Stovetop Chili
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 3, 2025
This stovetop chili is teeming with healthy, hearty ingredients and bursting with great depth of flavor. The seasonings meld together perfectly.
Stovetop Chili
The anticipation of well-below-zero afternoons brings on the desire for deliciously hearty yet healthy comfort food. My favorite remedy against frigid temps, besides curling up by the fire? Something big and hearty, like this stovetop chili.
This is our favorite chili of all time, and we’ve had many a chili. Auntie Tiffany shared her famous chili recipe with me decades ago, and it’s still the one we use most frequently.
Use Ground Beef or Turkey
I’ve tweaked this Chili recipe a bit over the years, but it’s still the same delicious hot bowl that your peeps will love to sit down to on a chilly evening.
I often use ground turkey in lieu of beef, but either works great. The turkey or beef is mixed with chunky veggies like sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. The heat is up to you. Top it off with shredded cheese, watch it melt into your hot bowl of chili, and serve it alongside this sweet corn muffins recipe, which turns out moist and tender.
Stovetop Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef, or turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh round black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 32 ounces tomato sauce, high quality
- 16 ounces Italian diced tomatoes, with juices
- 16 ounces kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 16 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2-4 teaspoons chili powder, depending on desired amount of heat
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 dash cayenne
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce
- 1 dash allspice
- Shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese for topping
Instructions
- Mix uncooked ground meat with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Mix together well.
- Add olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven and cook meat until browned, breaking it up while you cook.
- In same heavy pot or Dutch oven, add in the rest of ingredients to the browned meat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Immediately reduce to simmer and cover. Simmer, covered, for 4 hours until flavors are infused. Top with shredded cheese and serve.
Notes
- Chili can also be done in a slow cooker. Cook on low for up to 7 or 8 hours, but not much longer.
- If you tried and liked this recipe, will you please come back and give it a rating? We ❤️ hearing from you!