A Bit More Homemade Chili

Recipes · Soups & Stews · ABMH Original

A hearty, mild beef-and-sausage chili with fire-roasted tomatoes, two kinds of beans, and a layered seasoning blend—easy to make ahead for a cool-weather dinner, Game Day, or Halloween night.

Chili is one of those dinners that can make the whole evening easier. You can serve it straight from the stove for a regular weeknight meal, make it ahead for Game Day, or keep it hot for a serve-yourself Halloween dinner when everyone may be eating at a slightly different time.

This chili is hearty without being fussy. Ground chuck and mild Italian sausage give it a rich, meaty base, while onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, and a layered spice blend make every bowl full-flavored. The base stays comfortably mild, so anyone who wants more heat can add it at the table.

A Bit More Homemade: Keep the pot approachable and put the extra heat on the table. Hot sauce, cayenne, or sliced jalapeños make it easy for everyone to finish their bowl the way they like it.

Jump to Recipe Make-Ahead Tips

PrepAbout 20 minutes* CookAbout 1 hour TotalAbout 1 hour 20 minutes* Serves8–10

*Prep and total times are estimates.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chili

• It is hearty enough to be dinner. Two pounds of meat, two kinds of beans, tomatoes, peppers, and broth make a generous pot that serves 8–10.
• It has plenty of flavor without being overly hot. Ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin, adobo sauce, and a seeded jalapeño give the chili depth while keeping the base approachable.
• Most of the work happens in one pot. Brown the meat, soften the vegetables, build the tomato-and-spice base, and let everything simmer together.
• It works well when dinner needs to be flexible. Serve it right away or transfer it hot to a preheated slow cooker for a casual serve-yourself meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredient list looks longer than the method feels—much of it is the seasoning blend that gets mixed together before you start.

Meat and Vegetables

• 1 pound 85/15 ground chuck
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced

Chili Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons American-style chili powder
• 1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Cayenne pepper, optional and added only after tasting

For the Pot

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Fine sea salt, added conservatively and adjusted after simmering

Season carefully: Chili powder blends, sausage, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and adobo sauce can all contribute salt or heat. Use low-sodium broth, wait until the chili has simmered before adding salt, and add cayenne only after tasting. Cook the ground meats completely before tasting the chili.

Equipment for This Recipe

• Large Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed soup pot
• Wooden spoon or sturdy heat-safe spatula
• Chef’s knife and cutting board
• Measuring spoons and liquid measuring cup
• Slow cooker, optional, for keeping already-hot chili hot for serving

How to Make A Bit More Homemade Chili

1. Mix the seasoning.

Combine the chili powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, cocoa powder, and black pepper. Set approximately one-third of the mixture aside to add later.

Mixing the spices before you start cooking keeps the recipe moving once the pot is hot.

2. Brown the beef and sausage together.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground chuck and mild Italian sausage and cook them together, breaking the meat into irregular crumbles while allowing some pieces to stay in contact with the hot pot long enough to brown. Cook until no pink remains.

If the pot contains substantially more than 1–2 tablespoons of rendered fat, carefully remove the excess.

Let some of the meat brown against the Dutch oven before breaking every piece apart. Those browned bits help build flavor in the base of the chili.

3. Soften the vegetables.

Add the onion, red bell pepper, and seeded jalapeño. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Give the onion and peppers time to soften before adding the tomato paste and spices.

4. Cook the tomato paste and spices.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it darkens slightly. Add approximately two-thirds of the seasoning mixture and stir for 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant.

Watch this step closely: The spices only need a brief moment in the hot pot. Keep them moving, and as soon as they smell fragrant, move on to the broth so they do not scorch.

5. Deglaze and build the chili.

Pour in approximately ½ cup of the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven thoroughly to loosen the browned bits.

Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, remaining 3½ cups broth, Worcestershire sauce, adobo sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well and bring the chili to a gentle simmer.

6. Add the beans and simmer.

Reduce the heat to low. During the approximately one-hour cooking time, stir in the kidney beans, pinto beans, and reserved seasoning. Keep the pot partially covered at first and stir occasionally so the bottom does not catch.

If you prefer a thicker chili, uncover the pot toward the end of the cooking time and let some of the liquid reduce while it continues to simmer gently.

7. Taste, top, and serve.

Taste the chili before adding fine sea salt or optional cayenne. Serve it with the toppings your household or guests enjoy, or transfer the already-hot chili to a preheated slow cooker for serving.

Set out shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalapeños, or hot sauce and let everyone finish their own bowl.

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Make Ahead · Halloween · Game Day

Make It Ahead When Dinner Needs to Be Flexible

One of the most useful things about a pot of chili is that dinner does not have to happen all at once. Make it on the stovetop first, then transfer it hot to a preheated slow cooker when you need a longer serving window.

That makes it especially practical for Halloween night or a casual Game Day gathering. Put out a few toppings, add cornbread if you want it, and let people make a bowl when they are ready.

Slow-cooker safety: Do not use a slow cooker to slowly reheat refrigerated chili. Reheat leftovers to 165°F first, then transfer the hot chili to a preheated slow cooker and keep it at 140°F or above while serving.

Planning Halloween dinner? See Easy Halloween Night Dinner: A Make-Ahead Plan for the full low-fuss meal plan built around food that can work around trick-or-treating and changing schedules.

How Spicy Is This Chili?

This is a mild chili with layers of chile flavor rather than a lot of heat. The jalapeño is seeded, the Italian sausage is mild, and cayenne is optional. The ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, and small amount of adobo sauce help build the flavor of the pot without making extra heat the point of the recipe.

If you are serving people who like different heat levels, keep the base as written and put cayenne, hot sauce, or fresh jalapeños on the table. It is much easier to make one bowl hotter than it is to cool down the whole pot.

Tips for the Best Homemade Chili

Brown, Don’t Steam

Use medium-high heat and let some of the meat stay in contact with the Dutch oven for a moment before breaking every piece apart.

Salt at the End

Sausage, broth, canned ingredients, Worcestershire sauce, and adobo all contribute seasoning. Let the pot simmer first, then decide what it actually needs.

Adjust the Thickness With the Lid

If the chili is thinner than you prefer, uncover it near the end and continue the gentle simmer so some of the liquid can reduce.

Let Everyone Choose the Heat

Cayenne, hot sauce, and fresh jalapeños let people make their own bowls hotter without changing dinner for everyone else.

Storage, Reheating and Freezing

Refrigerate leftover chili within 2 hours, dividing larger amounts into shallow containers so they cool more quickly. Keep refrigerated leftovers at 40°F or below and use them within 3–4 days.

Reheat leftovers to 165°F. If reheated chili will be held in a slow cooker, heat it fully first and then transfer it hot to a preheated cooker for hot holding.

For longer storage, freeze cooled chili in meal-size portions with room for expansion. Thaw leftovers safely in the refrigerator, or use an appropriate cold-water or microwave thawing method. If you thaw chili in the microwave, continue heating it to 165°F. Add cheese, sour cream, green onions, and other fresh toppings after reheating rather than before freezing.

Food-safety guidance follows current USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance for leftovers and USDA guidance for reheating and hot holding in a slow cooker.

Keep Going With a Bit More Homemade

Homemade Mini Cornbread Loaves and Muffins — an easy homemade side to serve with a warm bowl of chili.

Easy Halloween Night Dinner: A Make-Ahead Plan — use this chili as the centerpiece of a dinner that can work around the evening instead of controlling it.

A Bit More Homemade Original Recipe

A Bit More Homemade Chili

A hearty, mild homemade chili with ground chuck, Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, two kinds of beans, and a layered seasoning blend.

Prep: About 20 minutes* Cook: About 1 hour Total: About 1 hour 20 minutes* Yield: 8–10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound 85/15 ground chuck
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons American-style chili powder
• 1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Fine sea salt and optional cayenne pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix the seasoning. Combine the chili powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, coriander, cocoa powder, and black pepper. Reserve approximately one-third.
2. Brown the meats. Brown the ground chuck and mild Italian sausage together in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Remove excess rendered fat only if needed.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and cook for 7–9 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Build the base. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, until slightly darkened. Add approximately two-thirds of the seasoning mixture and stir for 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant.
5. Deglaze. Add approximately ½ cup beef broth and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
6. Add the liquids. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, remaining 3½ cups broth, Worcestershire sauce, adobo sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Add the beans and finish the chili. During the approximately one-hour cooking time, stir in the kidney beans, pinto beans, and reserved seasoning. Keep the pot partially covered at first, stir occasionally, and uncover near the end if more reduction is needed.
8. Taste and serve. Taste before adding fine sea salt or optional cayenne. Serve immediately or transfer the already-hot chili to a preheated slow cooker for hot holding.

Recipe note: Keep the base mild and serve extra heat at the table. If you prefer a thicker chili, uncover the pot near the end of the simmer and allow some of the liquid to reduce. *Prep and total times are estimates.

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A Bit More Homemade

A pot of chili is a good reminder that homemade does not have to mean complicated. One pot, familiar ingredients, a little time to simmer, and dinner is ready whenever your people are.

Simple Ingredients. Wholesome Living.

You don’t have to do everything. Just start with something—and make your home a bit more homemade one change at a time.