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This easy Homemade Chili recipe is a WINNER, packed with hearty ground beef, sausage, beans, and a blend of bold spices, simmered to rich perfection. It's made in one pot or a slow cooker and freezes well, too.
My classic Chili recipe is ready for your chili cook-off!
My classic Chili recipe is ready for your chili cook-off!Every year I have at least one reader who writes in that this chili recipe won an award at a chili cook-off! It's the BEST, and my go-to when I need something hearty, comforting, and easy to whip up. It's endlessly adaptable, too — sometimes I’ll toss in extra veggies or a strip of crispy bacon for added flavor, and it's just as delicious made vegetarian with extra beans. Whether we’re piling it onto cornbread waffles, chili dogs, french fries, drizzling it over nachos, or ladling it up with a side of cornbread, it’s a meal that always brings people together.
How to make our award-winning Chili Recipe:
Cook Meat and Combine: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking it apart with a meat chopper as it cooks, and continue until browned. Drain grease, then stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute to deglaze the pan.
Simmer and Serve: Add the diced tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If you need it thicker, sprinkle a big spoonful of cornmeal over the top and stir it in. Use a ladle to serve warm with sour cream, shredded cheese, and your favorite sides like cornbread, potato skins, biscuits, or a green salad.
Easy Homemade Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, , diced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork sausage, (I use Jimmy Dean)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, , petite, undrained
- 4 cups tomato juice*
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 15 ounce cans pinto beans, , undrained
- 1 16 ounce can kidney beans, , undrained
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (or more if you want it spicier)
- cornmeal, to thicken, if desired
- shredded cheddar cheese, , optional
- sour cream, , optional
Instructions
- Saute onion: Add the olive oil to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 large onion
- Brown meat: Add ground beef and sausage to the pot and cook, breaking apart into small pieces with a meat chopper or wooden spoon until browned. Remove the grease.2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 pound ground pork sausage
- Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cayenne.¼ cup red wine vinegar, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 4 cups tomato juice*, 1 cup ketchup, 2 15 ounce cans pinto beans, 1 16 ounce can kidney beans, 3 Tablespoons chili powder, ¾ teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoons ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- Simmer: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for at least one hour, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until thickened. The more it simmers, the thicker and more flavorful it will be! (and if you'd like it even thicker, stir in a sprinkle of cornmeal).cornmeal
- Serve: Ladle chili into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese.shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe August 2019. Updated October 2021, September 2023 and September 2025.
Perfect for a crowd!
My wife is allergic to pork so just used ground beef.
Definately my go to chili recipe now.
Not a fan of to spicy stuff recipe perfect.
The vinegar is a new addition for me. I couldn’t add the sausage due to dietary issues. But .. good classic chili 🌶️.
The recipe is pretty good, but next time I would leave out the brown sugar. I think it made it a bit to sweet for my liking, the tomato juice is enough to sweeten it.
The blend of spices is perfect 👌 I keep trying to come up with the perfect liquid/food ratio so it doesn’t come out as a soup in the instant pot and so I’ve cut out the 4 cups of tomato juice to 1 can of tomato sauce but it’s not thick enough… I added some tomato paste and it’s still not thick… needs to be changed a bit also to avoid the dreaded burn signal. Otherwise, it’s just perfect.
I made this but instead of sausage I used burger. I also add chopped potatoes to my chili
It was good. my husband prefers just beef so next time i will omit the sausage and I agree it was too sweet.
A true CLASSIC chili recipe that I could actually make! Lol!
Followed the recipe, but doubled. It was delicious, but I would make a couple of modifications. The family thought that it was a little too sweet, so possibly cut back on the brown sugar. In addition, I would add a bit more spice. Overall, very good. Thank you!
I am not a fan favorite of Chilli but the family enjoys on a cool night. So, I made this and much to my surprise, I enjoyed the recipe, the spices were perfect for me. I have found the Chilli I will make again, thank you.