Easy Homemade Chili in 8 Steps, on the Stove or in the Slow Cooker

One pot of ground beef chili, two ways to cook it. Simmer it on the stove in about an hour, or brown the beef and let the slow cooker run all afternoon.

This homemade chili recipe makes a thick, beefy pot that tastes like it simmered longer than it did. The two problems people run into most are chili that comes out thin and chili that tastes flat. Both have simple causes, and both are fixed in the steps below.

You'll brown the beef hard, cook the spices in the fat for a minute, and measure the liquid instead of guessing. After that, it's your call whether the pot stays on the stove or moves to the slow cooker.

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Why Most Chili Comes Out Thin or Flat

Thin chili is a liquid problem. Too much broth goes in, or a slow cooker lid traps every drop of steam so nothing cooks down. This recipe uses 1 cup of broth on the stove and only ½ cup in the slow cooker for that reason.

Flat chili is a browning and seasoning problem. Gray, steamed beef never builds the deep, roasted flavor that browned beef does. Spices stirred straight into tomatoes taste dusty, while spices cooked in hot fat for a minute taste toasty and round.

Browning the Beef Is Worth the Extra Pan

Even if you're using a slow cooker, brown the beef in a skillet or Dutch oven first. It builds flavor, it lets you pour off extra fat, and it keeps the meat from setting into one big clump in the pot.

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Cook it all the way through in one go. The USDA says ground beef is safe at 160°F, and it warns against partly cooking meat ahead of time, so don't brown it the night before and finish it the next day. If you want a head start, chop the onion and pepper the night before instead.

Color alone is hard to judge in a pot full of crumbles. An instant-read thermometer (paid link) tells you in a couple of seconds, though any food thermometer you already own works.

A heavy enameled pot is what makes the 4-minute sear work, because it holds its heat when the cold beef hits it. This 6-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven fits the full batch with room to stir. It's heavy to lift when it's full, and a doubled batch needs a bigger pot.

Last update on 2026-10-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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The Ingredients for a Thick Ground Beef Chili

Hands-on: about 25 minutes | Cook: 45 to 60 minutes on the stove or 6 to 8 hours on low | Serves: 8

Swap: No beans? Skip them and add 1 more pound of beef, or 1 large diced sweet potato for body. Ground turkey works too. Keep the oil in step 1, since turkey has less fat of its own, and cook it to 165°F.

How to Make Homemade Chili, Step by Step

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in an even layer and leave it alone for 4 minutes, so the bottom browns before you break it up.
2. Break the beef into small crumbles and keep cooking 4 to 6 minutes more, until no pink remains and it reads 160°F (165°F if you're using ground turkey). Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns soft and see-through.
4. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute, stirring the whole time, until the spices smell toasty and the paste darkens.
5. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, and broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot to lift the browned bits.
6. On the stove: bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until it's as thick as you like. In a slow cooker: move everything into a 6-quart slow cooker (use ½ cup broth), cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours.
7. Check the thickness. If it's still thin, simmer uncovered 15 more minutes, or set the slow cooker to high with the lid off for 30 minutes. For a faster fix, stir in the masa harina mixture and cook 5 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar or lime juice. Taste, add salt a pinch at a time, and serve.

Slow cooker notes: Fill the pot between half and two-thirds full, which this batch does in a 6-quart cooker. Use canned beans here. Dried red kidney beans need to boil hard for 10 minutes before they go in a slow cooker, because it doesn't get hot enough to break down a natural toxin in them, according to University of Illinois Extension.

If you'll use the slow cooker path often, a 6-quart programmable cooker that switches to warm on its own keeps an 8-hour cook from running long. You don't need one for the stovetop version.

Last update on 2026-10-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

(As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)

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Toppings That Let Everyone Build Their Own Bowl

Put the toppings out in small bowls and let everyone finish their own. Kids who don't love heat can go heavy on cheese and sour cream, and anyone who wants more fire can add jalapeños or hot sauce. The pot stays mild enough for the whole table.

Good options: shredded cheddar, sour cream or plain yogurt, sliced green onions, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, pickled jalapeños, and chopped cilantro. For a full meal, serve it with a pan of cornbread or ladle it into sourdough bread bowls.

Four Easy Ways to Change It Up

The base recipe is built to bend. Each of these starts from the same ingredient list and the same 8 steps.

1. Chili mac: Stir in 2 cups of cooked elbow macaroni and 1 cup of shredded cheddar at step 8.
2. Turkey chili: Use 2 pounds of ground turkey, cook it to 165°F in step 2, and add 1 extra teaspoon of cumin.
3. No-bean chili: Use 3 pounds of beef and leave out the beans. Cut the broth to ½ cup on the stove.
4. Smoky chipotle: Add 1 or 2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo with the garlic at step 4.

Looking for other ways to use a pound of beef this week? Try our ground beef dinners for busy weeknights.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Chili

Chili tastes even better the next day, so it's a good one to make ahead for a busy night. Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours. Split a big pot into shallow containers so it cools fast, then cover them.

Any shallow container with a lid does the job. If you need more, a set of glass storage containers with lids (paid link) goes from fridge to microwave.

It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer, according to the USDA leftovers guide. Thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge.

Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until it's steaming hot, 165°F. Don't reheat cold chili in the slow cooker, since it warms too slowly to be safe, but you can use it to keep hot chili warm for serving. More ideas for the freezer are in our make-ahead freezer meals.

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Thin, flat chili comes down to too much liquid and beef that never got a chance to brown. Measure the broth, brown the beef hard, and toast the spices for one minute, and the pot comes out thick and deep whether it simmers for an hour or cooks all day. Start with step 1 tonight and set the toppings out when it's ready.

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Frequently asked questions

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