This really is the best beef chili in my opinion! It’s loaded with tons of spices and flavor, meat, beans, and extra veggies. The recipe is based off the chili recipe my mom made growing up that everyone always loved. It was a true crowd pleaser and this one still is today. It’s one of those recipes that’s really so simple to make and every time people come over they always ask for the recipe. We make it with both beef and sometimes turkey and honestly we love both ways!
What you need to make the best beef chili + substitutions:
- Ground beef- We typically use ground beef in this recipe to make it classic. However, we often substitute with ground turkey and I personally think it’s just as good. We love both ways! Ground chicken would work too.
- Yellow onion- Onion is ideal in pretty much most of our recipes. It adds so much amazing flavor!
- Bell peppers- We love throwing in bell peppers. They add color, nutrition, and also a nice bulk to this beef chili.
- Garlic cloves- Garlic is ideal in basically every savory recipe. You can substitute with 1 tsp garlic powder if needed.
- Canned diced green chilis- I buy the mild diced green chilis. If you like spicy, you can buy hot, but we like it mild for the kids.
- Diced tomatoes- The tomatoes are a classic in any chili recipe. They add flavor, thickness, texture, and extra veggie.
- Red kidney beans- We personally love to use kidney beans and that’s what most people use. If you want to use a mix of beans you can, but you want to make sure they’re similar to kidney beans.
- Chicken stock- We have a bunch of chicken stock from Costco so that’s what we used, but feel free to substitute with chicken broth or vegetable broth. You only use a little bit so if you HAD to use water you could but I definitely suggest broth or stock!
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The Best Beef Chili
This really is the best beef chili in my opinion! It's loaded with tons of spices and flavor, meat, beans, and extra veggies. The recipe is based off the chili recipe my mom made growing up that everyone always loved. It was a true crowd pleaser and this one still is today. It's one of those recipes that's really so simple to make and every time people come over they always ask for the recipe. We make it with both beef and sometimes turkey and honestly we love both ways!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cans kidney beans drained
- 4oz can diced green chilis
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 green bell peppers diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds you can use powdered
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 dried bay leaf
- avocado oil as needed
- sea salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat about 1-2 tbsp avocado oil. Pour in the cumin seeds and dried bay leaf if using both. Toast in the oil for about 1 minute.
- Next, add in the onion, peppers and garlic and saute for about 5-7 minutes until cooked down a bit. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Add in the beef or turkey, season with more sea salt salt and pepper and the rest of the seasonings: chili powder, oregano, and paprika (& cumin if you are using the powder over the seeds)
- Break up the meat and saute until the beef is cooked through.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, green chilis, kidney beans and chicken stock. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add salt if needed.
- Serve in bowl and enjoy! We love to top ours with shredded cheddar cheese + cilantro + sour cream or greek yogurt, avocado, and lime.
Notes
For Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.