How to Make Beef and Bean Chili

For a weeknight beef-and-bean chili, brown ground beef with onion, add spices, tomatoes and canned beans, then simmer until the sauce coats a spoon. Start with mild chili powder and add heat gradually. The amount of liquid is adjustable. Keep the lid off to concentrate a loose chili, or add a splash of broth if it thickens before the flavors come together.

Ingredients for about six bowls

This stovetop formula builds on Nebraska Extension’s beef, tomato and bean combination. It uses canned, fully cooked beans and leaves room to adjust the consistency. Set out a heavy pot, a wooden spoon and a food thermometer. The photos show ingredient textures and serving examples, including variations.

Ground beef	1 pound (454 g)
Yellow onion	1 medium, diced
Garlic	2 cloves, minced
Mild chili powder blend	1 tablespoon to start
Ground cumin	1 teaspoon
Diced or crushed tomatoes	Two 14½-ounce cans, with juice
Canned kidney or pinto beans	One 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
Water or low-sodium broth	Up to ½ cup as needed
Salt and pepper	To taste
Simmer	About 20–30 minutes
Ground beef minimum	160°F (71°C)

1. Brown the beef and soften the onion

Heat a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the beef and break it into small pieces with a spoon, leaving some larger crumbles for texture. Add the diced onion as the beef begins to brown. Stir so both cook evenly. Once the ground beef reaches 160°F (71°C), spoon off excess fat if there is a pool in the pan. Color alone is an unreliable food-safety check. Use a thermometer to check the meat and clean any utensils that touched it while raw.

2. Add spices before the tomatoes

Lower the heat if the pot is very hot. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin briefly, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes before the spices scorch. In the United States, a jar labeled chili powder often contains a spice blend. A single ground chile, like the Aleppo pepper in the photo, gives a different flavor and can be hotter. Check the label and begin with less if you are unfamiliar with it. It is easier to add heat after simmering than to remove it.

3. Simmer the tomatoes and beans

Stir in the tomatoes and scrape the browned bits from the bottom. Add the drained beans. If the mixture is too thick to stir easily, add a little broth or water. Bring it to a gentle bubble and simmer partially uncovered. Stir occasionally, especially once the sauce thickens. Diced tomatoes keep visible pieces in the bowl. Crushed tomatoes give a more uniform base. For a mix of both textures, use one can of each.

Use canned beans here because they are already fully cooked. Rinse them if you want more control over the salt and thickness. The close-up shows what red kidney beans look like. If you cook beans from dry, prepare them fully in advance using tested bean-cooking guidance before adding them to this short simmer.

4. Adjust the chili after simmering

Taste when the sauce has thickened enough that a spoon leaves a brief trail. If it is watery, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. If it is too dense, stir in broth a little at a time. For a thicker texture without a longer cook, mash a spoonful of the cooked beans against the pot wall and stir them back in. If the flavor seems flat, try a small pinch of salt in one spoonful first. If it is already salty, try a squeeze of lime in the bowl instead.

Chili too loose	Simmer uncovered and stir more often as it reduces
Chili too thick	Add a little broth or water
Heat too strong	Dilute with more tomatoes and beans, then rebalance the seasoning
Flavor too mild	Stir in more chili powder in small increments
Bottom starting to catch	Reduce the heat and stir frequently

Serve, cool and reheat

Offer sour cream, chopped onion, herbs or lime at the table so diners can adjust their own bowl. Serve with buttermilk biscuits or spoon it over a baked potato. Guacamole works as a cool topping.

Divide leftover chili into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Use refrigerated chili within three to four days or freeze it. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), stirring so it warms evenly. Add a little water if the sauce thickens after chilling.

Recipe and food safety sources

Nebraska Extension’s Seven Simple Soups and Stews gives the beef-and-bean starting point. The FoodSafety.gov temperature chart and USDA leftovers guide supply the cooking and storage temperatures and timing.