Quick & Easy Homemade Chili
By: Mike, Posted: 3/15/2023
Enjoy an easy homemade chili recipe that the entire family will love. This chili is easy to make and loaded with flavor.
Looking for more hearty dishes for dinner tonight? Try out our Beef Stew or try your hand at The Perfect Medium Steak. Both these meals are full of flavor and are sure to fill you up.
Our Quick & Easy Homemade Chili
Another hearty comfort food is up with your homemade chili recipe.
Homemade chili is a family favorite that we have on the regular. The best part of all is this recipe freezes very well for an easy dinner night down the road.
With a classic such as this there are so many variations of beans and spices that every family has their own way of perfecting this recipe. Over the years we have made many adjustments to our own chili recipe and have finally landed with this perfect blend of flavors that our family loves.
We keep things simple with canned chili beans, tomato sauce, lots of seasonings, and your choice of ground beef or ground turkey.
Ingredients, Substitutions, and Additions
Ground turkey – Try ground beef. Sometimes we even add 1-inch chunks of chuck roast for a meatier bite.
Dry seasonings – Instead of using a premade taco seasoning packets test out using a mixture of your favorite seasonings. Chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic and onion make up a simple chili seasoning blend. When looking for some spice, we omit the cayenne and use red pepper flakes. We also add oregano for the aroma and earthy flavor components it brings.
Fresh veggies and herbs – Add some fresh cilantro or parsley to enhance the flavor of your chili. Start with small amounts and add to taste as both herbs are very flavorful and can be overpowering. Bell pepper and mushrooms add a little extra body. If you like spicy dice up some jalapeno or serrano and enjoy the burn.
Beans – There are multiple types of beans that can be used in chili. Try using dry pinto and kidney beans. Or switch things up with black or red beans. Any bean you like can help bring the flavor you will love.
Toppings – No chili is complete without toppings. Shredded cheese and chives are amazing. We also put freshly chopped onions and crispy fried onions alongside some sour cream on top. Add a couple drops of your favorite hot sauce to kick up spiciness.
Preferred Pairings
Our Quick and Easy Homemade Chili is perfect just on it’s own. However, there are some extras that go perfectly.
Saltine Crackers – There are certain recipes that some in our family will not eat without Saltine Crackers. Chili is one of them. Simply crumble them on top and enjoy!
White Rice – Like with Beef Stew, Minda loves her chili served over a bed of rice.
Tortillas – Ok stick with us on this one. Grab a tortilla and spoon some of your chili one it. Roll it up like a burrito. Voilá! You have a chili burrito.
Baked Potato – One of our favorite things to make on leftover night is a chili potato. We even used it to compare other baked potato toppings in our Test Kitchen – Baked Potatoes.
Bread Bowls – We love these bread bowls shown above! The are perfect to serve your chili in.
Ingredients
- 6 – 4.5oz Cans Chili Beans
- 1 – 29oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 4.5oz Can Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies
- 1 – 4oz Can Diced Green Chilies with Jalapeños
- 2 lbs Ground Turkey
- 1 Large yellow Onion, diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tbs Taco Seasoning
- 4 tbs Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Water
Directions
Bring a large pot to medium heat and 2 tbs add oil. Once the oil begins to ripple add diced onion and sauté 4-6 minutes. When the onions are translucent add in minced garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic to a small bowl and set aside.
In the same pot add an additional 2 tbs oil and increase temperature to medium/high heat. Add ground turkey and cook for 10-15 minutes or until browned. While turkey is browning be sure to chop up the meat to desired size with spatula. Stir often. Reduce heat to low and return onion and garlic mixture back to the pot. Add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup of water. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chili beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, diced green chilis and stir well. Increase temperature to medium/high, stirring often, until the chili begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Dish and serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Saving this meal for later? Chili can be easily stored in an air tight freezer bag. Be sure to cool chili completely before adding to freezer. We typically freeze our chili for no more than 3 months, however, use your best judgement when pulling your chili out of the freezer. Ensure the bag is still sealed and free of any freezer burn.
Hi, We are Mike and Minda. Thank you for stopping to take a look at our Kick’n Kitchen! We are a husband and wife team that have a love for food and cooking. Come with us on our journey of rediscovering recipes from our youth and find new recipes to fall in love with.
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Quick and Easy Homemade Chili
Course: Potluck, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings15
minutes1
hourEnjoy an easy homemade chili recipe that the entire family will love. This chili is easy to make and loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
6 - 15.5oz Cans Chili Beans
1 - 29oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 - 14.5oz Can Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies
1 - 4oz Can Diced Green Chilies with Jalapeños
2 lbs Ground Turkey
1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbs Taco Seasoning
4 tbs Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water
Directions
- Heat large pot to medium heat and add 2 tbs olive oil.
- Add diced onion to pan. Sauté 4-6 until translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes.
- Transfer to small bowl and set aside.
- Add 2 more tbs of olive oil to the pot, increasing temperature to medium/high.
- Add ground turkey. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until browned.
- Reduce heat to low. Return onion and garlic to the pot.
- Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add chili beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chilis. Stir well.
- Increase temperature to medium/high until chili begins to boil stirring often.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
