Enjoy a warm comforting bowl of meaty chili that’s flavorful, rich and hearty with plenty of kidney beans to fill you up. This hearty Beef Chili is perfect to enjoy with your family for dinner!
THE BEEF CHILI OVERVIEW

I must admit, I rarely cook anything with beef and usually use lean ground turkey as a substitute for beef. But I figured I need to start adding more beefy recipes for you Gluttons.
I got the idea of making this Hearty Beef Chili because my cousin kept talking about a chili restaurant near his house. He kept texting that the chili was full of flavor and that he could order it every day. So one day, we had movie night with my Bestie and he decided to have the chili delivered from the restaurant. The chili came with shredded cheese, chopped white onions, and oyster crackers. He was right! It was bomb!
So here I am, making my own rendition of that bowl of chili but with my twist on it!
If you’re not feeling the beef, try my Red Chicken Chili.
THE BEEF CHILI BREAKDOWN

- ORGANIC LEAN GROUND BEEF – or you can use any lean meat such as ground chicken or turkey.
- LARGE ONION – chopped
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – I used organic.
- SUGAR – optional but helps mellow out the acidity of the tomato sauce
- CUMIN, GARLIC POWDER, BLACK PEPPER, and CHILE POWDER
- CINNAMON
- ORGANIC RED KIDNEY BEANS
- TOMATO SAUCE
- DICE TOMATOES – fresh or fire roasted for added flavor.
HOW TO MAKE THIS HEARTY BEEF CHILI
STEP 1
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and sauté stirring often until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
STEP 2
Crumble the ground beef into the pot and cook until fully browned. Drain off any excess fat.
STEP 3
Stir into the cooked beef the chili powder, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon.
STEP 4
Add the kidney beans, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to the pot and stir well.

STEP 5
Bring the chili to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer on low for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

TIPPY TIP
- ¼ cup chili powder may sound like a lot, but it’s a really good amount for a large pot of chili.
- You may use black beans instead of kidney beans.
- Want a kick of spicy? Add cayenne pepper to taste.
STORAGE
Fridge – Store in a sealed container. This will be good up to a week. The flavors will come out better too.
Freeze – Save it in a sealed container or a ziplock bag. It will be good for up to 3 months.
Reheat – Microwave in a bowl and devour. You could also use a pot and reheat on the stove.
DIET TRENDSETTERS SUBSTITUTIONS
VEGAN – I like using Impossible and Beyond Meat but any plant based meat crumbles will do if you want the meat texture.
SUGGESTED TOPPINGS FOR CHILI
- Add some onions – red, white, or green!
- Cheese – A definite must! If you’re lactose then use plant based shredded cheeses.
- Sour Cream – Make it taste a little creamier.

PAIR THIS CHILI WITH

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love, or think my readers will find useful. Thanks Tootz!

Hearty Beef Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds organic lean ground beef
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cans 15 oz organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well (dark red or light red, or a blend of both)
- 1 can 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 can 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes (regular or fire roasted)
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Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and sauté stirring often until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Crumble the ground beef into the pot and cook until fully browned. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir into the cooked beef the chili powder, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon.
- Add the kidney beans, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to the pot and stir well.
- Bring the chili to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer on low for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is an approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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AIGHT I’M OUTRO TOOTz…

Dannii
You can’t beat homemade beef chilli. So comforting.
Janie | Naughty Kitchen
Right?! I second that!
Jess
Love a big bowl of chili with a slice of cornbread. Yummmm!
Janie | Naughty Kitchen
Yup, that’s the meal for sure!
cyndy
It’s freezing here today and this chili really hit the spot. My teenagers loaded their bowls with cheese on top too – delicious!
Janie | Naughty Kitchen
It’s definitely cold here too! I’m glad your mini tootz enjoyed the chili! Stay warm..
Tara
Oooh, such a comforting chili! The flavors sound absolutely fantastic. Definitely perfect for the weather this week.
Janie | Naughty Kitchen
Thanks Tara! Its definitely cold here in Cali!