Dutch Oven Beef Chili

The Quick Beef Chili Recipe Everyone Loves

• Great texture and flavor. Every bite of this Dutch oven chili is filled with juicy ground beef, tender beans, and a kick of heat from the smoked paprika, chili powder, and a few more cozy seasonings.
• Make-ahead meals. I love that I can make a big batch of this chili that my family gobbles up, and still have leftovers. Next-day chili is just as good, in fact, it may even be better! All the flavors have had time to meld together in the fridge.
• 30 minutes. This ground beef chili recipe takes just 30 minutes to make in one pot, making it a great option for busy weeknights.
• Crowd-pleaser. Throw some shredded cheese and sour cream on top, and add a few crispy tortilla chips, and this chili is an instant hit at parties. Serve it with grilled corn on the cob on the side!

Key Ingredients

Chili is all about adding layers of flavor, and that comes down to a handful of key ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this beef chili recipe. Check out the recipe card below for exact amounts.

• Ground beef – I’ve tested out a couple of different kinds of ground beef for this recipe. The best is grass-fed because, in my opinion, you can taste a difference in flavor. As far as ratios, I like to use 85/15, which is 85% fat and 15% lean. You can use 80/20 or even 90/10 for this chili recipe.
• Onion – I use sweet onion in this recipe, but yellow or red onion will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
• Garlic – You can use store-bought garlic if you like, but freshly minced garlic tastes the best!
• Avocado oil – My preferred cooking oil. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, so it’s ideal for searing without burning. Other oils you could use are grape seed oil or coconut oil.
• Chipotle peppers – You’ll find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international aisle or alongside the Latin cuisine in most major grocery stores.
• Spices – Ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt, and pepper. On occasion, I add a little bit of cinnamon too, either a pinch of ground or a stick tossed in to simmer. It adds an interesting yet addictive flavor.
• Carrots – You don’t need a lot of carrots, but they work nicely as an aromatic veggie alongside the onions.
• Red pepper – Optional. I usually use sweet red bell pepper, but green works as well.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes – I love the flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes in beef chili recipes. My favorite brand for this is Muir Glen Organic. 
• Tomato sauce – Try to buy the low-sodium/no salt-added kind. This allows you to control how much salt is in your chili.
• Beef broth – You could also use beef stock or bone broth. Beef broth has a richer flavor than chicken stock and makes the chili taste like it has been simmering for hours.
• Dark red kidney beans – Drained and rinsed. Red beans in chili are just a classic for me; it’s what I grew up on. Kidney beans retain their firmness and shape under high heat. They are also very hearty and absorb spices and flavors well. However, I’ve used black beans in this recipe with equal success. I just would not recommend pinto or butter beans. The flavor profile doesn’t work as nicely with this chili.

How to Make Beef Chili

The greatest thing about this ground beef chili is that it’s super easy to make! One pot (like a Dutch oven) and 30 minutes. Here we go.

1. Sauté. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium-high heat, then add in avocado oil and onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Next, add in garlic and chipotle peppers and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring the whole time so they become fragrant.
2. Brown the beef. Stir in the ground beef. Cook it until it is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes), smashing and stirring to break up the meat while it cooks.
3. Mix in the spices, pepper, and carrots. Then, stir in the spices, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Stir the spices into the meat until everything is combined. Add in the red pepper and carrots, too, and cook them for 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, broth, and beans. Finally, add the diced fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and kidney beans. Stir everything together and cover the pot.
5. Cook the chili. Keep the heat at medium-high and let the chili cook for 15 minutes.
6. Serve! You can top your chili with diced avocado and shredded cheese if you like.

Tips & Chili Variations

• How to thicken your chili. If you want your chili to be a little thicker, the best way to do this is to just let it simmer on the stove a bit longer until you have achieved your desired thickness.
• Meat substitutions. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken in this recipe. Of course, it won’t be a beef chili anymore! I have recipes for turkey chili and chicken chili you may also love to try. Another option is to add a second kind of meat in addition to the ground beef.
• Add bacon. Sauté some diced bacon alongside the onions and garlic for more flavor.
• Bean substitutions. You can also use different kinds of beans instead of, or in addition to, the red kidney beans. My suggestions would be canned black beans. Just use them in the recipe the same way you would the kidney beans.

What to Serve With Beef Chili

Growing up, my mom would put cooked noodles in our chili to stretch the meal even further. When I moved down to Texas, my chili game changed. Here are some fun ideas to top your chili with, or even create a “chili bar” out of if you’re serving friends and family.

• Shredded cheddar cheese or queso fresco
• Sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• Chopped cilantro
• Diced onion or pickled red onions
• Raw or pickled jalapeños
• Fritos chips or tortilla chips
• Diced avocado

More Chili Recipes

• Mexican Street Corn White Chicken Chili
• Crockpot White Chicken Chili
• Smoky Lentil Chili
• Crockpot Vegetarian Chili
• Crockpot Three Bean Chili