5 Ingredient Homemade Chili Recipe + Video

This homemade chili recipe combines seasoned beef, tomatoes, beans, and chiles for a quick and easy meal. Make it tonight in just 15 minutes!

Busy days call for lazy evenings with a bowl of delicious comfort food. Now you can get all of the flavor of a home-cooked meal without spending hours in the kitchen.

Even better, you probably already have everything you need for this recipe right in your pantry!

My 7 Can Chili Soup is similar to this 5 ingredient chili but has a thinner consistency, extra veggies, and plenty of cheese. Plus, you don’t need to brown any ground beef.

Stuck at home but craving takeout? Try this easy Wendy's copycat chili recipe. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and tastes just like the real thing!

Or, try my Crockpot White Chicken Chili instead. Tender chicken and white beans are cooked in a spiced broth, it’s ready and waiting for you at the end of a busy day.

Homemade Chili Recipe - Tips and Tricks

• Cut your cooking time in half.

Use precooked ground beef instead! I like to make a large amount at one time and freeze it in portions for easy meals. Then, replace 1 pound of uncooked beef with 12 ounces of cooked beef in your recipes.

• Need to feed a crowd? 

Easily double or triple this recipe for a large gathering. You could even use it as a topping for a nacho bar!

• Add some toppings!

While this is perfectly delicious on its own, you can add plenty more flavor and texture with a variety of toppings.

• Shredded cheese
• Green onions
• Sour cream
• Cilantro
• Bacon crumbles
• Crushed tortilla chips
• Diced avocado

Ingredients In Chili
 

While every recipe is different, the key components are beans and spices. Many versions also include some type of cooked meat, including sausage or even shredded chicken.

For this 5 ingredient chili, everything is easy to find and often already in your pantry.

• Ground beef - Easily swap this out for sausage or a leaner option like ground chicken or turkey.
• Diced tomatoes - I like to use the fire roasted with garlic variety, but any diced tomatoes will do.
• Beans - Chili beans come in a seasoned sauce, which is why this recipe has so much flavor. Feel free to use regular pinto beans and add your own spice blend if you prefer.
• Chiles - Diced green chiles add just enough heat, but you can use jalapenos instead if you want to make it spicier.
• Crushed red pepper - A little goes a long way, so taste the chili first before adding this ingredient.

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• 4 Quart Saucepan or a large, deep skillet 
• Can Opener - It seems like a no-brainer, but a good can opener can save your hands and a lot of frustration as well!
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes - These are a lifesaver in the kitchen! They add that “cooked all day” flavor to quick and easy recipes like this one.

FAQ - Common Recipe Questions

Do I need to drain the beans first? 

No need to drain or rinse them since the liquid adds to the flavor and helps to create the sauce for the chili.

Is this homemade chili recipe good as leftovers?

It sure is! Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days for best results.

You could even freeze it if you’d like. Store for up to 6 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. For larger batches, portion it out into smaller containers so you use just what you need.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stove, stirring frequently until it’s completely warmed through.

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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5 Ingredient Chili Recipe Video

To see us make the recipe from start to finish, watch the video at the top of this page.

Yield: 8 cups

Author: Donna Elick

5 Ingredient Homemade Chili

This homemade chili recipe combines seasoned beef, tomatoes, beans, and chiles for a quick and easy meal. Make it tonight in just 15 minutes!

Prep time: 0 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 M

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chili beans (I used S&W)
• 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles or 1/2 can (4-ounce) diced jalapenos
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. In a large (4 quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, cook beef. Break beef up with a wooden spoon. Cook until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, beans, jalapenos and crushed red pepper flakes (to taste - use less for mild, more for hot). Stir. Simmer 5 minutes.
2. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. I love to whip this up with ground beef I have precooked and also it is great with leftover burgers. Just break them up and add them in.
2. Prepare ground beef ahead for easy lazy day dinners. Buy ground beef and precook it. Then portion it out and pop it in the freezer for easy pantry meals like this one. Replace the cooked beef 12 ounces cooked beef replaces 1 pound uncooked beef in a recipe.
3. You can use a diced bell pepper sauteed in place of the chiles.

https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2015/02/5-ingredient-lazy-day-chili-recipe.html

Recipe developed by Donna Elick for The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2015 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Originally published February 2015, updated and republished January 2021

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