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Home » Main Dish

Published: Feb 15, 2021 by Kathy

Chili with Beans

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A blue mug filled with chili topped with cheese and onions.

Classic chili with beans made with a rich tomato sauce with ground red chili and cumin.

This hearty dish is simmered on the stove top and serves a crowd with 10 servings.

A blue mug filled with chili topped with cheese and green onions.

A delicious chili

Chili is one of those meals that's perfect whenever the weather turns cold. A pot of chili on the stove smells amazing and warms you and fills you up.

This recipe for chili with beans is made with burger. Since we usually have a freezer full of wild game, I typically use ground elk anytime a recipe calls for ground beef. We often use ground elk meat or ground venison but you can easily use ground beef too.

One thing that I really like about chili is that I usually have all the ingredients on hand and when I use dried beans, my homemade canned tomatoes and sauce and our ground elk from the freezer, the cost of this chili is minimal.

Another delicious chili to try is this black bean chili and this three bean turkey chili.

Key Ingredients

Small white bowls filled with dried beans, seasoning and jars filled with tomatoes.
  • Beans - I like to use pinquito beans which a small red bean. I used dried pinquito beans that I cook in my electric pressure cooker - check out Instant Pot Beans for a recipe on how to cook black beans. I use the same method, but I do increase the cooking time by 5 minutes. You could also use canned pinquito beans or kidney beans. If using canned beans, be certain to rinse and drain beans before adding to the chili.
  • Ground Meat - Ground beef, elk meat or venison
  • Canned chopped tomatoes - Homemade canned tomatoes or store-bought tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce
  • Brown sugar - Just a touch helps mellow the tomatoes

Steps to make

  • Saute onions in a large pot with a bit of olive oil
Cooked onions in a large pot.
  • When onions are soft, add ground meat and cook until fully cooked. If using ground beef, remove any excess grease.
  • Add garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir and heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute
Ground chili powder and ground cumin added to cooked burger.
  • Add chopped canned tomatoes and tomato sauce and salt and pepper
Chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce on top of cooked burger.
  • Stir in cooked beans and brown sugar
  • Simmer for 30 - 45 minutes and serve
A large pot of simmering chili with meat and beans.

Tips

  • If using dried beans, plan ahead. The beans will take additional time to cook.
  • One pound of dried beans is about 6 cups when cooked
  • If using canned beans, rinse and drain beans before using
  • Drain off excess liquid from chopped canned tomatoes
  • If chili needs more sauce, add an additional can of tomato sauce

Serving suggestions

I often put out small bowls with a variety of toppings so everyone can add their own. Some of our favorites include cheese, onions, avocado, sour cream and thinly sliced jalapenos.

This chili can also be served over a baked potato, on a hot dog and eaten as a chili dog, or with tortilla chips which can be used to scoop up the chili.

Frequently asked questions

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes, if you need more than 10 servings, this recipe can be doubled.

Can I make ahead of time?

Make this chili up to three days ahead of time. Store chili in the refrigerator and when ready to use, just reheat and serve.

Does this chili freeze well?

Yes, this chili is perfect for freezing. I often make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for later. You can freeze the entire batch or portion into smaller containers with the number of servings you'd prefer. To use, simply thaw and reheat.

Is chili spicy?

This recipe uses chili powder which is fairly mild. If you'd like it spicier, you could use cayenne pepper or I will sometimes use a New Mexico ground red pepper powder that can be purchased hot, medium or mild. You could also use a few red pepper flakes to add more heat.

More delicious soups, stews and chili recipes

  • White Chicken Chili
  • Venison Stew
  • Creamy Potato Soup
  • Enchilada Soup
  • Ham and Bean Soup
A bowl of chili with beans topped with onions and cheese in a blue bowl.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

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A blue mug filled with chili topped with cheese and green onions.

Chili with Beans

Kathy Berget
A rich tomato sauce with pinquito beans, ground burger and ground chili and cumin.
5 from 14 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10 people
Calories 394 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ Pounds Ground Burger (Beef, Elk or Venison Burger)
  • 1 Large Onion (Diced)
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 6 cups Cooked Pinquito Beans (About 1 pound dried, or 5 - 15.25 ounce cans)
  • 4 cups Canned Diced or Crushed Tomatoes (About 2 - 28 ounce cans, drained)
  • 4 cups Tomato Sauce (About 2 - 15 ounce cans)
  • 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Ground Cumin
  • 2 cloves Garlic (Minced)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Saute onions in a large pot with a bit of olive oil
    1 Large Onion, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • When onions are soft, add ground meat and cook until fully cooked. If using ground beef, remove any excess grease.
    1 ½ Pounds Ground Burger
  • Add garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir and heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute
    3 tablespoons Chili Powder, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 tablespoons Ground Cumin
  • Add chopped canned tomatoes and tomato sauce and salt and pepper
    4 cups Canned Diced or Crushed Tomatoes, 4 cups Tomato Sauce, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • Stir in cooked beans and brown sugar
    6 cups Cooked Pinquito Beans, 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • Simmer for 30 -45 minutes and serve

Notes

  • If using dried beans, plan ahead. The beans will take additional time to cook.
  • One pound of dried beans is about 6 cups when cooked
  • If using canned beans, rinse and drain beans before using
  • Drain off excess liquid from chopped tomatoes
  • If chili needs more sauce, add an additional can of tomato sauce
  • Can add additional chili powder if you like a little spicier or use a hot chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • It's okay if you have a little more or a little less ground burger, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Exact measurements aren't needed for these items.
 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 2CupsCalories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 22gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 2072mgPotassium: 1463mgFiber: 10gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1283IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 7mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tammy says

    November 12, 2022 at 1:10 pm

    Hi I have a question about homemade chili, I am new to pressure canning and made our chili with meat and beans and used Hunts store bought Tomato Sauce and canned in qts and pressure canned for 90 minutes an 15 psi but our location only requires 10 PSI will our chili be safe to eat? This is our first meal we have made for pressure canning.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 12, 2022 at 4:50 pm

      It should be safe to eat. It sounds like you pressure canned above the needed pressure for the recommended amount of time. Above pressure is always okay! Always inspect each jar before your eat.
      Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    February 16, 2021 at 5:57 am

    5 stars
    It's been so incredibly cold here this past week or so so all the comfort food is in order. I could sure go for a bowl (or two) of this chili. Pile high with some garnish and I'm set 🙂 !!

    Reply
  3. David @ Spiced says

    February 16, 2021 at 4:18 am

    5 stars
    You can't ever go wrong with a big batch of chili! And speaking of chili, I feel like it's always better when it's made in a huge batch. You don't ever see a small pot of chili - it has to be simmering in a big pot to really feel like chili! This classic version sounds delicious - the perfect comfort food for this winter blast we're getting right now. Save me a bowl!

    Reply
5 from 14 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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