my homemade chili recipe.

This homemade chili recipe has been a family favorite for years. It’s quick and easy to throw together and turns out delicious every time.

Can I tell you a secret? I used to dread dinner time. Like every single night I was such a martyr about cooking/cleaning up dinner. I hated meal planning, grocery shopping, etc. I had the worst attitude about it. But even still, I’ve always prioritized dinner time because deep down I knew sitting down together as a family every night for dinner was really, really important.

Then a few years ago it hit me that the dinner time intuition had been spot on. A huge reason why we are so dang close as a family, and why my kids are growing up really well is because we eat dinner together almost every single night. It’s hard to grow distant from people you are actively sitting down and reconnecting with literally every evening of your life.

The moment I realized how much those dinners were paying off and benefiting our family, my entire paradigm shifted, and with it my attitude towards cooking dinner. I created a system for meal planning that was quick and painless and now dinner making time is a joy and cooking for my family feels like an honor. I know it makes a huge difference and it makes the people I love most so happy. I can see how much everyone is benefitting from the conversations we have around the table every night. And I just can’t resent that. I love it so much. My family is worth it. So is yours!

Make meal planning a breeze and get my “Meal Planning for busy moms” Guide.

All that being said, I know what a burden figuring out what to make and cooking it every night can be, so I’m all about simple, yummy recipes that I can pull out of my back pocket or scanty pantry easily. This homemade chili recipe is one of them. Everyone in my family loves it, goes back for seconds, and eats the leftovers. It’s easy to make, and can be ready in a mere 30 minutes. You can also make this ahead and its even better. I always double the recipe and have enough to feed my family of 6 (with 3 teenagers) plus enough leftovers for lunches or even a second dinner. It’s such a great recipe, and perfect for the cozy season.

More quick and easy family recipes included in my Meal Planning guide.

Garnish this homemade chili with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla strips, and you will not be sorry. If I have extra time/the ingredients in my cupboard, I’ll often throw together a cornbread to go with this, but believe me this chili can stand on it’s own two feet. Try it out and let me know how you like it!

You can make this homemade chili in any big pot, a crock pot, or instant pot. It’s not fussy. But I started making mine in an enameled cast iron dutch oven about a year ago. (Yes it took me 17 years of motherhood to get one) And I will never make my chili in anything else. This dutch oven has been a total game changer. You can pick these up for around $50 which is a great price since this one gets a lot of use. You don’t need a dutch oven for this, but it definitely makes it even better.

Homemade Chili Recipe:

Ingredients

12 oz lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic- minced
1- 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1- 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (or canned if you’re in a pinch)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, sauce ground beef with onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until meat is fully browned and onion is tender and translucent. Stir in kidney beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. So simple, so good!

Pro tip: the longer this homemade chili simmers the better the flavor gets. It’s almost better the next day when those ingredients have been steeping overnight. So feel free to make ahead and turn the heat on extra low and just let that baby simmer for a few hours. You will not believe the flavor!