Beef and bean chili recipe
This beef and bean chili recipe is perfect for game day, or when you’re craving a bowl of something hearty and comforting. Rich and thick, made with simple ingredients, this easy recipe will be your new “go-to” chili.
You may also be interested in my turkey chili and my Instant Pot beef and beer chili recipes.
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Beef and bean chili
A basic beef chili recipe should be in every chili lovers back pocket. This is mine. It’s thick and tomatoey, with enough ground beef to make it hearty, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.
It’s the perfect fall game day food, you can scale the recipe up to feed a crowd, or cut in half to feed a couple of people. It is delicious as is, but you can use it to top hot dogs, turn it into a frito pie, or scoop it up with tortilla chips or corn chips. You honestly can’t go wrong.
What you need to know
If you can, make it the day before you plan to serve it. Chili is good the day it is made, but letting all the flavors develop overnight makes it great. It’s a noticeable difference.
This 1 lb. ground beef chili recipe is perfect for people who like beans in their chili. The amount of beef doesn’t overwhelm everything else in the pot. That being said, if you prefer a beefier chili, feel free to add in an extra half pound or double it to 2 pounds.
This is a chili recipe using dried beans, but I’ll give you a variation for using canned beans, if you prefer to use them. I know some of you are not a fan of using dried beans, preferring the convenience of canned. I get it. But, this recipe calls for dried beans with their cooking liquid, and that is something you just can’t get from a can. You can use canned beans, but I promise you, if you cook dried beans, you will notice a major difference in the end product.
Ingredients
This beef chili recipe with beans uses common ingredients that you probably already have in the kitchen.
- Ground beef – I used 1 lb. of ground beef for my pot of chili. If you prefer more meat in yours, you can bump it up to 1.5 lbs.
- Substitutions: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or a mixture can be used in place of beef.
- Dried beans – Pound for pound, dried beans are MUCH less expensive than canned. Plus, they cook in a flavorful broth that makes them incredibly delicious.
- Diced tomatoes – I like “petite diced” instead of the regular diced, so everything is close to the same size. Sometimes the diced tomatoes are way too big, and this is a great option.
- Rotel diced tomatoes + green chili – I used mild, but if you like a lot of heat, go for the medium or hot.
- Onion and garlic – You can’t really have a flavorful pot of anything without them. Garlic is one of those ingredients that I measure with my heart. I suggest you do the same.
- Cumin and chili powder – These give the chili that “chili” taste, and the chili powder provides a little heat.
- Salt and pepper – Everything needs salt and pepper, measure to your personal taste.
How to make
Here’s a quick summary of how to make this chili. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Brown the beef in a deep Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pot. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
- Add diced onions and garlic to the ground beef, stir to combine, and let the onions soften.
- Add diced tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes and chilies. Simmer until slightly theickened.
- Add beans and their cooking liquid to the pot. Simmer until some of the liquid has cooked off and reduced. This will intensify the flavors, so be mindful of the amount of salt you add to the pot.
When your chili has reached its desired consistency, it is ready to serve, or to refrigerate overnight.
Cooking dried beans for beef chili
I cook my dried beans separately, then add them to the chili at the end. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes can toughen the beans, making it harder for them to soften during cooking.
In the pot with my beans are bay leaves, onion, garlic, dried chiles and epazote (an herb popular in Latin American cooking). The dried chiles give the beans a ton of flavor, and in turn, give the chili great flavor.
Use any dried chiles that you like – I used Hatch chiles. The flesh will separate from the skin, discard the skin, but keep the flesh of the chile pepper. It adds wonderful flavor and just a touch of heat.
Beef chili with beans
This beef chili could also be called “chili con carne with beans“. Chili con carne is basically chili. It’s a spicy stew with beef, chile peppers, tomatoes, and beans. Usually you’ll find onions, garlic and cumin added as well. Sounds a lot like the same ingredients, doesn’t it?
Bean and beef chili recipe FAQ’s
Have questions about this beef chili recipe? I have answers.
Store chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Chili freezes really well, making it a great recipe for doubling. Stash half of the chili in the freezer for a no cooking day.
Yes. To replace the dried beans, you’ll need 2 cans of beans.
Variations and substitutions
- Spicy – Add in a pinch of chipotle or ancho chili powder to give it a spicy, smoky kick.
- Canned beans – You’ll need two 15 oz. cans of beans to replace the cooked dried beans.
Serving suggestions
The list of possible toppings for chili is about as long as your arm. Here are some of my favorites:
- Sour cream
- Diced fresh tomatoes
- Sliced jalapeños
- Shredded cheese
- Crackers
- Corn chips (Fritos)
- Diced avocado
- Diced red onion and/or sliced scallions
- Herbs – chopped cilantro, chopped chives, chopped parsley
Helpful tools and equipment
- A dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot is the perfect vessel to cook chili.
- I served the chili in white soup crocks with handles.
- This meat chopper utensil is a game changer. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend it. I can’t (don’t want to) live without it now.
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Beef and bean chili recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups dried beans *See notes for aromatics
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 cans diced tomatoes 14.5 oz. cans // I used petite diced
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes + green chilies 10 oz. can // I used mild
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the beans
- Pick over the dried beans to get rid of any debris mixed in with the beans, then give them a quick rinse. Cover dried beans with 2 – 3 inches of cool water. Soak the beans for 6 – 8 hours. Discard any beans that float to the surface. Drain the beans and rinse well.
- Add beans to a large pot and cover with 2 – 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a low simmer, add aromatics and let the beans simmer on low heat for 30 – 45 minutes. Test a bean to see if they are starting to soften. If they are, add 2 tsp. kosher salt, if not, cook a little longer, then add salt when they are starting to soften. Cook for about 1 – 1½ hours total (though it may require more time, depending on your beans), then remove from heat and let the beans sit in the warm cooking liquid.
- Remove chunks of onion, bay leaves and epazote, discard. Remove chiles and discard skin, but add the softened flesh back into the beans. The garlic cloves will be very soft, and will "melt" into the beans. You can lightly mash them if they are still whole.
Make the chili
- Heat a 6 qt. Dutch oven pot over medium heat. Add ground beef to warm pot, and break up the meat. Brown the ground beef. *It doesn't have to be cooked through, a little pink inside is ok.
- Add a pinch of salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin to the ground beef. Then add onions and garlic. Cook for 6 – 8 minutes to allow the onions to soften and become translucent.
- Add diced tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. Stir to combine. Simmer chili on low for 45 minutes, with a lid slightly ajar to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Taste for seasoning – add salt and pepper if needed. *Do not add too much salt at this stage. The chili will continue to cook down and the flavors will intensify.
- Add 4 cups of beans with a bit of bean broth to the pot of chili, then stir to combine. Let the chili continue to simmer on low for an additional 30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar, or until the chili has reached your desired consistency. Taste again for seasoning and adjust if needed.Chili can be stored up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Recipe yields 3 1/2 quarts, or 14 cups.
- I cook my beans with 2 dried chiles, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 onion cut into quarters, 2 bay leaves and a few leaves of epazote. You can cook your beans with any aromatics that you enjoy.
- Chili is great on the day it is made, but even BETTER the following day. If you can, plan to make it the day before you want to serve it.
- To use canned beans, you’ll need two 15 oz. cans to replace the dried beans.
- If you like your chili with a little more liquid, add 1 cup of beef stock to the pot while the chili is simmering.
- Be careful when adding salt – you can always add more, but taking it out proves a bit more difficult.
Nutrition
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