Our favorite stove top chili recipe is made quickly and easily in a Dutch oven, and it’s perfect for a warm lunch or dinner on a cold or rainy day. Despite only having 4 ingredients, it has a rich, zesty flavor that’s the ultimate in comfort food! Add your favorite toppings and serve the Dutch oven chili with milk free cornbread or in a recipe for sourdough bread bowls.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Perfect for busy weeknights.
Healthy, family-friendly dishes can take a while to make, and we don’t always have a lot of time to cook. Fortunately, this 30 minute recipe fixes that problem! - Only requires a few ingredients.
You’ll be surprised at the rich flavors that just 4 ingredients add to this dish. Plus, we share our “secret” ingredient in the easy chili recipe below! - Feeds a lot of people and can be made ahead.
Make a batch in advance to save yourself some time. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Then, invite some friends over for a game day party and set up a chili bar!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Lean ground beef – We like to use 85/15 or 80/20. But if you don’t have ground beef, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Chili beans – A mixture of beans are the best beans for chili. This recipe uses a variety of canned beans for convenience and flavor. If you only have dried beans on hand, check our tutorial on how to cook dried beans.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles – like Rotel or zesty chili style diced tomatoes. They add a spicy and slightly tangy flavor to the recipe. If you don’t have them, use regular diced tomatoes and add a can of diced green chiles.
- Secret ingredient: Ground cinnamon – This adds a warm and sweet flavor to the stove top chili recipe. It also helps balance the spiciness of the dish. You can omit it if you don’t have ground cinnamon in hand.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
This easy chili recipe can be tailored to your liking. We like to include beans, but you can add green peppers, celery, or any other vegetables you like.
How to Make Dutch Oven Chili
- Cook the ground beef.
Brown the ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break apart the meat as it cooks. Then, drain the cooked ground beef, leaving about a tablespoon of fat in the pot.
Using just a little bit of fat adds a ton of flavor to the stovetop chili!
- Stir in the chili beans and diced tomatoes.
Using a a large spoon, stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil. Be sure to drain the canned beans, unless the beans come in a chili sauce. If so, you’ll want to add the entire contents of the can to the Dutch oven.
- Taste and season as it cooks.
Stir in cinnamon, then let mixture simmer for about 20 minutes. The ground beef chili will taste different at various points in the cooking process, so check as you go, adding extra seasoning to your liking.
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Serving Suggestions
Stovetop chili is delicious on its own, but you can add even more flavor with classic toppings. Some of our favorite toppings are:
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped green onions
- sour cream
- chopped avocado
- jalapeno or roasted jalapeno
- crushed tortilla chips or corn chips
This is also best served for your next Cinco de Mayo menu ideas together with wonton cups, pulled pork street tacos, or cilantro rice. You may also add chili powder or cayenne pepper for extra spiciness. Pair it with black beans, pinto beans, or red kidney beans. This homemade chili recipe is our favorite during game day, perfect with side dishes.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Add chili toppings to small serving bowls, then let your guests help themselves to whatever toppings they like.
To round out this 30-minute meal, consider serving it with a salad and garlic toasted sourdough bread or garlic toast.
Recipe FAQs
Cook it with the lid on and set to a simmer for about 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. The longer it simmers, the more depth of flavor you will achieve.
Yes! If you’re planning to store this meal for longer than a few days, pop it into the freezer. If kept in an airtight container, frozen chili will be kept in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
The consistency can be thin or thick, whichever you prefer. For a thick consistency, simmer with the lid off. For more of a chili soup, add chicken broth or water, ¼ cup at a time, until your perfect consistency is reached.
If you’re only storing the Dutch oven chili for a few days, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. For longer periods of time, freezing is recommended (see above). Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat this easy chili on the stove, place it in a saucepan over medium heat and stir it occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 165°F. To reheat in a microwave, place it in a heat-safe container and cook on high power for 3-5 minutes.
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Our Favorite Stovetop Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef we recommend 85/15 or 80/20
- 15 ounces canned chili beans or kidney beans
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel or Del Monte Zesty Diced Tomatoes)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional Toppings for Chili
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- jalapenos
- diced avocado
- corn chips or tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Add ground beef to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break apart the meat as it cooks.
- Using paper toweling, carefully soak up excess grease in the pot, leaving about 1 tablespoon of grease behind, for additional flavor.
- Place the Dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium-high heat and stir in the chili beans and diced tomatoes. Using a a large spoon, stir to combine, then bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in cinnamon, then let mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.Ladle into bowls and serve warm, topped with your favorite chili toppings.
Notes
Then, invite some friends over for a game day party and set up a chili bar! How to Store and Reheat: If you’re only storing the Dutch oven chili for a few days, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. For longer periods of time, freezing is recommended. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating. To reheat this easy chili on the stove, place it in a saucepan over medium heat and stir it occasionally, until it reaches a temperature of 165°F. To reheat in a microwave, place it in a heat-safe container and cook on high power for 3-5 minutes. Other cooking methods: Crockpot Slow Cooker chili: This chili can be made in a crock-pot. First, brown the meat and add it to the crock-pot with the can of chili beans and diced tomatoes. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Instant Pot Chili: To make this easy chili recipe in the Instant Pot, saute the ground beef meat in the Instant Pot. Then, add all ingredients and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. You can substitute diced tomatoes (without chiles) and use a chili seasoning packet to spice this to your liking.
Nutrition
This post, first published in July 2022, was last updated with new content in September 2023.
Kim says
This stovetop chili recipe is a lifesaver! It’s so easy to do with just 4 ingredients. Will definitely make this tomorrow!
Dina and Bruce says
Simple recipe to follow. Tasty.
Dannii says
This chilli was total comfort food. 10/10 – I will definitely be making it again.
Anjali says
This chili was super hearty, spicy and so flavorful!! Tasted great served with some cornbread for a delicious family dinner!
Tracy says
We love this recipe! We’ve made it on the stove top and the instant pot, thanks so much for all of the amazing instructions!