Ground Beef Chili (the recipe everyone asks for!)

Let’s cut to the chase: every time I make my ground beef chili recipe, everyone asks for the recipe. There is one secret ingredient that totally changes the game, and I’ll share it with more secrets for the meatiest, heartiest, most comforting bowl of chili!

Whether it’s a cozy Sunday dinner or meal prep for the week, this is the chili I come back to again and again. It’s hearty with lean ground beef and kidney beans, rich with fire-roasted tomatoes and beef broth, and layered with chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder — simple ingredients that build serious flavor.

The magic is in the little details. Toasting the spices and tomato paste in olive oil with minced onion and garlic wakes everything up and adds a deep aroma before the tomatoes go in. A slow simmer lets the flavors meld, a spoonful of brown sugar balances the acidity, cornmeal thickens the pot to that perfect hearty texture, and the beans are stirred in at the end so they stay tender but never mushy. It’s easy, adaptable, and the kind of chili you’ll crave on repeat.

My #1 tip for the best homemade chili? Don’t skip the cornmeal. It thickens the pot beautifully and adds a subtle depth that makes people pause and say, “There’s something special in here…” without quite knowing what it is. Now you know — that little secret is cornmeal.

Tap stars to rate!

5 stars (8 ratings)

Ground Beef Chili (the recipe everyone asks for!)

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs

Total: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

SaveSaved!

Add us as a preferred source

Recipe video below. I’ve made ground beef chili more times than I can count, always tweaking and testing to see if I could make it even better. This is the version I’ve landed on — and now it’s the only one I make. The secret is stirring in a little cornmeal near the end of cooking; it thickens the chili perfectly and adds the faintest roasted note that makes the whole pot taste just a little more special. Every time I serve it, friends and family tell me it’s the best chili they’ve had.

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion (finely minced)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• ▢ 2 lb lean ground beef
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
• ▢ 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 28 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• ▢ 2 cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons cornmeal (see notes)
• ▢ 15 ounce can kidney beans (drained)

Instructions 

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
  
• Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. If there is a lot of fat in the pot, push the meat to one side and spoon some of it out – don't remove it all, as it adds flavor.
  2 lb lean ground beef
  
• Stir in the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Push the meat to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring a little, until it has darkened and smells sweet, about 2-3 minutes.
  2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin, 4 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons EACH: oregano, salt, and pepper
  
• Add the tomatoes, beef broth, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour (2 if you have the time!) Stir the pot occasionally to make sure the chili doesn't burn to the bottom.
  28 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  
• Stir the cornmeal into the chili then let it simmer, uncovered, until it has thickened. This will take 15-30 minutes, depending on how thick you like your chili. Stir in the kidney beans and let them warm through.
  4 tablespoons cornmeal, 15 ounce can kidney beans
  
• Serve the chili with your favorite toppings!
  

Video

Notes

Beans: While kidney beans are classic in chili, other kinds also work well. To switch things up, try cannellini beans or black beans. Add an extra can if you enjoy lots of beans in your chili, or omit them entirely for a bean-free chili.

Tomatoes: If you don’t have fire-roasted tomatoes, you can use regular diced tomatoes instead. 

Cornmeal: This slightly unusual ingredient in chili is what makes it so special. It adds a barely there flavor that complements the chili powder and helps to thicken the chili perfectly.

Add-ins: All chili recipes are very flexible, including this one. While I love it exactly as written, feel free to make it your own. Sauteing a bell pepper or some minced mushrooms with the onion is a great way to add extra veggies. And often, I’ll add some frozen corn along with the beans – my family loves corn in chili. 

Toppings: The sky is the limit here! Sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions are classic and the ones I most often reach for. Something crunchy, such as corn chips or tortilla chips, are tasty. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 big bowl, Calories: 595kcal (30%), Carbohydrates: 50g (17%), Protein: 62g (124%), Fat: 17g (26%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 141mg (47%), Sodium: 2489mg (108%), Potassium: 2053mg (59%), Fiber: 13g (54%), Sugar: 17g (19%), Vitamin A: 1857IU (37%), Vitamin C: 26mg (32%), Calcium: 167mg (17%), Iron: 11mg (61%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

Even more chili recipes

2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Best Steak Chili

10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

BBQ Chicken Chili

50 minutes mins

Guinness Spiked Irish Chili

55 minutes mins

Vegetarian Chili Recipe (easy to make with lots of veggies)

All chili recipes