My mama’s Southern chili recipe means business, boos. It’s made with beans, tomatoes, and a ton of spices. The heat level isn’t wild either. It is a spicy bowl of chili, but not the kind that has you running for a glass of milk. Grab a bowl and serve with cornbread.
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How to Make Southern Chili
These step-by-step photos show how to make beef chili with beans, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Chili Recipe
1. Cook the meat in olive oil until browned
Add onions, peppers, and jalapeños. Sauté until tender, stir in garlic, and cook briefly.
2. Pour in the tomatoes and beans
Add in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and kidney beans.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the pot
Mix in stock, Worcestershire, steak sauce, spices, and brown sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Bring your Southern chili to a gentle boil
Finally, reduce the heat and simmer (uncovered) until rich and hearty. Enjoy the best chili ever!
PRO TIP: Chili is all about layering flavor and getting the right texture. Brown the meat and veggies first (this is a MUST), then add your spices and taste as you go.
Full Southern Chili Recipe
Classic Southern Chili Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or ground chicken or ground turkey
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ onion finely diced
- ½ bell pepper finely diced
- 1 tsp jalepeno finely diced (can go up to 2 tsps)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 15.5 oz red kidney beans drained (1 can)
- 1 cup beef stock or chicken
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp steak sauce
- 2 tbsp chili powder can go up to 2 1/2 tbsp
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin can go up to 1 tsp
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes can go up to 1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large dutch oven. Add meat and season with salt and pepper to taste and brown.
- Next add onions, peppers and jalapenos and saute until tender.
- Add garlic and stir in and cook for up to 1 minute.
- Next add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, and stock and stir together to combine.
- Stir in worcestershire, steak sauce, chili powder, onion powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, allspice and red pepper flakes then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a slight boil then reduce heat and continue to simmer uncovered for about 15-25 minutes tasting as you go along (closer to 15 min if you want more liquid and closer to 25 and up to 30 minutes if you want a thicker chili).
- Taste, adjust seasonings to final tastes and serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Let it cool to room temp, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep it sealed up tight, boos! This chili will have y’all eating good for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Portion it into freezer-safe bags or containers, and it’ll keep for up to 4-6 months. When you’re ready to dig in, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat and enjoy.
- Reheating: Scoop out what you need and warm it up on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If it’s too thick, add a splash of stock or water.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Go for the good stock. Using homemade or high-quality store-bought stock makes a big difference in flavor. WAY better than just water.
- Cook to your preferred consistency. For a soupier Southern style chili, simmer for about 15 minutes. Want it thick? Let it go for 25-30 minutes.
- If you really want to thicken your chili, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste. You can also mix up a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and liquid) and add it to the pot.
- Don’t over-stir. It can break down the beans and make it mushy.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Serving Suggestions
- Cornbread Comfort: Hit this homemade Southern chili with cornbread on the side, boos. They’re meant to be. Try it with my Mexican cornbread, sweet potato cornbread, or corn muffins.
- Fresh Salads: Think cucumber salad, or a simple vinegar slaw.
- Load It Up: Make it extra filling and serve your chili over white rice, Mexican rice, or baked sweet potatoes.
- Toppin’ Bar: Pile on the shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, guac, and a squeeze of lime.
Recipe Help
Fo sho! Just brown the meat and sauté the veggies first, then toss everything into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
The heat was probably too high, boo. Chili should simmer gently, not boil. Also, make sure you stir it once in a while (don’t overdo it!) to prevent sticking. A thick-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven helps distribute heat better than a thin one.
Use vegetable stock rather than a meat-based stock. Replace the meat with a root vegetable like sweet potatoes or double up on the beans and use several different types of them. There are even a few plant-based alternative “ground meat” like tofu options that you can use in place of the meat.
More One-Pot Recipes
- Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Brisket Chili
- Frogmore Stew
- Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Taco Soup Recipe
- White Chicken Chili
- Sheet Pan Chili (not a pot but one vessel so it still kinda counts)
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I made this chili yesterday. My family and I enjoyed it so much.My husband even asked me to prepare it for the chili competition at his job! I doubled the recipe and increased the chili peppers to my liking. I served it over a baked potato and it was perfect!!
That makes me so happy to hear! I love that you made it your own with the extra chili peppers and serving it over a baked potato is such a good move.
The fact that your husband wants to take it to a chili competition at work? That’s the ultimate compliment. I’m rooting for you!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. It’s currently also the only thing my toddler will eat besides chicken nuggets, so it’s kid approved!! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this.
Perfect! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
This IS the best!! I refuse to make another recipe. Sometimes, I will do something a little different but never really much different from the original! This time, I added beef smoked sausage diced, and swapped the jalapeños and can diced tomatoes for one can hotel chili fixing, which isn’t much different. Love your recipe!! Perfection!!!
I’m seriously so glad you love it. It’s almost chili weather too so I will be pulling this recipe out a ton too.
Thank you, Jocelyn, for another winner! This is by far the best chili I’ve ever made. Brimming with flavor and just the right amount of heat, it puts the canned chili I grew up eating to shame. I’m obsessed with dried heirloom beans. I used Rio Zape beans instead of kidney beans the recipe called for, and the luscious bean broth instead of beef stock. I’m sure it would’ve been delicious with kidney beans, but I’m having a blast experimenting with heirloom ones.
I really like the recipe! Next time I will increase the chili powder and omit the allspice. That’s just an individual preference. 🙂
So glad you were able to make this recipe your own!!
Do you have to use a Dutch oven when making chili or can I just use my big pot?
A big pot is totally fine.