This post contains affiliate links.
Chili season is officially here, and with Halloween two days away, a big pot on the stove is one of the easiest ways to feed a hungry crowd before the trick-or-treating starts. The trouble is that a lot of homemade chili tastes flat: heavy on tomato, light on everything else, and a little one-note by the third bite. Toppings can only do so much. If you love a bowl with serious heat, our Spicy Chili is built for that, and if you want something lighter, Turkey Chili and White Chicken Chili are both weeknight favorites. But for the classic, beefy, bean-loaded bowl most of us grew up on, one small step makes the biggest difference.
That step is a quarter cup of red wine vinegar. In our Easy Homemade Chili, it goes into the pot right after the ground beef and pork sausage are browned and drained, and it cooks for just one minute before the tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, beans and spices go in. The vinegar loosens the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot and adds a bright, tangy edge that keeps a rich, meaty chili from tasting heavy. It won’t make your chili taste sour. After a long simmer, it simply wakes up the tomatoes and spices. Readers agree: the recipe has a 4.9-star rating from more than 1,000 votes.
Tips for making the best homemade chili
Brown the meat well first, breaking the beef and sausage into small pieces, and drain the grease before the vinegar goes in so the finished chili never tastes greasy. Then give it time. This chili simmers for at least one hour and up to three, and the longer it goes, the thicker and more flavorful it gets. If it is still thinner than you like, stir in a sprinkle of cornmeal. As written, the recipe is very mild, which makes it an easy win with kids. For the grown-ups, add more cayenne, chopped jalapeños or a few dashes of hot sauce. You can make it on the stove or in the slow cooker, and it is freezer friendly, so a double batch now means an easy dinner later in the month.
Set out bowls of shredded cheddar and sour cream, and serve a square of buttermilk cornbread or jalapeño cornbread on the side. The recipe makes about 20 cups, so there is plenty left over for Cornbread Waffles with Chili later in the week. Get all the details in our Easy Homemade Chili recipe.
Add us as a trusted site on GoogleFollow Me
