What beats a hot bowl of chili?! Try Favorite Chili is the perfect crowd pleaser. It’s packed with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and corn. Garnish with your favorite toppings to make the perfect meal-in-a-bowl. Crockpot, slow cooker, and Instant Pot friendly!
It’s Chili Season
Quite literally, in fact.
Today it’s supposed to reach a balmy high of 19…which is actually a heat wave, all things considered! I can’t thing of a more appropriate time to make a BIG ASS batch of chili.
I absolutely love this super simple, “dump and forget” chili recipe. I like making mine on the stovetop in a huge cast iron pot, allowing it to simmer and bubble away all afternoon, perfectly melding all the flavors together.
BUUUT good news!
You could totally dump everything in your crockpot or slow cooker and forget about it for a few hours. Or, if you’re really strapped for time and you’re staring – try it in your Instant Pot!
So many options. So much chili.
What Makes a Chili ‘Classic’?
This recipe includes your classic tomato base. I like using crushed and stewed tomatoes. You’ll need to break up the stewed tomatoes a little bit, since they can be something large. I like doing this with my (Clean!) hands, since cooking is love.
I have so many chili recipes that use chicken or turkey to keep things light, but for this one, I went with beef. And there really is something classic about chili made with beef.
- The beef gets VIP with a little pre-cook treatment.
- Onion, peppers, and garlic are sweat out.
- The tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn are opened and dumped in the pot.
SIMMAH SIMMAH.
Prep Those Toppings!
I love all the fixings on my chili: shredded cheese, sour cream (greek yogurt for me!), avocado, chopped cilantro, fresh (or pickled) jalapeño, and cornbread (not shown).
Mouth. Officially. Salivating.
Can’t you just taste it?
Give this chili recipe a try, and let me know what you think! If you do, share your photos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and tag #SoHappyYouLikedIt !
My Favorite Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, or 2 cups rehydrated kidney beans
- 1 cups frozen corn
- 1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pot set over medium heat, add beef. Sauté, continuing to break up in to small pieces until mostly cooked through. Remove with spoon to bowl.
- If beef didn't render much grease, add small amount of olive oil to pot. Add pepper, onion, and garlic to pot. Add chili powder, sugar, and salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Allow to sauté for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and vegetables slightly softened.
- If continuing o cook in cast iron pot on stove top, return beef to pot. Open corn, beans, and tomatoes. Drain and rinse corn. Add all canned items to pot, stirring to combine. (You can also add all these ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for up to 6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours. )
- Allow to simmer over medium heat for at least 40 minutes. If you have extra time, allow to cook for 90 minutes (even more, if you like!), on low heat.
- When ready to enjoy, service with sour cream (or greek yogurt), avocado, cilantro, lime slices, shredded cheese, and pickled or fresh jalapeño. Crackers or cornbread also makes a delicious accompaniment!