Make this Easy Chili with Meat Recipe Tonight

This post will explain how to make the best chili with meat recipe.

Chili is a comfort food that my family loves. When we were younger, my mom would serve it over a heap of mashed potatoes. As we got older, we’ve loved to eat it with noodles or simply in a bowl. There is no right or wrong, in my opinion.

The rest of this post will describe how to make a chili with meat recipe that’s quick and delicious.

Chili Recipe Stovetop is All You Need 

This is a quick recipe to make, and can be served right away, or, even better, the next day. You don’t need anything fancy; just grab a pot and get cooking right on the stovetop. It takes no more than thirty minutes  for a fabulous meal your family will love.

Spices for Chili  

One of the many best parts about this recipe is that you don’t have to have dozens of spices in your cabinet. McCormick's Mild Chili packets does the heavy lifting. 

Grab the 30% less sodium for a healthier alternative and no diminished flavor. 

One teaspoon of cayenne pepper is also added at the end.

Beans for Chili

Surprisingly, some people are unsure of what beans to put into the chili. If you search online, you will see some suggested black beans or even pinto beans. This recipe is perfect with kidney beans.

The texture of the kidney beans is perfect. Plus, with gram to gram ratios of protein and fiber, they’re perfect for your health. With that said, if you like a different type of bean, it’s your meal - make it how you would like!

{Related Post: Quick and Easy Air Fried Chicken Cutlets}

{Related Post: How to Make a Lasagna}

What makes this chili recipe easy?

Chili is a perfect meal for the chilly days of winter, plus it’s versatile enough to be used to create an amazing “nacho” for any football game or get together.

This recipe is so easy because of two things.

One, the sauce is jarred. It uses two jars of Prego Ragu Simply Sauce. You don’t have to use the Simply, but I try to keep the meal as clean as I can when I can. It is perfectly acceptable to use the regular Prego sauce. Then you add a can of crushed tomatoes (which can also be just sauce if your family doesn’t like tomato chunks).

 The other reason is that most of the ingredients come together so fast.  It's really quick to make. 

You don’t need to wait all day for this to cook. It’s done in about a half an hour!

Wondering if you should do this chili with noodles or alone? 

Both are delicious, and, as stated above, my mom used to make mashed potatoes with it. But, if you want to make the meal a little heartier, go for the noodles.

Ditalini is the perfect size noodle for your base. Penne can be too big, and spaghetti too messy. You will love how it comes together.

Wonder what to do with leftover chili?

This recipe makes a lot, but that doesn’t matter! You can split this recipe in half and freeze the other portion.

If you plan on freezing, let it cool down before packaging it and putting it in the freezer. This will help reduce that amount of condensation that mixes into your chili.

How to Make Chili Recipes?

Now, for the good stuff.

First, chop up two onions and put them in a pot with about two tablespoons of butter. Allow them time to cook (about five minutes).

When they’re translucent, you can add your meat and break it up as you brown it. You don’t want any pink undercooked meat.

After you’re sure your chopped meat is fully cooked, drain any fat from cooking the meat. I used 80/20, so there was a lot of fat. If you use leaner meat, you may not need to do this.

Now, you can add your seasonings, beans, and your sauce. The only thing to leave out is the cayenne pepper. That is only needed at the end.

Let your chili simmer on the stove at medium-low heat for around twenty-five minutes. This allows all of the flavors to come together.

It may be just me, but the best part of chili is the fixings. The traditional fixings are all that you need.

Possible Toppings: