Quick and Easy Stove-Top Chili
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Quick and easy stovetop chili is a hearty chili recipe that is full of deliciousness and it’s incredibly easy to make. With just a few ingredients, you can whip up an amazing pot of chili on top of your stove in no time!
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This chili has just the right combination of ingredients and spices so that you can cook up a tasty pot of chili on top of your stove fast. It’s the perfect comfort food and an ideal option for weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare dinner.
If you are looking for more good chili recipes, try our turkey chili, pork chili, or crockpot beer chili.
Why you will 🤍 this recipe
- It’s an easy recipe that is customizable; add more or fewer jalapeno peppers to control the heat. Use less meat and more beans or more meat and no beans!
- This recipe can be made in about an hour or less even though it tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.
Here is what you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
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🛒Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell Peppers
- Jalapeno Peppers
- Diced Tomatoes
- Kidney Beans or Black Beans
- Fresh Cilantro
- Chili Powder
- Ground Cumin
🥄Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or a Large Pot
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
How to make this easy stovetop chili recipe
Prepare the ingredients: Chop the onions, garlic and peppers. Measure the spices.
Step 1. Saute the spices and aromatics
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce to medium heat and add the garlic, onions and spices. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to turn soft.
Step 2. Add the peppers and meat
Add the chopped peppers and the ground beef. Continue to cook until the meat is cooked through.
Step 3. Stir in the beans and tomatoes
Add the beans and tomatoes and mix to combine all of the ingredients together. Reduce the heat to low heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The complete list of ingredients to make this easy chili recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Ground Beef – Lean ground and preferably grass-fed beef is what I use when I make chili. If you don’t have access to grass-fed beef, good quality lean ground beef will work.
You can also substitute ground beef with lean ground turkey, pork or chicken.
Onions – Any type of onion is fine, I prefer yellow onion or sweet onions.
Fresh Chopped Garlic – Fresh garlic is always best. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder for every clove of garlic.
Bell Peppers – Any kind of bell pepper will work here. I like to use a combination of, red, orange, yellow or green peppers.
Jalapeno Peppers – These spice 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 poblano pepper. Pickled jalapenos will also work in the chili.
Chopped or Diced Tomatoes – Fresh chopped tomatoes are always the best choice. There is no added salt, and the fresh flavor is superior. If they aren’t available you can use a can of low or no sodium added tomatoes.
Beans – I like to use different kinds of beans when I make chili. My favorite combination is red kidney beans or pinto beans and black beans.
You can use all of one type or mix and match. If you prefer fewer beans, you can cut the number of beans in half.
If you are looking for more easy and delicious ground beef recipes, check out these Grass Fed Ground Beef Recipes!
Serving suggestions
Serve easy stove-top chili garnished with green onions, lime, and jalapeno peppers with a Mexican chopped salad and cornbread on the side and any of your favorite toppings: shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, avocado slices, homemade guacamole, or sour cream.
How to store leftover chili
Store this leftover delicious chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze leftover room-temperature chili for up to three months. Defrost the chili in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat leftover chili on top of the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
Serve leftover chili in a salad with crumbled tortilla chips, on nachos, tacos, quesadillas, or on top of hot dogs.
Are you too tired to cook dinner?
If you’re feeling uninspired when it’s time to cook dinner, this free guide will help you make a quick and healthy dinner with ingredients you have in your kitchen.
Recipe Variations
Make it vegetarian – For a meatless chili, leave out the meat, and add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped zucchini, carrots, and quinoa.
Add more vegetables – sneak in some extra veggies to your day by adding a few diced or shredded carrots and/or zucchini to the chili.
Add more spice – This chili is pretty spicy, but if you like a spicier chili, add a dash of two of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
💡Tips
- Adding the spices (chili powder and cumin) to the garlic and onions while sauteeing them rather than adding them later in the process really elevates the flavor.
- If you use canned beans, drain them and rinse them before adding them to the chili.
- If you use dried beans, which are a more economical option, cook them before adding them to the chili.
- Wear gloves when cutting up the jalapeno pepper to avoid your hands from burning.
Yes, this recipe can easily be made in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Follow the instructions on the recipe card to saute the vegetables, spices and beef. Add the tomatoes and beans; cover the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Carefully release the pressure; stir in the cilantro and enjoy!
Yes, you can! Follow the instructions for sauteeing the vegetables, spices and beef. Once they are cooked, place them into a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients (except for the cilantro) and cook on low heat for at least 2 hours.
You might like these Tex-Mex recipes too
Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Quick Stove-Top Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef preferably grass-fed
- 1 cup chopped onions about 1 small to medium sized onion
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 cups diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 3 cups kidney beans or a mixture of kidney and black beans
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro rough chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients – chop 1 small onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bell peppers, 1 jalapeno and 3 to 4 tomatoes if using fresh. Drain and rinse the beans if using canned or soak and cook the beans if using dried beans. Measure the oil and spics and set everything aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, onins and spices. Cook for a few minutes unti the vegetables begin to turn soft.
- Add the chopped peppers and ground beef. Continue to cook until the meat is cooked through.
- Stir in the beans and tomatoes; mix to combine all of the ingredients together. Reduce the heat to low heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
Notes
- 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.
- Sneak in some extra veggies to your day by adding a few diced or shredded carrots and/or zucchini to the chili.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
