The Best Easy Chili Recipe (Stovetop, Crockpot, or Instant Pot)
This truly is the best, easy chili recipe - the one people will ask for more! Perfect for everyday as well as feeding a crowd, you can choose to make this in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Equipment
- 6-quart stock pot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, depending on cooking method
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound ground beef, turkey, pork, or chicken
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped mild peppers like Anaheim or Poblano (or can sub sweet red peppers for even less heat)
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced (optional for less heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 14 ounce can tomato puree (can use sauce, though puree is better)
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can kidney or black beans (drained) or bean of choice (can use 1½ cups cooked beans if you have them frozen) - can omit
- 2½-3 tablespoons quality chili powder or homemade version - see notes
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Add oil to a large (6-quart) stock pot or skillet and heat over medium high (or Instant Pot bowl and push sauté). Crumble in the meat and cook 1-2 minutes, just until starting to brown.
- Add in the onions, garlic, chopped peppers, salt and black pepper. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any grease if needed.
Choose one of the following cooking methods to continue:
STOVETOP:
- To the large stock pot add the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, beans, and spices - and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, stir and cook for another 30 minutes uncovered.
SLOW COOKER:
- Scrape the meat and vegetables from the skillet into the bowl of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes, beans and spices - stir well and cover.
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
INSTANT POT:
- Turn sauté function off and add tomatoes, beans and spices - stir well. Lock on lid, set knob to seal and choose Manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes.
- Release pressure naturally for 15 minutes and then use quick release. Open lid and stir. (If you'd like the chili to be thicker, you can push sauté again and cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring often - it will bubble quite a bit).
Serving
- Serve the chili with the toppings like grated cheese, sour cream, green onions and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled and will fit in all 6-quart sized appliances and pots. However, if using an Instant Pot, two pounds of meat will not brown well in the bowl on sauté, so use a separate skillet for that like you would with the slow cooker.
Storage: This lasts up to a week in the fridge (and gets better with time!) and freezes well, too, for longer storage.
HOMEMADE CHILI POWDER SEASONING - Makes 3/4 cup
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1122IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
