This easy stovetop chili recipe is perfect for a quick and delicious meal. It has a rich, zesty flavor with just 3 ingredients (plus our secret ingredient!). Serve it with cornbread or biscuits, and top it with your favorite toppings, like shredded cheese or green onions. You are sure to love this easy stove top chili con carne recipe!
Simple STOVE TOP Chili Con Carne Recipe
Simple and healthy dishes are what we all crave, but sometimes we don’t have the time to make them. This easy stovetop chili recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
This homemade chili is easy to make and the recipe only requires a few ingredients. You can serve it with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese and sour cream. Either way, you’ll love this simple, easy meal.
This easy recipe for chili can be tailored to your liking and is made on the stove top. We like our chili with ground beef and beans, but you could add green peppers or any other vegetables you like.
To make things even easier, we have Crockpot slow cooker and Instant Pot pressure cooker instructions, too! They are below and in the recipe.
The best thing about this hot chili beans recipe is that it can only be made with just 3 ingredients plus our secret ingredient, and served within 30 minutes!
The Best Beans for Chili
Chili is typically made with ground beef and is called chili con carne. Many people like to add beans to it for added texture and flavor.
There are many different types of beans that you can use in stove top chili, but some are better than others. Some of the best beans for chili include black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and small red beans.
For a hearty, rich meal, beans are high in protein and fiber. The protein and fiber will help thicken the chili and makes it more filling. Plus, they are a budget friendly meal.
If you want to add extra flavor to your chili con carne, you can try using different types of beans or a mix of them. For example, you could use black-eyed peas or garbanzo beans. Or use lentils or quinoa instead of beans in this dutch oven chili recipe.
What is the secret ingredient to good chili?
The secret ingredient to these hot chili beans is a pinch of cinnamon. Cinnamon might seem like an odd choice, but it does bring out the flavor of the chili.
If you don’t have cinnamon or don’t like it, you can still make this chili without it.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Lean ground beef – I 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 – use canned chili for easy cooking.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles – like Rotel or Zesty Diced Tomatoes. They add a spicy and slightly tangy flavor to the recipe. If you don’t have them, you can 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 recipe. It also helps balance the spiciness of the chili. You can omit it if you don’t have ground cinnamon in hand.
Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped avocado, sliced green onions, jalapenos, or crushed tortilla chips.
If you want your chili to be hotter, add some chili powder or cayenne pepper to the recipe. You can add a packet of chili spice seasoning for even more flavor.
Love beef recipes? Try our Crock Pot Cube Steak, Crock Pot Swiss Steak, Blackstone Griddle Steak, and Short Rib Rigatoni.
Equipment Needed
- Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
- Optional: crockpot, or pressure cooker
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Cooking the Chili on the stovetop
Add the lean ground beef to a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon or meat chopper to break it up, and cook until it is browned.
Drain the meat, leaving about a tablespoon of fat in the pot. This adds a little extra flavor to the chili.
Add the canned chili beans and diced tomatoes to the Dutch oven. Bring the chili to a boil, then add the cinnamon and reduce the heat.
Let the easy chili recipe simmer on the stove for about 25 minutes.
TFN Tip: Our secret ingredient, ground cinnamon, brings out the flavor in chili.
Before serving, garnish it with your favorite toppings and a side of garlic bread.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- This easy chili can be made in a crock pot slow cooker: Simply brown the meat in a pan on the stove. Then add it to the crock-pot slow cooker with a can of chili beans, diced tomatoes (undrained), cinnamon, and a cup of water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Instant Pot Chili: Brown the meat in the Instant Pot. Add all ingredients and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Make it vegetarian: You can leave out the ground beef and add an extra can of chili beans (be sure your beans are vegetarian). Or use lentils, quinoa, or black-eyed peas instead of ground beef.
- Use any ground meat: Swap the ground beef for ground chicken, turkey, pork, or lamb for a twist on traditional chili con carne.
- You can swap zesty chili style diced tomatoes with green chiles for plain diced tomatoes. Then season the chili with a packet of chili seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cook chili on the stove for about 25 minutes to allow the flavors to mix and for the chili to thicken. Cover the soup pot and continue simmering chili on the stove to intensify the flavors.
It depends on what you like. If you like your chili to be more liquid, then simmer it with the lid on. If you want it to be thicker, let the liquid evaporate as it simmers by removing the lid.
Many different types of beans can be used for stove top chili. The three most popular types of beans are black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. We love using canned chili beans for this recipe. But, you can use canned or dried beans.
If you use dried beans, soak them in water overnight before cooking and add extra time to the recipe for them to cook through.
Yes, you can use crushed tomatoes instead of diced in chili. Crushed tomatoes will give your chili a thicker consistency and more tomato flavor.
Some people like their chili thick, while others prefer it soupy. If you are one of the people who like it thick, this recipe is perfect for you. If you want it to be more liquidy, then add 1-2 cups of water.
Check Out our other Beans Recipes
Make zesty, colorful beans with our slow cooker calico beans recipe. If you want a quick and easy bean recipe, use the pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Calico Beans. This 30-minute dinner uses a mix of canned beans for a tasty, zesty meal.
How about using dried beans to make Instant Pot lima beans and ham soup for a budget-friendly dinner? Another easy dried bean recipe is our Instant Pot navy bean soup which uses a no-soak pressure cooking method.
Here’s the full recipe for Easy Stovetop Chili Con Carne
Stovetop Chili
Equipment
- Dutch oven or soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I like 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef)
- 15 ounce can chili beans, undraiked
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel or Zesty Diced Tomatoes)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar sour cream, chopped avocado, sliced green onions, jalapenos, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Add ground beef to a large soup pot on medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and cook until fully browned.
- Drain the meat, leaving about 1 tablespoon of excess grease in the pot for added flavor.
- Place the soup pot back on medium heat and stir in the cans of chili beans and diced tomatoes. Bring chili to a boil.
- Add the cinnamon and stir. Turn down heat to low heat or simmer. Let the chili simmer for about 25 minutes. Serve it warm and garnish it with your favorite toppings.
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