Classic chili with beef and beans is one of our go-to comfort foods. Cumin, plus ancho and chipotle chiles lend a deep and smoky flavor to the beef while cinnamon and a little dark chocolate give it just the right balance. This chili is great served with sliced jalapeno, sour cream, and diced white onion. But truth be told, it has so much flavor, you don't even need any toppings!
We've been making classic beef and bean chili in our home for years now and every time we make it a little differently.
Sometimes we'll add a little cinnamon, other times a little extra heat; sometimes we'll use ground turkey, or even cubed chuck for a stew-like chili.
So this recipe for classic chili with ground beef is based on hundreds of runs with chili culminating in a perfect recipe that we know you will love.
Our secret here is that we've used whole dried chile peppers that are toasted and freshly ground to yield maximum flavor.
But if that doesn't suit you, we do include instructions to substitute with store-bought chili powder (more on that below).
Trust us, this really is the only classic chili recipe you'll ever need!
And if you're looking for a lighter chili, check out our white chicken chili with roasted poblano peppers.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Remove the stems and seeds from 2 dried ancho chiles and 2 dried chipotle chiles.
- In a pan over medium heat, toast the chiles for 30-40 seconds on each side until fragrant. Remove the chiles from the heat and set aside.
- To the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 3 tablespoons of ground cumin, and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and toast for 1 minute stirring frequently. Note: If you opt to not use dried whole chiles, increase the amount of chili powder to 5 tablespoons.
- Add the toasted spices along with the dried peppers and a ¼ cup of tortilla chips to a food processor or coffee grinder and blend until a fine powder is formed, then set aside.
- Dice one large onion and preheat the oven to 300f, placing a rack in the middle. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add 2 pounds of ground beef chuck and saute until browned while breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 7-10 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, bloom the spice mixture by heating a pan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along with the spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until very fragrant. Once fragrant, add ¼ cup of water to the pan. Note: You can scoop some of the beef fat out of the pot and use that instead of the vegetable oil for this step.
- Once the beef is cooked, add the bloomed spice mixture to the beef and continue to cook for another minute while stirring to incorporate.
- Add 6 ounces of tomato paste to the beef and cook for 3 minutes while stirring to combine. Then add 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and mix well.
- Add one 12-ounce bottle of Guinness or other dark beer, along with 2 cups of low-sodium beef stock, and 3 16-ounce cans of drained kidney beans. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, give it a stir, then turn the heat off. Place a lid on the Dutch oven and move to the oven for 75 minutes.
- After 75 minutes, remove the lid and return to the oven for another 45-60 minutes or until the chili has thickened substantially. Note: If the chili has thickened, feel free to remove the pot early or if needed add a touch of water. Most likely though, the chili will be on the more liquid side and will need to be thickened with the extra cooking time.
- For a thicker chili, cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Alternatively, place the pot on a burner and cook over medium heat until thickened to your liking. Remove the pot from the oven and add 1 ½ ounces of 70% dark chocolate, stirring to combine. Taste test the chili and adjust salt and spice levels to taste. If more spice is desired, add cayenne powder to taste. Serve in bowls and offer toppings such as sour cream, diced raw onion, cheddar cheese, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, or any other toppings you'd like. Enjoy!
Top tips for incredible chili
- Spices. Since the flavor in chili relies heavily on the blend of spices used, we believe that going the extra step of freshly grinding whole-dried chiles is the best way to achieve maximum flavor. Here we've used a combination of ancho and chipotle chiles and find that blend gives us the perfect rich and smoky flavor we always crave in a chili. If you can't find whole dried peppers, you can always use store-bought ground chili powder or buy them through Amazon.
- Cinnamon and chocolate. Yes, these are two ingredients that are often in desserts, but we've found that they both go incredibly well in beef chili. The cinnamon is bloomed along with the other spices adding to the depth of flavor. The chocolate is added at the very end to add another layer of flavor and to cut a bit of the heat. Dark chocolate is one of those ingredients that pairs incredibly well with slow-cooked beef and we love adding it as a topping to other dishes like short ribs with pappardelle.
- Guinness. Guinness is a wonderful addition to chili but you could also use other types of stout, dark beer, or ale. We've used winter warmer style ales in chili before and find that the cinnamon and clove flavors also work incredibly well. If you can't have alcohol, you can forgo this and use extra low-sodium beef broth or stock.
- Beans. Kidney beans are a great addition to chili and allow the dish to stretch even further. Alternatively, you can use pinto or black beans for this recipe.
- Cooking the chili. This chili is great when slow-cooked in the oven, but you can still achieve great results on a stovetop. The idea is to cook the high-fat ground chuck in a low and slow manner until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Better the next day. As with any soup or stew, chili is better the next day. If you're able to plan ahead, allow your chili to chill in the fridge overnight, then reheat the next day.
- Condiments and sides. We all have our favorite condiments for chili so be as creative as you'd like. Must-have condiments for our family include sour cream, diced white onion, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and cheddar cheese. While we usually add Tabasco or other hot sauces to our chili, we found that this particular version did not need any hot sauce as it was perfectly seasoned and flavored. We also usually serve chili with rice or cornbread which allows you to stretch the meal even further.
More beef recipes you'll love
If slow-cooked soups and stews are on your list of favorite comfort foods, we think you'll love these recipes.
- Beef barley soup - chunks of tender beef, carrots, and barley with fresh thyme.
- Peposo - Tuscan-style black pepper beef stew.
- Italian beef stew - beef braised with carrots, celery, and mushrooms.
If you’ve enjoyed this classic beef chili recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 16-ounce cans kidney beans drained
- 1 12-ounce bottled Guinness
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock
- 1 ½ ounces 70% dark chocolate
- cayenne pepper to taste, see notes below
For the ground spice mixture
- 2 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried chipotle chiles stems and seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chili powder note: if not using whole dried chiles increase to 5 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
For the ground spice mixture
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried ancho and chipotle peppers. Toast the chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 seconds per side or until fragrant. Remove chiles from the heat to a plate then add the chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon to the pan and toast for 1 minute stirring frequently.
- Place the peppers along with the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and tortilla chips into a food processor. Blend until a fine powder is formed.
For the chili
- Preheat oven to 300f and set the rack to the middle level.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the ground beef and saute until browned while breaking it up with a wooden spoon (about 7 minutes).
- While the beef is cooking bloom the spice mixture. Heat a pan to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along with the prepared spice mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until very fragrant. Once fragrant add a ¼ cup of water to the pan.
- Once the beef is browned add the bloomed spice mix to the beef and continue to cook for another 1 minute stirring to incorporate.
- Add the tomato paste to the beef and cook for 3 minutes stirring well to combine. Next, add the salt, sugar, and garlic powder and mix well.
- Add the Guinness, low-sodium beef stock, and kidney beans, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, give it all a stir then turn the heat off and cover. Place the Dutch oven in the oven for 75 minutes.
- After 75 minutes remove the lid and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until the chili has thickened. For a thicker chili, cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Alternatively, place the pot on a burner and cook over medium heat until thickened to your liking.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the chocolate, stirring to combine. Taste test the chili and adjust salt and spice levels to taste. An easy way to bring up the spice level quickly is with cayenne powder to taste. Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, diced raw onion, cheddar cheese, or whatever you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- The single most important thing you can do to improve your chili is to make it one day in advance and refrigerate overnight! The flavors will be so much better.
- The amount of cayenne or omitting completely will depend on the spice level of the dried chilis and commercial chili powder you use. For this reason, it's recommended to wait until the end before adding the cayenne.
- Anaheim, Pasilla, or Guajillo can be substituted for the Ancho chiles.
- 2 dried ancho chiles equal approximately 2 tablespoons of chili powder and 2 dried chipotles equal approximately 1 tablespoon of chili powder. If using just ground chili powder increase from 2 to 5 tablespoons total.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 768kcal | Carbohydrates: 75.3g | Protein: 45.6g | Fat: 30.4g | Saturated Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 1620mg | Fiber: 17.3g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 9mg
Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
Very in-depth instructions but why wouldn't you have a video to aid the instructions?
Hi Moe, thanks for the comment. We will have a video out in a few weeks for this recipe. Our goal is to have a video for each recipe on our site, but there is much more involved with producing, filming, and editing a video. We don't film our videos with our phones. We always provide step-by-step process photos to walk you through the recipe regardless of whether there is a video.
This was absolutely the best chili I have ever made! I kept it on the mild side due to family members preferences, and had to use Fritos instead of tortilla chips. I made it with a couple pounds of steak. Everyone loved it! The flavor was soo good!
Hi Jenn, so happy to hear you all enjoyed the chili and really appreciate the comment and review!
Great deep flavor going on here and I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
Hi Chris, so happy you enjoyed the chili and really appreciate the comment!
Mine is in the oven now
As recommended I will serve it tomorrow with some rice and you know
Pretty looking forward to it
Thanks
Greetings from Belgium
Thanks for the comment, David. Really hope you enjoy it and please let us know how it turns out!
Instant Classic!
Imagine,
Short rib instead of ground beef
🕊️
Hi David, so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Any idea what the nutritional information is for this? Calories, fat etc
Hi Mel, please see the nutritional estimates at the bottom of the recipe card.
Hi there!! Can you share what you consider a serving? Is this an 8oz cup?
Hi Anita, a serving would be roughly 8-10 ounces or so.
Didn't have a food processor, so I used a blender for the ancho and chipotle chilis; there were some pebble sized bits of chili left, but it wasn't noticeable after cooking. I think there was a touch too much cumin for my taste, but it was still delicious, thanks for sharing!
Hi Vincent, so happy you liked the chili and appreciate the comment.
Thank you for this excellent recipe. I chose to stew the onions in the beer for 15 min after a sauté was the only adjustment. Delicious chili enjoyed by the entire family.
Hi Deanna, so happy you enjoyed the chili and thanks for the comment and review!
You're welcome, Jim! The left overs made a terrific nacho/cheese platter. I was out of fresh Jalapeño, so I subbed green pepper with tomato and onion making for a fresh taste. Best chili I've ever made, and I'm old, lol.
So happy you enjoyed this, Deanna, and love the idea of using leftovers for nachos!
In the oven now!! Smells amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy it!
This is by far THE best chili ever! The dark chocolate really elevates the flavor profile. Finding your website and your YouTube channel is the best thing that’s ever happened to my cooking. It’s quickly become my go to website. Thank you for sharing such wonderful and delicious recipes with us.
Hi Alex, really appreciate the kind words and so happy you enjoyed the chili and the channel/website in general!
Hey, I tried this over in Germany. Had to use Guajillos instead of Anchos and left out the Chipotle to keep it mild for the little one. It's a great chili! Next time I would use a little less cumin. Also I had to grind the cinnamon myself to the effect that it probably was far more intense than ground cinnamon would've been. Other than that I wonder if a glass of red wine would add a little fruitiness while keeping the stout.
Hi Jim ! I'm planning to make this chili tomorrow night, to eat at lunch the following day. I was stoked to find ancho and chipotle chiles, but mine are already grounded. Since you advise to put 5 tbsp chili powder if one omits the other chiles, should I add say 2 tbsp ancho powder, 1 tbsp chipotle powder and use 2 tbsp chili powder ?
Oh and I really don't like dark chocolate, but I wouldn't want to miss out on a great flavor... do you really notice a chocolaty flavor or does it just blend with the rest and elevate it ? Thanks a lot in advance !
Hi Annaig,
Yes, the proportions you have listed for the blend of chile powder will definitely work well. There is not a huge chocolate flavor to the chile, rather the addition of the chocolate adds more depth of flavor. The amount of chocolate used in the recipe is not enough to overwhelm the dish. Hope you enjoy it!
I forgot to thank you for your very fast answer, and to apologise : afterwards I saw that the answer to my question was already in the details of the recipe, duh.
The chili turned out absolutely amazing, and the chocolate was indeed not noticeable at all, except for the depth of flavor it imparted. I'm doing it again this week 🙂
Hi Annaig, I'm thrilled you enjoyed the chili enough to make it again! Thank you for the great comment!
Hey James.
What’s the serving size associated with the nutritional information?
Thanks!
Hi Jenn, there's 8 servings for the chili.
Should I do anything different if I use ground turkey instead of beef? And is there a good lean/fat ratio for the meat? Thanks
Hi Logan, no need to do anything differently if using ground turkey. As far as lean/fat ratio, I use 80/20 for the beef.
This is unlike any chili I've made before, and it was most likely the best chili I've ever made. I halved the recipe, which was more than enough for my little gathering. (Okay, I used 2 cans of beans instead of 1.5 cans, but everything else was halved. I happily drank the other half of the Guinness!) I opted for the chili powder modification, using 2 Tablespoons of "Dark Chili Powder," which is what I had in my pantry, and 1/2 Tablespoon of a fiery chipotle powder from a local spice merchant. Thank you for a wonderful, flavorful, satisfying recipe!
Hi Russ, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the chili, and really appreciate the comment!