This ground beef chili is the ultimate large-batch solution for your next gathering! Whether you're throwing a big bash or looking for an easy weeknight dinner, this recipe uses simple ingredients to deliver classic flavor, and it’s ready in just over an hour.
In this article you'll learn:
- This large-batch classic chili takes just 1 hour and 5 minutes to make (35 minutes prep, and 30 minutes cook time).
- How to make a ground beef chili that makes 12 servings (about 18 cups).
- Why this chili recipe works for game day, family dinners, or entertaining with minimal fuss and a big payoff.
- How to adapt the recipe for vegetarian eaters, using lentils, carrots, and corn.
- Why adding a cup of brewed coffee (decaf or regular) creates a rich, savory depth of flavor without actually tasting like coffee.
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep and stores in the fridge for up to 4 days, and freezes for up to 3 months.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
The most comforting meals often start with a warm bowl of one of my favorite soup recipes like White Vegetarian Chili or Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros). Just thinking about an assortment of fun toppings and sides gets me in the mood for pulling out the soup pot!
The secret behind perfect classic chili
This classic recipe was developed for a magazine years ago, and has a secret ingredient. It's a one pot soup recipe I make on repeat.
Adding brewed coffee instead of tomato juice is the secret. I thought it would add an off-taste, but to my surprise you don't taste coffee at all, just a pleasant savory, robust layer of flavor. Genius!
I knew that a mix of flavorful ground beef, tomatoes, aromatics, spices, and beans, is the foundation to a delicious, classic chili recipe. The coffee mellows the strong flavors, and adds an almost smoky layer to each bite.
Use decaf or regular coffee! I don't drink coffee so I don't have it in the house—so I purchase packets of instant decaf coffee that make adding this tasty ingredient a breeze!
Why to add this chili and beans recipe to your rotation
- Accessible ingredients: No specialty spices required—just the right ratios of pantry staples for a perfect, robust bowl.
- Special-diet friendly: It’s easily adapted for a vegetarian chili crowd, and naturally gluten-free.
- Minimal time commitment: While the depth of flavor tastes like it simmered all day, you only need 30 minutes of hands-on time. It’s a total game-changer for busy weeknights or game days.
- Feeds a crowd: This makes a big batch (18 cups!) that feeds up to 12 people. It also freezes beautifully, making it my favorite cook-once-eat-twice meal.
Jump to:
I made a pot of chili to have on hand during the holidays -- it's great when the kiddos stop by at lunch time. I tried your tip - the addition of a bit of coffee. And WOW it gave the chili an additional punch of flavor. Will experiment some more with it.
- Marisa
Chili ingredients and variations
To make a hearty ground beef chili, make sure to get the best ingredients. Here are some tips to help you gather everything you'll need. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Oil: I recommend canola or avocado oil.
- Lean ground beef: I prefer using a lean ground beef, such as ground sirloin. Look for a ground beef that contains around 10% fat (90/10). Anything fattier, and the chili will be greasy. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken for lower-fat options.
- Onions: Finely chop the onions to distribute their flavor. As a variation, you can also sauté diced bell pepper with the onion.
- Minced garlic
- Jalapeños: To reduce the heat, remove the seeds from the peppers.
- Tomato paste
- Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground cinnamon.
- Kosher salt
- Brewed coffee: I don't actually drink coffee, so I rarely have it in the house. However, I keep it on hand for this chili. My recipe calls for brewed regular coffee, but I use instant decaf coffee. If desired, the coffee can be replaced with tomato juice.
- Diced tomatoes: Don't drain the juices. They'll be used in the chili.
- Kidney beans: Make sure to drain off the liquid. You can replace the kidney beans with black or pinto beans.
- Red wine vinegar
How to make this chili recipe
Making chili for a crowd is incredibly simple and takes about an hour to prepare. Follow these step-by-step instructions to see how it's done. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Brown ground beef in a large pot on the stove. Break into fine crumbs as it cooks.
- Step 2: Once the beef is cooked, remove from the pan and reserve for later.
- Step 3: Add oil, onions, garlic, and jalapeños to the pot and stir to cook.
- Step 4: Once the aromatics are soft and cooked, add all the spices and salt. Stir to cook and toast the spices a bit.
- Step 5: Add the brewed coffee, if using, the tomatoes, beans, and reserved ground beef.
- Step 6: Add water and bring chili to a simmer.
- Step 7: Simmer the chili to cook all the flavors together and reduce the liquid a little.
- Step 8: Before serving, stir in the vinegar to boost all of the flavors.
Make vegetarian chili
- Prepare classic chili according to recipe, omitting the meat, and sauté 3 diced carrots with the onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
- Cover and cook until carrots are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Add 2 (15-ounce) cans of rinsed and drained lentils along with the kidney beans.
- Add 2 cups thawed frozen corn during the last 5 minutes.
- Yields 17 cups.
Tara's top tips
Use coffee: Liquid is needed to bring the chili together. For a fun layer of flavor, use coffee for the liquid instead of tomato juice. This change will blow your mind! If you don't have coffee, use tomato juice in its place.
Don't drain the tomatoes: The juices from the canned tomatoes add to the flavor of the chili and provide additional liquid to get the right consistency.
Seed the jalapeños: For a milder chili, remove the seeds from the jalapeños. For a spicier version, leave the seeds in.
Use the leftovers: With leftover chili, make a South-of-the-Border Cobbler. Spread chili in a baking dish, top with biscuit dough (use the biscuit recipe from my Beef Stew with Biscuit Topping), and bake at 375ºF until biscuits are cooked and chili is bubbling.
Chili toppings
Turn this basic chili recipe into an award winning chili recipe with a variety of tasty toppings. My comprehensive post of the BEST Chili Toppings includes new, fun, and gourmet toppers like:
- cornbread croutons
- fresh corn salsa
- pickled jalapeños
- crispy cheese bits
- spiced roasted pepitas
- crisp diced jicama
I love to set up a toppings bar when hosting a chili party so that each person can customize their bowl.
Tried and true toppings include diced onion and avocados, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sliced radishes, and cilantro.
What to serve with chili
In addition to toppings, don't forget the cornbread!
Equipment
Large soup pot: I recommend an 8-quart pot to accommodate such a large recipe.
Freezer containers: If you have leftovers, freeze portions in ziptop bags (these are reusable!) or plastic containers. I also love freezing portions in silicone containers.
Storage
Refrigerate: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll keep well for up to 4 days.
Freeze: This recipe freezes really well. If you're not feeding a crowd or just want to meal prep, make the entire recipe and freeze portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on medium-low on the stovetop or by the bowlful in the microwave.
Make-ahead: Since the chili stores well, feel free to make it 1 to 2 days in advance. Like all good chili, this recipe tastes even better the next day.
I love to find great chili recipes to go with my homemade sourdough bread and last week I made Tara's Classic Chili. We loved it so much, I froze 2 bags of it to save for superbowl sunday! It is delish!!
- Denine
FAQ
Browning the ground beef first breaks it down into the perfect texture, releases excess moisture, renders the fat, and develops deep flavor that you can't get by simmering raw meat in liquid. Just be sure to drain the excess grease so your chili isn't oily.
Although I haven't tested the recipe in a slow cooker, it should work fine. Brown the beef with the onions, garlic, and jalapeños on the stovetop first, stir in the tomato paste and spices, then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Add the coffee, tomatoes, and beans, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
A lean ground beef like ground sirloin (90% lean/10% fat) is ideal. It gives you plenty of rich beef flavor without leaving a heavy layer of grease on top of your chili pot.
More recipes with ground beef
Cozy dinner recipes often start with a pound of ground beef. Here's a few weeknight classics to try:
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📖 Full Recipe
Ground Beef Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (or avocado oil)
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 medium onions (finely chopped)
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 jalapenos (seeded if desired, finely diced)
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup brewed coffee (or tomato juice)
- 3 cans (15-ounce cans) diced tomatoes with juices
- 3 cans (15-ounce cans) kidney beans (drained)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer browned meat to a bowls and discard any juices left in the pot.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot with the onion, garlic and jalapeño. Cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, all the spices, and salt, and continue to cook until the vegetables are well coated and mixture darkens a bit and becomes fragrant.
- Stir in coffee (or tomato juice), scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot, and then add tomatoes with their juices, beans, browned meat and 1½ cups water.
- Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vinegar and season to taste with extra salt.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Mary Bench says
These are such great toppers! we love the cheese crisps!
Sabrina Newell says
This sounds so good. I've never thought about putting coffee in my chili, but I have made steaks with a chili rub and it was great, so why not!! Definitely going to try next time. I usually put a little dark chocolate in mine.
Tara says
Oh the dark chocolate is a genius addition as well. I love the coffee because there's no sweetness, but chocolate would add a nice flavor level too!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
So loving this! I put cinnamon, espresso powder, and cocoa in my chili as that adds depth of flavor as the coffee does. I'm not a coffee drinker so I rarely have it on hand. I'm LOVING that this is for a crowd as it's such a great dish - especially with the super bowl coming up! Thanks for a lovely recipe!
Marisa F. Stewart says
I made a pot of chili to have on hand during the holidays -- it's great when the kiddos stop by at lunch time. I tried your tip - the addition of a bit of coffee. And WOW it gave the chili an additional punch of flavor. Will experiment some more with it.
Amanda says
What a great chili recipe! It has the perfect kick, and everyone always loves it. Thanks so much for sharing!
Megan Palmer says
Coffee?? Brilliant! I can't wait to add that in. I'm making it tomorrow!
Mia says
We made this chili during the holidays and an extra vegetarian version. The coffee adds such a great depth of flavor. Thanks for this new family favorite recipe!
Tara says
Glad to hear it!
Denine says
I love to find great chili recipes to go with my homemade sourdough bread and last week I made Tara Classic Chili. We loved it so much, I froze 2 bags of it to save for superbowl sunday! It is deslish!!
Tara Teaspoon says
Wow! What a compliment Denine. Thank you for sharing and grateful for your support. Tara
Helen Moore says
I plan to make the vegetarian version for a church supper next week. Could squash like butternut or acorn be added to increase the chunkiness of it?
Tara T. says
Hi Helen,
Butternut or acorn squash would be great vegetarian alternatives! I have never made the recipe using those options, but for flavor and texture, I would recommend adding vegetarian bacon or sausage.
Tara
Amy says
This is my absolute favorite chili recipe!! I sometimes add some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (without all the seeds) for an extra kick!
Tara T. says
Ooh! Great addition with the chipotle peppers. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Tara
Pundit says
In my opinion the cinnamon throws everything off. The whole family complained about the smell. This isn't a good recipe and the one of the few times I everyone requested for me not to cook this again. I think I was duped by an AI "cook" and "recipe". Lol, foolish me.
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
Hi. I’m so sorry to hear this one didn’t hit the mark for your family. Flavor preferences, especially with spices like cinnamon, can vary quite a bit from household to household. All of my recipes are professionally developed and thoroughly tested in my kitchen before being shared, and I stand behind the process. That said, every kitchen (and every palate!) is different. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and I’m always glad to help troubleshoot or suggest adjustments if needed. All the best to you.
Tara says
This is truly a family favorite. Such a classic flavor and a great meal!