42 Chili Recipe Ideas

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Chili is the one pot that tastes better on day two, which is the whole reason it earns a spot in the rotation the minute the weather turns. There are 42 chili recipe ideas below, running from a thick beanless beef pot to creamy white chicken chili, sweet potato turkey chili, Cincinnati chili ladled over spaghetti and a vegetarian version built on roasted beets that comes out an alarming shade of magenta. Most of them work the same way underneath: brown the meat, cook the spices in the fat for a minute so they wake up, then walk away while it simmers down and thickens. A lot of these run in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, so dinner happens while you are somewhere else entirely. There are keto, paleo and Whole30 options, a skillet with cornbread baked right on top, and a competition winner worth a whole Sunday.

1. Easy Chili Con Carne

Real chili con carne starts with whole dried chiles, not a jar of powder. Four guajillos and four anchos get stemmed, seeded and toasted in a dry pan for a minute or two, then blended into a sauce, and a chili powder blend will stand in if you cannot find them. Three and a half to four pounds of chuck roast in three quarter inch cubes goes in with paprika, Mexican oregano, brown sugar, cumin and coriander, plus two jalapenos and five cloves of garlic. Beef stock, tomato sauce or fire roasted tomatoes carry it.

Get the full tutorial at Sueeye.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken Frito Chili

Everything goes into a five quart slow cooker raw: two drained cans of Ro-tel, diced tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, cumin and ancho chile powder, with two pounds of seasoned chicken breast laid on top. Six to seven hours on low, then the chicken comes out, gets shredded into large pieces and goes back in with the frozen corn for another half hour. The corn chips are not a garnish here, they are the structure, so they go on at the very last second. Serves ten.

Get the full tutorial at I Heart Eating.

3. Lentil Chili

A whole sixteen ounce bag of dry brown lentils does the job two pounds of beef usually does, and it costs a fraction as much. Onion and red bell pepper soften for eight to ten minutes, then garlic and four teaspoons of chili powder hit the pan for thirty seconds before the lentils, two cans of diced tomatoes, a bay leaf and two cartons of vegetable stock go in. The clever step is at the end: blend three or four cups smooth and stir it back in for body. Serves eight to ten.

Get the full tutorial at Little Broken.

4. One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

Chili and macaroni cheese stop competing for the same night and share a pot instead. A pound of extra lean ground beef browns with an onion and three cloves of garlic, then cayenne, cumin, a tablespoon of chili powder, black beans, kidney beans, 26 ounces of diced tomatoes and four cups of low sodium chicken broth go in. Ten ounces of uncooked elbow pasta cooks right in that liquid, then two cups of shredded cheddar melt through. Under thirty minutes and one pan to wash.

Get the full tutorial at Sueeye.

5. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Buffalo wings in a bowl, essentially. A pound of browned ground chicken goes in with navy beans, drained fire roasted tomatoes, two cups of broth, a packet of ranch dressing mix and a quarter cup of wing sauce, then an entire block of cream cheese sits on top of the lot. Four hours on high or eight on low, and the cream cheese gets stirred through at the end. Start with the quarter cup of wing sauce and add more once you can taste it. Blue cheese crumbles finish it.

Get the full tutorial at Slow Cooker Gourmet.

6. Thick and Beefy Beanless Chili

Four pounds of ground beef, no beans, and nobody at the table is going to argue about whether it counts. Two chopped poblanos go in with a sweet onion, then three kinds of chili powder, regular, chipotle and ancho, plus cumin. Two cans of tomato sauce and three cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes go in undrained and it simmers about an hour, mostly covered, with a gap for steam so it reduces instead of staying soupy. Season it harder than feels right. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at The Wicked Noodle.

7. Signature Spicy, Smoky, Sweet Chili

Three things are doing the heavy lifting: three tablespoons of chili powder, a heaping tablespoon or two of brown sugar and a teaspoon of smoked paprika. A can of vegetarian baked beans goes in alongside the black beans, which sounds odd and is exactly where the sweetness comes from. Brown a pound of beef with a shallot and garlic, tip everything into a crock pot, and it is done in forty five minutes on the stove if you are in a hurry. Cayenne to taste. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Iowa Girl Eats.

8. Spicy Crock Pot Chili

Two and a half pounds of ground beef at 15% fat or lower is the base, with half a yellow onion, two cloves of garlic and two large jalapenos. Thirty ounces of diced tomatoes go in next, along with thirty two ounces each of pinto and kidney beans. The spices are four tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon each of ground coriander and cumin, a teaspoon of cayenne and a tablespoon of salt. Drain the beef fat properly or the whole pot turns greasy. It makes sixteen servings in a six quart crock pot, and he says to drop to eight or ten in a four quart.

Get the full tutorial at Dad With A Pan.

9. Healthy Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Chili

A pound of sweet potatoes cut into half inch cubes goes in with a pound of ground turkey, and an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon is the ingredient that makes people ask what is in it. Two cans of crushed tomatoes, a cup of chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and paprika carry the rest. Corn and black beans go in near the end and simmer another ten to fifteen minutes until the sweet potato gives to a fork. Mash some of it against the pot to thicken. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Evolving Table.

10. Cornbread-Topped Skillet Chili

Chili and cornbread in one pan, which removes the only annoying part of serving chili and cornbread. Ground turkey, onion, bell pepper and half a jalapeno cook down in a twelve inch ovenproof skillet with tomato sauce, broth, kidney beans and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Then the cornbread batter gets spread straight over the top and the whole skillet bakes at 375F for thirty to thirty five minutes until the top is golden. Leftovers keep a week and reheat well. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Sally's Baking Addiction.

11. Thick and Hearty Homestyle Chili

This is the chili most people picture: two pounds of ground beef, three tablespoons of chili power, a tablespoon and a half of cumin, oregano, and a teaspoon each of dried mustard and crushed red pepper that keep it from tasting flat. Two cans of kidney beans go in undrained along with pinto beans, a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and four cups of water, then it simmers on low for at least four hours. Time is the ingredient. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Don't Sweat The Recipe.

12. Slow Cooker Black Bean Taco Chili

Nothing gets browned first. Raw chicken breasts go into a five or six quart slow cooker with corn, black beans, drained petite diced tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, a diced jalapeno, garlic and two and a half to three cups of chicken broth, and that is the entire job. Four hours on high or eight on low, then shred the chicken and stir it back through. Monterey Jack, tortilla chips and sour cream on top. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Baked by Rachel.

13. Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

A whole 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree goes in, and it does not taste like pie, it just makes the chili thick and faintly sweet. A quarter teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice is the only nod to the season. Onion, garlic, carrot, celery and red bell pepper soften first, the spices toast in with them, then two cans of tomatoes, two cans of kidney beans, black beans and the pumpkin go in. Forty five minutes start to finish, and it is vegan. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at The Conscientious Eater.

14. Award Winning Chili

Clear an afternoon for this one. Three Anaheim and three poblano chiles get roasted under the broiler for fifteen to twenty minutes, peeled and chopped, and twelve ounces of bacon renders down to give you three tablespoons of fat to cook in. Then three meats go in: cubed beef chuck, ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. The tip buried in it is worth stealing on its own, which is to use three different chili powders, ancho, chipotle and Mexican, for depth. Serves ten to twelve.

Get the full tutorial at Panning The Globe.

15. Queso White Chicken Chili

The trick is in the beans: four cans of Great Northerns go in, but two of them get mashed first, and that is what makes it creamy without a drop of cream. Diced poblanos soften with the onion at the very start, and then the spices, stock and beans simmer on their own for twenty minutes. Two pounds of cooked shredded chicken go in next, with the green chiles and the juice of two limes, for another twenty. Eight ounces of shredded queso melts in last. A half teaspoon of Old Bay is the odd one out and it works.

Get the full tutorial at Lydi Out Loud.

16. Simple Classic Chili

Good for a first attempt, because the method is spelled out rather than assumed. The beef browns and comes out of the pot, the onions and both bell peppers cook in what it left behind, then a well gets made in the middle of the vegetables so the garlic hits direct heat for thirty seconds without burning. Spices go on the vegetables, not the meat. Three cups of chicken broth deglaze the bottom, then tomatoes and two kinds of beans. Ninety minutes, serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Certified Pastry Aficionado.

17. Slow Cooker Tailgate Chili

There are two ways to run this one. Brown a pound of ground beef with a pound of ground pork and take it straight to the slow cooker for two to three hours on high or four to six on low. Or make it ahead: cool the meat, bag it with everything else and keep it in the fridge up to three days or the freezer up to three months, then thaw it and reheat it in a large cast iron pot over medium heat for at least thirty minutes. A cup of beer and a tablespoon of cocoa do the interesting work. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Slow Cooker Gourmet.

18. Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

The crockpot does six hours of the work and then you do fifteen minutes of real cooking, which is what separates this from every dump and go white chili. An hour before serving, melt three tablespoons of butter, whisk in three tablespoons of flour, then gradually add a cup of milk and the chicken base and simmer four to five minutes until it thickens. That sauce goes into the pot with half a cup of sour cream. Chicken breasts, green chiles, white corn and white beans do the rest. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Lovely Little Kitchen.

19. Chorizo Chicken Chili With Lime Cilantro Sour Cream

Mix the spices first and separately: three tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon of cumin, half a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and half a tablespoon of brown sugar. Three quarters of a pound of Mexican chorizo renders, then two pounds of chicken thighs in big chunks, onion, red pepper, fire roasted tomatoes and two kinds of kidney beans. The topping is the finish: sour cream stirred with lime zest, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serves ten, and there is an Instant Pot version too.

Get the full tutorial at Mama Gourmand.

20. Beef and Chorizo Chili

One and a quarter pounds of ground beef brown together with half a pound of fresh chorizo in a large dutch oven, and the fat gets drained if there is much of it. A yellow onion, a red bell pepper and three minced cloves of garlic go in for about five minutes, then a fifteen ounce can of diced tomatoes, three cups of beef broth, six ounces of tomato sauce, three tablespoons of chili powder, oregano and cumin. Four cans of beans follow: kidney, black, small red and pinto. Bring it to a boil, then simmer thirty to thirty five minutes until it thickens. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Tasty Ever After.

21. Clean Eating Turkey Chili

Two pounds of 99% fat free ground turkey breast, no oil past the tablespoon the onions cook in, and nothing processed beyond canned tomatoes and beans. Onion and garlic go four minutes, the turkey browns and crumbles, then it all goes into the crockpot with three cups of water, tomato paste, crushed and diced tomatoes, two cans of black beans, corn, two tablespoons of chili powder and cumin. Three to four hours on high or six to eight on low.

Get the full tutorial at Dear Crissy.

22. Butternut Squash Chili

The spice list is the whole story here, because a teaspoon of cinnamon and two teaspoons of ground coriander go in alongside the chili powder and cumin and push it somewhere warmer than a standard pot. Seven cloves of garlic, ground turkey, tomato paste, two green bell peppers, fire roasted tomatoes and black beans build the base. The butternut goes in last in half inch cubes and simmers twenty minutes, just until tender, not mushy. Serves ten.

Get the full tutorial at Chew Out Loud.

23. Taco Ranch Chicken Chili

Five minutes of prep and nine ingredients, most of them cans. Chicken breasts go in the bottom of the slow cooker, then black beans, undrained chili beans, chicken broth, undrained petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, frozen corn and one packet each of taco seasoning and ranch seasoning. Seven to eight hours on low, then shred the chicken and stir it back through. This is the one to put on before work. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Together As Family.

24. Cincinnati Chili

Do not brown the beef. Two pounds of ground beef go into a pot with four cups of water and get stirred until the meat separates into tiny pieces, and that texture is the entire point of Cincinnati chili. Then a tablespoon of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of cinnamon, allspice, two bay leaves, three tablespoons of chili powder and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar go in and it simmers uncovered about two and a half hours. Serve it over spaghetti or hot dogs. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Tornadough Alli.

25. Slow Cooker Jamaican Jerk Chicken Chili With Plantain Chips

A cup of mild Jamaican jerk marinade, a minced habanero, two teaspoons of ground allspice, thyme and half a teaspoon of cinnamon take this a long way from Texas. Two to two and a half pounds of chicken go in with three bell peppers, kidney and black beans and crushed tomatoes for six to eight hours on low, then the juice of three limes goes in at the end. The plantain chips get fried at 350F and they are worth the extra pot. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Host The Toast.

26. Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Half a cup of finely ground saltine cracker crumbs goes into this one, which is an old diner trick for thickening chili without flour and it works. Two pounds of 80/20 ground beef brown with an onion, then join two cans of kidney beans, 29 ounces of undrained diced tomatoes, a quarter cup of tomato paste and three tablespoons of chili powder in the slow cooker. Three hours on high or six on low. A spoonful of beef base beats beef broth here, which would only thin it.

Get the full tutorial at Dinner Then Dessert.

27. Creamy Italian Sausage Chili

Four ounces of cream cheese stirred in at the very end is what earns the creamy in the name, and it dissolves completely so nobody can point at it. A pound of Italian sausage, five cloves of garlic, a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, a cup of tomato juice and two tablespoons of red wine vinegar go in with black, pinto and kidney beans, undrained. Thirty five minutes total. Serve it with crackers or cornbread. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Favorite Family Recipes.

28. Instant Pot White Bean Chicken Chili

Dried beans, no cans. A pound of dried great northern or navy beans soaks in a bowl of water while you chop everything else, which is the only planning involved. They go into the Instant Pot with two cups of onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, seven ounces of green chilies, four cups of broth and six frozen chicken thighs, straight from the freezer. Three tablespoons of bacon fat or lard go in as a solid lump and melt as it comes to pressure. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Allergy Free Alaska.

29. Frank's Game Day Buffalo Chicken Chili

A whole cup of Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce goes in, which is the entire reason this tastes like a plate of wings. Two chopped carrots, two stalks of celery and a small onion soften in a tablespoon of olive oil, then in go two cups of cooked shredded chicken, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, a can of hot chili beans in their sauce, a drained can of sweet corn and a thirty two ounce container of chicken broth. Fifteen minutes of simmering and dinner is done. Thirty minutes total, serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Home and Plate.

30. Instant Pot Wendy's Copycat Chili

Six stalks of celery is the detail that makes this taste like the drive-through version rather than a homemade one, and a can of Ranch Style Beans is the second. A pound of lean ground beef browns on Saute with garlic, then onion, bell pepper and the celery, then a packet of McCormick chili seasoning, a cup of water, Rotel, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and dark red kidney beans. Thirty minutes and it makes eight cups.

Get the full tutorial at A Night Owl Blog.

31. Glenn's Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooker Chili

Three meats and a full cup of brown sugar, which tells you exactly where this sits on the sweet to spicy line before you read another word. Hot Italian sausage, 80/20 ground beef and ground bison all brown separately after the Vidalia onions and orange bell pepper caramelize for eight to ten minutes. Two tablespoons of red pepper flakes and a teaspoon of cayenne pull it back the other way. Bourbon and brown sugar grillin’ beans go in too. Five and a half hours, serves six to eight.

Get the full tutorial at A Family Feast.

32. Quick Keto Chili

Twenty minutes start to finish in a pressure cooker, and there is not a bean in it. A pound of ground beef and a pound of sausage brown on Saute with half an onion, then three tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, smoked paprika and two tablespoons of cumin go in before two cups of beef bone broth, fire roasted tomatoes and a can of Rotel. A quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum sprinkled over thickens it without carbs. Serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at iSaveA2Z.

33. Paleo and Whole30 Apple Cider Chili

A cup of real apple cider and two peeled, chopped Granny Smith apples go into this pot, along with cinnamon, allspice and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, so it lands closer to a fall stew than a Texas bowl. A pound of grass fed ground beef browns in beef tallow with an onion, then six ounces of tomato paste and the spices cook for two minutes before three cups of beef broth go in. Twenty to thirty minutes of simmering and the liquid cooks down.

Get the full tutorial at Farmstead Chic.

34. Chili Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust

Four cups of a slow cooker roasted red pepper chili get divided between four nine ounce ramekins, about a cup each, filled to roughly an inch below the rim. The lid is half a cup of flour, two tablespoons of sugar, half a cup of fine ground cornmeal, a quarter cup of wheat germ, salt and baking soda, stirred together with two thirds of a cup of buttermilk, a quarter cup of vegetable oil and one large egg. About half a cup of that batter goes over each dish. Ten minutes of prep and it serves four.

Get the full tutorial at Sweet Peas and Saffron.

35. Pork Chili Verde

Built for leftover pulled pork, which is the best possible reason to make too much pulled pork. Four cups of it go in with a diced yellow onion, two cups of salsa verde, four cans of white beans, eight cups of chicken stock, two teaspoons of cumin and a teaspoon of chili powder, then it simmers with the lid on for an hour. Green onions and cilantro on top. Five minutes of prep and it serves eight.

Get the full tutorial at Heather Christo.

36. Easy Black Bean Chili

Five minutes of prep, thirty five minutes total, and eleven ingredients. Brown a pound of lean ground beef or turkey, then everything else goes into one pot at once: a cup and a half of beef broth, a tablespoon of chili powder, cumin, oregano, three crushed garlic cloves, two cans of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. Boil, then simmer twenty minutes. Serves eight, which is a lot of dinner for the effort.

Get the full tutorial at A Night Owl Blog.

37. Slow Cooker White Chicken and Quinoa Chili

A cup of uncooked quinoa goes in raw with everything else and cooks in the broth, so it thickens the chili and adds the protein at the same time. A pound and a half of chicken breasts, onion, celery, a deseeded jalapeno, four cloves of garlic, two cans of green chiles, cannellini beans, corn and four cups of broth go in together with a bay leaf and the juice of a lime. Three to four hours on high or six to eight on low. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Eat Yourself Skinny.

38. High-Protein Vegan Chili

A cup of dried textured vegetable protein soaked in boiling water does the job of ground beef, and squeezing it lightly before it goes in the pot keeps it from turning to mush. The trick that gives this body is blending half a cup of the pinto beans with tomato sauce, green chilies and broth until smooth and stirring that back in. Carrots, celery, red pepper, a diced sweet potato and an optional parsnip fill it out. Fifty five minutes, serves six.

Get the full tutorial at Vegan Runner Eats.

39. Thick and Chunky Chili with Sirloin

Cubed sirloin instead of ground beef, and the difference is texture you can chew rather than crumble. Two pounds of it sear about four minutes a side, then onion and garlic cook in the same pan until the onion goes transparent. Everything transfers to a four quart crock pot with tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with green chilies, chili beans, Worcestershire and either a cup and a half of beef broth or a whole bottle of dark beer. Two to three hours on low.

Get the full tutorial at Cooking With Ruthie.

40. Vegetarian Beet Chili

Two whole beets get scored, oiled, wrapped in foil and roasted at 400 degrees, and they turn the entire pot a shade of magenta that has to be seen. Kidney, black and pinto beans go in with cherry tomatoes, half a can of tomato sauce, red onion, garlic, a habanero, cumin seeds and cumin powder, finished with crumbled Romano or Cotija. Wear gloves for the beets and for the habanero, in that order, and it only serves two.

Get the full tutorial at Healing Tomato.

41. Creamy Vegetarian White Chili

A quarter cup of flour tossed through the softened vegetables is what thickens this, which means no cornstarch slurry and no dairy until the very end. Onion, green bell pepper and jalapeno go seven to ten minutes, then garlic and a tablespoon of cumin, then the flour, then four cups of vegetable broth, three cans of Great Northern beans, green chilies and corn. Fifteen minutes of simmering, then two cups of warmed whole milk. Use a non-dairy milk and it is vegan.

Get the full tutorial at Vegetarian Ventures.

42. Low Carb Chili

Eleven ingredients, no beans, and nothing unusual in the cupboard. A pound and a quarter of ground beef browns and gets drained, then onion, red bell pepper and two celery sticks go in the same pan for a minute or two. Everything moves to a big pot with chopped fresh tomatoes, eight ounces of tomato paste and three quarters of a cup of water, plus cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and simmers one to two hours. Stir it every half hour. Serves six.

Get the full tutorial at The Low Carb Diet.