Briana Milner This one-pot meal is made in the dutch oven and can be cooked on the stove top, in the oven or over a campfire. The chili is loaded with flavor from the peppers, onion and garlic, the ground beef, tomatoes and just the right combination of spices.
Colorful, with bold and savory flavors, this one pot meal takes 15 minutes to prepare and 2 hours to cook – your kitchen is going to be filled with all kinds of wonderful smells as the ingredients blend together to make this dish. Your family will keep asking “Is it ready yet?” The wait will be worth it and they will be asking for more when they enjoy this hearty, thick chili.
Try these side dishes with your chili!
We love our chili paired with cornbread, hush puppies, or white rice. Some people enjoy serving chili over spaghetti noodles, brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. Chili is the perfect comfort food, yet is so thick and hearty, and filling.
What garnishes and sides can I add to my chili?
The chili can be topped with sour cream (or Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative), grated cheese, slices of avocado, cilantro, chopped onion, or jalapeño slices, diced cooked bacon, and served with tortilla chips or corn chips.
Are there alternative meats instead of the ground beef?
Yes! If you prefer, you can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the beef. These alternatives will also cut down on your fat and caloric intake.
Can I double this recipe for a large crowd?
Yes, just make sure your dutch oven is large enough to hold all the ingredients.
I don’t have a dutch oven, but I want to make this yummy chili!
No problem! Here are some other ways to make this recipe…..
Slow cooker – sear meat, peppers, garlic and onion, then add in the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the ingredients are tender.
I like this slow cooker because it’s a “cook and carry” which locks it in, and has a digital thermometer!
Instant Pot – saute veggies, then meat, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow to natural release. Serve and enojoy! This is the Instant Pot our family has!
Campfire Chili – When you go camping, if possible, cook the ground beef at home, and chop the peppers, onion and garlic, placing them in separate bags while at home. All of the spices can be mixed together in one ziplock bag.When you are ready to make the chili, put the meat into a seasoned 10″ dutch oven. Add the tomatoes and chili seasoning to the beef and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover the dutch oven and cook over medium heat on the fire or grill for 30 minutes or more. Stir occasionally. Serve with your favorite toppings and sides.
This recipe is delicious the next day! Here are some great tips to try!
Chili is a great meal to serve the next day – I think it tastes even better when the flavors have combined together even more. It can also be used to make chili dogs, or as a topping on loaded baked potatoes.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It is best to use glass containers as the ingredients in the chili can stain plastic containers. Here are my favorite containers!
Chili can also be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers, or in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat until warm in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.
Ingredients:
Ground Beef – you can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the beef. These alternatives will also cut down on your fat and caloric intake, but won’t be as flavorful as beef is.
Salt – I love kosher salt for this recipe as it is much more coarse. If you don’t have kosher salt on hand, table salt will do.
Bell peppers – Any color is fine; bell peppers provide a natural sweetness. Our favorites for this dish are the red and green bell peppers.
Minced garlic – minced is best for this recipe, but you can also use fresh.
Crushed tomatoes – smooth texture and thickness that is ideal for chili. We use canned for this recipe, but you use homemade.
Tomato sauce – this provides the base of the chili!
Chili powder – the dried fruit of chili peppers.
Ground cumin – has a strong, zesty flavor, yet earthy and nutty.
Paprika – made from red peppers, but tends to be milder in this form.
Cayenne pepper – a moderately hot chili pepper. You can omit if you are serving this chili to those who don’t like their food to be spicy! Or, you can add a dash more than the recipe calls for if you want more!
Oregano – adds a pungent, earthy flavor.
Masa harina – soft flour made from hominy or corn kernels. It helps to thicken up the chili while giving a sweet taste from the corn.
Add the beef and begin to spread hot around. Brown the meat, stirring it occasionally.
Season beef with salt and pepper.
Remove the meat and drain (not rinse) excess grease. Set aside.
After chopping the onion and peppers into small pea size bits, add the Dutch oven.
Sauté for 8-10 minutes until tender and onions translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the beef back and mix.
Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and…
…mix it in. Cover and allow a slow boil to start.
Remove the lid and add all the spices and mix in. Return the cover and let cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
Remove the lid and stir in the masa harina. This will thicken the chili. Cover the chili and cook for 1 hour over low heat or 300°.
Remove and let cool.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, corn chips, cornbread, and or crackers.
My grocery list!
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Supplies I used to make this recipe:
This is the Dutch Oven I used for my No Knead Bread!
If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a metal pot that has a cover as long as it can stand the 450 degree temperature used in this recipe. If your pot doesn’t have a lid, you can cover the pot with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure the pot is well sealed.
You will need a sharp knife or chopper to cut and dice your veggies! This is a great knife and it comes with a knife sharpener!
My family and I have one of these vegetable choppers! To dice your onions, I HIGHLY suggest you add this to your kitchen gadgets! You add your onion to the top of the blade, and with one push, you have made hundreds of pieces of diced onions! I will never chop my vegetables any other way!
Please do me a favor and share this recipe and post to social media so we can continue to bring you our free recipes!
And if you like this Chili recipe, it would be delicious to pair with this delicious No Knead Bread!
Rustic Artisan Bread (Dutch Oven No Knead)
Here are some more yummy recipe to check out!
- Air Fryer Focaccia
- Air Fryer Korean-Style Beef Ribs
- Air Fryer Starbucks Copycat Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites
- Jalapeño Cheddar No Knead Artisan Bread Loaf
- Air Fryer Popcorn
Dutch Oven Chili
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt course kosher
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 purple onion diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
Instructions
- Cooking with a Dutch oven is often done over an open flame but can be done over a closed grill, oven, and or stovetop. If using an open flame via fire or grill, you’ll want to get the flame at medium heat with a low steady flame. If using the oven, set the oven to 350°f
- Get the Dutch oven hot over medium heat or low steady flame.
- Add the beef and begin to spread hot around. Brown the meat, stirring it occasionally. Season beef with salt and pepper. Remove the meat and drain (not rinse) excess grease. Set aside.
- After chopping the onion and peppers into small pea size bits, add the Dutch oven. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until tender and onions translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef back and mix.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix it in. Cover and allow a slow boil to start.
- Remove the lid and add all the spices and mix in. Return the cover and let cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
- Remove the lid and stir in the masa harina. This will thicken the chili. Cover the chili and cook for 1 hour over low heat or 300°.
- Remove and let cool.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, corn chips, cornbread, and or crackers.
