Location: Home kitchen, United States (Allrecipes Easy Homemade Chili, submitted by Tobi Hargis)
Chili Recipe: Easy Homemade Chili, Ingredients, Steps, Nutrition and Tips
Chili is the easiest homemade chili you will ever make, and it is ready in 30 minutes. One pound of ground beef, one can of kidney beans, and a few pantry cans turn into a thick, hearty pot that serves six, and it goes great with cornbread or over corn chips for a chili pie. This guide follows the Allrecipes Easy Homemade Chili recipe, submitted by Tobi Hargis and tested by the Allrecipes Test Kitchen, and adds the nutrition figures, cost estimate, storage times, and serving ideas you need before you open a single can.
Chili Recipe at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
| Recipe | Easy Homemade Chili, Allrecipes, submitted by Tobi Hargis |
| Total time | 30 minutes: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook |
| Serves | 6 |
| Ingredients | 9, including salt and pepper: ground beef, onion, tomato sauce, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, water, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper |
| Method | Brown the beef and onion, add the rest, simmer 15 minutes |
| Storage | Refrigerator, airtight, about 4 days |
| Cost estimate | About $8 to $10 for one batch, 2026 United States grocery prices, estimate only |
Why We Researched This Recipe
This chili is one of the most cooked recipes on Allrecipes, and it is popular for one reason: it asks almost nothing of the cook. Nine ingredients, two steps, one pot, 30 minutes. We researched it to answer the four questions every cook asks: what do I need, how long does it take, can I make it ahead, and how do I store the leftovers. We also checked the nutrition panel, because the page text does not show it, and we compared it with third party calculators, which disagree. The figures below come from the recipe’s own published nutrition panel, with the disagreement stated plainly.
What You Need and What It Costs
The recipe needs nine items, and most of them come from cans or the spice rack. Prices below are 2026 United States grocery estimates, not a quote from any one store, and they vary by region and brand.
| Ingredient | Amount | 2026 estimate |
| Ground beef | 1 pound | About $4 to $5 |
| Onion, chopped | 1 | About $0.50 |
| Tomato sauce | 1 (15 ounce) can | About $1 |
| Kidney beans | 1 (15 ounce) can | About $1 |
| Stewed tomatoes | 1 (14.5 ounce) can | About $1 |
| Water, optional | 1 1/2 cups, or as needed | Pantry item |
| Chili powder | 1 teaspoon, more to taste | Pantry item |
| Garlic powder | 1 pinch | Pantry item |
| Salt and pepper | To taste | Pantry item |
| Total | 6 servings | About $8 to $10 |
Our Food Review
This is a simple, beefy, tomato forward chili, and it tastes like a weeknight staple, not a competition pot. The ground beef and kidney beans carry the body, the tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes carry the sauce, and the single teaspoon of chili powder keeps the heat gentle. Reviewers call it a great base recipe, and that is the honest verdict: it is very good as written, and it takes additions well. If you like more heat, add chili powder to taste, a pinch of cayenne, or a dash of hot sauce. If you like more depth, reviewers add cumin, a bay leaf, a tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken it, or a dark lager in place of the water.
The texture is thick and spoonable, especially if you skip the water or add only a little. The recipe lists the water as optional, and many reviewers leave it out entirely for a thicker pot. Simmering longer than 15 minutes, uncovered, thickens it further and lets the tomatoes break down. Serve it hot, and let people top their own bowls, because toppings are half the fun of chili.
With Cornbread
Cornbread is the classic partner, and the recipe author says so directly. A warm square of cornbread soaks up the sauce, and the sweet corn flavor balances the salty, savory chili. Bake the cornbread while the chili simmers, and both hit the table at the same time.
Over Corn Chips, Chili Pie Style
For a chili pie, spoon the chili over corn chips and add shredded cheese and sour cream. The chips stay crunchy under the hot chili for a few minutes, so serve it right away. It is the same idea as a Frito pie, and it is the serving the recipe author suggests first.
Over Spaghetti, Cincinnati Style
Several reviewers serve this chili over plain spaghetti, and it works. The pasta turns a bowl of chili into a full dinner, and a pile of shredded cheddar on top makes it a Cincinnati style three way. It is also a good way to stretch one batch to feed more people.
Picky Eats
For spice sensitive eaters, this recipe is a safe start: one teaspoon of chili powder across six servings is mild, and the heat comes only from what you add. Serve the chili plain and put hot sauce on the table for the adults. For bean haters, leave the kidney beans out and add a second pound of beef, or swap in pinto beans, which are milder and softer. Ground turkey works in place of ground beef, and several reviewers use it. Kids usually like the beef and tomato parts, so serve their bowls before you add extra chili powder or hot sauce to the pot.
Parents Review and Family Tips
This is a good family dinner because it is one pot, it feeds six, and it reheats well for lunch the next day. Let kids choose their own toppings from a small bar of shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onion, and corn chips. That turns a plain bowl into something they built themselves. Double the recipe for a crowd, and use a slow cooker on low for a couple of hours if you want to start it in the morning, as several reviewers do. Keep the spice mild in the pot and let each person add heat at the table.
Nutrition and Carbohydrate Information
The figures below come from the recipe’s own published nutrition panel on Allrecipes, per serving, for one of six servings. Third party calculators disagree with this panel: one popular listing gives about 296 calories per serving, and another gives about 290, because they use different beef fat levels, different bean brands, and different serving sizes. The recipe’s own panel is the figure to trust first, and the others show how much the number moves when the ingredients change.
| Per serving | Amount |
| Calories | 394 kcal |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary fiber | 18 g |
| Total sugars | 4 g |
| Total fat | 9 g |
| Saturated fat | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 46 mg |
| Sodium | 526 mg |
| Iron | 8 mg |
| Potassium | 1061 mg |
| Calcium | 151 mg |
Source and method: Allrecipes published nutrition panel for Easy Homemade Chili, per serving, as shown on the recipe’s print page. The panel is calculated from the listed ingredients for six servings, and it does not include toppings such as cheese, sour cream, or chips. Ground turkey in place of beef lowers the fat and calories, and low sodium canned tomatoes and beans lower the sodium, but those swaps change the panel, so the figures above apply to the recipe as written.
What to Know Before You Make It
- Brown the beef and onion together for 5 to 7 minutes, until the meat is brown and the onion is tender, before you add anything else.
- Drain the grease from the beef if you like a leaner pot. Several reviewers drain it first.
- Water is optional. Add it only if you want a thinner chili, and add it a little at a time.
- One teaspoon of chili powder is mild. Taste after the simmer and add more to suit your table.
- Simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Longer, uncovered simmering thickens the chili and breaks the tomatoes down.
- Cut the stewed tomatoes smaller if you do not like big tomato pieces, or swap in diced tomatoes.
- Chili tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead when you can.
Is It Worth Making
Yes. For about $9 and 30 minutes you get six generous servings of a hearty, freezer friendly dinner that feeds a family and leaves leftovers for lunch. The recipe is simple enough for a first time chili cook, and it is flexible enough for an experienced cook to make it their own. The only real risk is under seasoning it, so taste the pot before you serve it and add chili powder, salt, or hot sauce until it tastes right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients do I need for chili?
One pound of ground beef, one chopped onion, one 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, one 15 ounce can of kidney beans, one 14.5 ounce can of stewed tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups of water if you want it thinner, one teaspoon of chili powder, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
How long does chili take to make?
30 minutes in total: 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking. Brown the beef and onion for 5 to 7 minutes, add everything else, bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Can I make chili ahead of time?
Yes. Chili tastes even better the next day, so cook it a day ahead, cool it, and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. You can also start it in a slow cooker on low for a couple of hours.
How do I store leftovers from chili?
Transfer the cooled chili to an airtight container and refrigerate it for about 4 days, according to Allrecipes. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Can I freeze homemade chili?
Yes. Cool it completely, pack it into freezer safe containers or bags, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stove. This is general freezer guidance for chili, not a time printed on the recipe page.
How many calories are in homemade chili?
394 calories per serving, according to the recipe’s own published nutrition panel, for one of six servings. Third party calculators give lower figures, about 290 to 296 calories, because they use different beef fat levels and serving sizes.
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Sources and Review Notes
Sources: Allrecipes, Easy Homemade Chili, submitted by Tobi Hargis, tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16248/easy-homemade-chili/. Nutrition cross-check: the recipe’s published nutrition panel on its print page, plus third party calculator listings checked in November 2026. What was researched: the full recipe text, ingredients, steps, times, yield, storage guidance, and reader tips from the source page, plus the published nutrition panel. Nothing was invented. Prices are labeled 2026 grocery estimates. The freezer time is general guidance for chili, labeled as such, because the recipe page does not print one.
