Quick and Easy Chili

Quick and easy chili is a hearty chili recipe that is full of deliciousness.  It can be on your table in less than one hour even though it tastes like it was cooking all day long!

Chili is the ultimate comfort food in the winter. I like to make a big batch to serve to my family for dinner and freeze the leftovers for another day.  This recipe has been around forever.  I have it memorized, and I’ve tweaked it, spiced up and spiced down depending on who was eating it.  Adaptable recipe are great aren’t they?

Serve this hearty bowl of chili with a simple salad and top if off with your favorite garnishes.

Here is what you will need to make quick easy chili

Lean Ground (preferably grass fed) Beef – Grass fed beef is naturally lean and is a much better choice. It’s higher in nutrients and healthier fats. You can read about it on American Grass Fed.org.  If you don’t have access to grass fed beef, a good quality lean ground beef will work.

Onions – Any type of onion is fine, I prefer yellow onions which are the standard cooking onion. Sweet onions such as Vidalia onions will also work. 

Fresh Chopped Garlic – Fresh garlic is the best way to season your food with garlic. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder for every clove of garlic, however the fresh taste might be compromised.

Bell Peppers – Any kind of bell pepper will work here.  I like to use a combination of green, red, orange or yellow.

Jalapeno Pepper – Spices up the chili, if you don’t like hot and spicy chili, You can leave out the jalapeno pepper, use less of it or substitute it with a 1/2 of a poblano pepper.

Tip! Wear gloves when cutting up the jalapeno pepper, to avoid your hads from burning. To lessen the heat of the pepper, cut away the inner membranes and the seeds which hold most of the heat.

Chopped or Diced Tomatoes – Fresh chopped tomatoes are always the best choice. There is no added salt, and the flavor fresh is superior.  If they aren’t available you can use a can of low or no sodium added tomatoes.

Beans – I like to use a combination of kidney and black beans. You can use all of one type or mix and match. If you prefer less beans, you can cut the amount of beans in half. I add a lot of beans to chili to stretch it out and use less meat. 

Tip! If you use canned beans, drain them and rinse them before adding them to the chili.  Dried beans are a more economical option, you can buy them in bulk and they last a long time. I like use Food To Live Organic Black Beans. Plan ahead when you use dried beans, they need to be soaked and cooked before adding them to chili.

Fresh Chopped Cilantro –  Adds a fresh flavor and should be added just before serving.

Optional Ingredients – Sneak in some extra veggies to your day by adding a few diced or shredded carrots and/or zucchini to the chili.

Toppings – Top your chili with any of these: a scoop of homemade guacamole, chopped raw onions, a squeeze of lime juice, cheese, a scoop of Greek yogurt, or shredded lettuce, or crumbled chips.

An Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker –  I use this Power Quick Pot

Why This Recipe Works

• This chili recipe is a quick one, a I discovered that adding the spices (chili powder and cumin) to the garlic and onions while sauteeing them rather than adding them after the meat has been browned really elevates the flavor.
• You can easily customize this recipe by adding more or less jalapeno peppers to control the heat, use  less meat and more beans, or more meat and less beans, you can even add a handful of mild tasting vegetables such as zucchini and carrots. 
• It’s can be made in about a half an hour even though it tastes like it’s been simmering for hours

Here Is How to Make this Hearty Chili Recipe in a Pressure Cooker

Prepare the ingredients

Set the pressure cooker to saute and saute the garlic, onions and spices in the olive oil.

Once they begin to soften add the peppers

Next, add the ground beef and saute until it is cooked through

Stir in the tomatoes and beans

Mix all of the ingredients together, set the pressure cooker and cook

Recipe Tips

• If the chili seems watery after it has been cooked in the pressure cooker allow it to cook at a low setting for a few minutes uncovered. Or use a slotted spoon to serve the chili. Any leftover chili will thicken in the refrigerator overnight.

Storage

• Store chili in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• Freeze it – add the cooked, cooled chili to an air-tight freezer container and store it in the freezer for up to three months.  Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. To serve it, heat it on top of the stove over low heat until it’s heated through.

Variations

• Make it vegetarian – Leave out the meat, and add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped zucchini, carrots, quinoa or any combination of them.
• Leftover Chili Serving Suggestions –  Make nachos, tacos, add it to a salad, spread it on a tortilla and roll it up, top a baked potato, put it on a hot dog.

You Might Like these Chili Recipes

• Bison Chili
• Turkey Chili
• Pork Chili

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Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox,  an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only.  Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates.