OK picture this, it is the big game weekend, it’s in the middle of the Winter and the Mrs. says she wants chili. What do you do? Do you pour the slop from the can in to a pot? Get a million and one ingredients and put fire under the 20 gallon cast iron pot and plan on camping out for the next 12 hours. No! How about whipping up the best chili recipe for those who like it simple. My version of chili is pretty basic but has a pop of excitement by using quality tomatoes. It can be made quickly but it is a ton better if you let it simmer for an hour or two.
Best Chili Recipe for Those Who Like it Simple
This version of the best chili recipe is pretty basic. I uses a little more ground beef per person, and the big difference is I don’t have big chunks of tomatoes. Instead I put best quality San Marzano D.O.P peeled whole tomatoes through a food mill. It makes all the difference. OK let’s get this party started.
Best Chili Recipe
Time: 30 minutes – 2 Hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (beefier is better)
1 28oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of black beans drained
1 15oz can of kidney beans drained
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 large sweet or Vidalia onion
1 Jalapeno pepper minced
1 Red pepper minced (anything from boring to crazy) I used a simple cherry pepper.
3 cloves of garlic eminced (thinly sliced) or minced if you don’t like large pieces of garlic
Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of Chili powder
1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper (freshly ground if available)
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of mustard spice
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder ( the more you use the spicy hotter it will be)
Method:
In my opinion this meal is best made in a cast iron dutch oven. If you don’t have a dutch oven, it’s o.k. a good stainless steel pot with a well fitting lid should work just fine.
Note on the tomatoes. If you have a food mill, you will get optimal results putting the tomatoes through at the smallest sieve. Alternatively, to remove the seeds, cut the San Marzano tomato in half lengthwise and gently scrape out the seeds using a small spoon or your finger. Then puree them in a blender. Or if you prefer a a little more texture, crushed tomatoes will work in a pinch. So you have many options. O.K. Let’s begin.
Place your Dutch Oven on the stove and wet the bottom with two to three Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onions and the thinly sliced garlic. Cook on medium till the onions are soft and translucent. Next add the ground beef and cook till browned with no traces of red. Then add the black and kidney beans, the San Marzano tomatoes that were milled, the tomato paste, the minced peppers, brown sugar and all the spices.
Mix well, and reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the dutch oven. Stir every fifteen minutes. Taste every hour and add salt when needed. I like to let mine go a full two hours. Serve.
I like to top mine with a Cheez Whiz sauce and sour cream.

Best Chili Recipe for Those Who Like it Simple
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef beefier is better
- 1 28 oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes milled through smallest sieve or pureed or crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can of black beans drained
- 1 15 oz can of kidney beans drained
- 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 1 large sweet or Vidalia onion
- 1 Jalapeno pepper minced
- 1 Red pepper minced anything from boring to crazy I used a simple cherry pepper.
- 3 cloves of garlic eminced thinly sliced or minced if you don’t like large pieces of garlic
- Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of Chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper freshly ground if available
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of mustard spice
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder the more you use the spicy hotter it will be
Instructions
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Place your Dutch Oven on the stove and wet the bottom with two to three Tablespoons of olive oil.
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Add the diced onions and the thinly sliced garlic. Cook on medium till the onions are soft and translucent.
-
Next add the ground beef and cook till browned with no traces of red.
-
Then add the black and kidney beans, the San Marzano tomatoes that were milled, the tomato paste, the minced, peppers, brown sugar and all the spices.
-
Mix well, and reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the dutch oven.
-
Stir every fifteen minutes. Taste every hour and add salt when needed. The chili is done in 30 minutes but I like to let mine go a full two hours. Serve.
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I like to top mine with a Cheez Whiz sauce and sour cream.
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