of the brand’s 50th anniversary, meets all of those criteria.
Use canned beans and boxed stock to keep things extra simple, but look for low-sodium versions to keep the saltiness in check. For the meat, go with ground chuck, which is 80% lean ground beef and 20% fat. Other than that, this homemade chili recipe is flexible. Running low on one of the dried herbs? Use more of the others. Like a hint of smoke? Add chipotle chiles or some smoked paprika. Want more heat? Stir in a bit of cayenne pepper.
While many chili recipes call for slow cookers or Instant Pots, we prefer a stovetop. But if you’re serving it for a game day, that’s when any device with a “keep warm” setting comes into play. Make space on the table for a spread of chili toppings like sour cream and cheddar cheese; fresh veggies like diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and green onions; tortilla chips; and hot sauce.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chuck and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
