Nothing hits the spot quite like a steaming bowl of chili, and my flavorful ground beef chili with red beans is pure comfort in a bowl. Best of all, you can make it with simple everyday ingredients, in one pot!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my Moroccan-spiced lamb chili with sweet potato, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make - You won't need any fancy tools or chef-level techniques to make this recipe for chili with red kidney beans. Just chop, mix, and cook.
One Pot Magic - Everything for this thick chili with kidney beans and ground beef comes together in one pot for simpler clean-up!
Layered Flavor - You'll taste savory, bright, smoky, and even slightly spicy flavor notes in this chili. And it's slow-simmered, so all the flavors can marry together, meaning each bite is just as good as the next.
👉🏾 Want more old-fashioned goodness? Check out my southern baked chicken dinner, black eyed peas with smoked turkey, and sticky braised short ribs next!
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Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"I ran to make this chili after you posted it in your Instagram story. Very simple to make, I almost thought I was doing something wrong but nope! It's filling and well-seasoned. It's MY chili now lol!"
-Nicole
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Lean Ground Beef is my choice for this classic chili recipe because it more closely resembles the coarser grind of chili meat and produces less grease to drain later. But if you want a richer, fattier feel, you can use half of a higher-fat grind and half lean.
Dark Red Kidney Beans add texture, color, and a satisfying fiber, so the chili helps you stay fuller for longer. As a Houston, Texas girl, I grew up on ground beef-only chili with no beans, but I love this addition.
Aromatics like hot and mild peppers, garlic, onion, herbs, and spices add deep flavor and a lil' kick of heat (but don't worry, I have modification ideas below if you don't like spicy).
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Jalapeño - I use a whole fresh jalapeño with seeds, but you can use less or remove the seeds if you want the jalapeño flavor without the heat. It's pretty mild, though, so I encourage you to try the recipe as is!
Beans - You can make your chili with dry red beans or canned ones. I have instructions for either option in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chili with Red Kidney Beans
- Step One: Chop the peppers and onion, and mince or crush the garlic. (Photo 1)
- Step Two: Brown the ground beef with the spices, adding the chopped vegetables when it's almost cooked. (Photo 2)
- Step Three: Mix in the crushed tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaf, then bring to a boil. (Photo 3)
- Step Four: Reduce the heat, add the red beans, cover, and simmer until they're tender. (Photo 4)
Pro Tip #1
Make sure you taste test the chili and adjust the seasonings as needed. And add a splash of hot sauce if you want a higher spice level!
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow the chili to come to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.
To freeze, let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container to freeze altogether, or portion-sized containers like Souper Cubes, to freeze individual servings. Once frozen, the chili keeps for up to four months.
How to Serve
Temperature: For the very best taste, serve your beef and bean chili hot.
Garnishes: I like to add shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh or pickled jalapeño slices for extra razzle dazzle. Feel free to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Other popular topping ideas include salsa, a squeeze of lime, diced red onion, and crumbled tortilla chips or crackers.
Pairings: Ground beef homemade chili goes perfectly with cornbread, so try my cornbread drop biscuits, sweet honey cornbread, sweet potato cornbread, or smoked cornbread and hot honey butter. Serve the chili with yellow rice, or use leftovers on baked potatoes, nachos, or in a Frito pie with corn chips and cheese!
Occasions: Anything from a cozy winter dinner to a potluck contribution or tailgating party calls for this red bean and ground beef chili recipe. We also love it as a versatile meal prep for weeknight meals during the cooler months.
Is chili with kidney beans healthy for people with PCOS?
Absolutely! As a woman living with PCOS, this is the kind of meal I eat regularly. Here's how it helps.
This beef chili with red kidney beans is made with whole food ingredients high in protein and fiber, which can support insulin sensitivity, weight management, and metabolic health--key for women with PCOS. (nature.com)
- Lean ground beef provides protein as well as iron, zinc, and B vitamins that promote hormone health, support satiety, and help stabilize blood sugar. (Dr. Will Cole)
- Pulses like red beans have been shown to improve cardiometabolic risk markers in patients with PCOS. (National Library of Medicine)
Bonus: Sprinkling seeds over your chili can transform it into a seed-cycling recipe that supports balance in each phase of the cycle! Use pumpkin seeds and flax seeds during the menstrual and follicular phases, and sunflower and sesame seeds during the ovulatory and luteal phases.
More Favorite Ground Meat Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this easy chili with ground beef and beans soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Chili with Red Beans
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 large Dutch oven or deep pot
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeño
- ½ yellow onion
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt to taste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups canned red kidney beans or 1 ½ cup dried kidney beans, soaked
- hot sauce to taste, optional
Instructions
- Prep the Aromatics: Dice the peppers, onion, and crush or mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.1 green bell pepper, 1 jalapeño, ½ yellow onion, 8 cloves garlic
- Build the Flavor: Add ground beef to Dutch oven over medium heat and use a kitchen spoon or spatula to break it up into small chunks. Season with chili powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.2 pounds lean ground beef, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, sea salt
- Mix the beef and spices and cook until it starts browning (about five minutes).
- Stir in the onion and peppers, and cook until the ingredients are fragrant and the onion starts to turn translucent (about four minutes), then add the garlic and cook one minute more.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf, then let the mixture come to a boil.28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 bay leaf
- Simmer and Serve: Reduce the heat to medium-low, add red beans, cover the pot, and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are tender. Taste test, adjust the seasoning, and add hot sauce as desired. Remove from heat and serve.If you're using canned beans, you can simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Dry beans will need an hour to 1 ½ hour to cook through.3 cups canned red kidney beans, hot sauce
Nicole says
I ran to make this chili after you posted it in your Instagram story. Very simple to make, I almost thought I was doing something wrong but nope! It’s filling and well-seasoned. It’s MY chili now lol!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Nicole, you work fast! Thank you so much for your feedback--I'm glad you enjoyed YOUR chili.