Southern Chili Recipe

This chili recipe is made with Southern flare and slow-cooked in a Dutch oven until just right! Its loaded with meat, peppers, beans, and spices to keep you warm all winter.
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A bowl of the best chili topped with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and avocado.

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The Lowdown on this Southern Chili Recipe

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

This right here is an authentic Southern chili recipe boos. Once you try it, you won’t just be craving a bowl when the temps start to drop. Nah, you’ll be wanting a whole pot all year long! With a side of buttery cornbread of course. It’s straight-up fire y’all.

Ask five Southerners what chili should be, and you’ll get five different answers. Some don’t want a single bean in sight, others toss in noodles (yep, that’s a thing), and some like it so hot it’ll make you break a sweat. Me? I keep it classic. Meat, beans, tomatoes in every shape and form, and a good kick of spice. I just know y’all are gonna love it!

an orange heart with the name Jocelyn written out in script as a signature for Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients you’ll need to make this Southern Chili Recipe

Chili recipe ingredients on the table before cooking up a pot of the best chili.
  • Ground meat: You can use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey to make your chili. You can even mix them up for extra flavor.
  • Aromatics and Veggies: Onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Try poblano for a smokier heat or green chilies for something milder.
  • Tomatoes: The more, the better! I use diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, use tomato sauce instead.
  • Beans: I stick with the traditional red kidney beans to make the best chili ever! But black beans, pinto beans, or even white beans work too.
  • Stock: You can use either beef or chicken.
  • Worcestershire sauce and Steak Sauce: If you don’t know which steak sauce to use, go for A.1. Trust me boos, it’s the one.
  • Chili powder: The amount of chili powder you add is variable so feel free to adjust it as desired.
  • Chili spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin add depth. Regular paprika is also an option.
  • Brown sugar: You can also use honey or maple syrup. Both balance the heat of the chili.
  • Allspice: I can’t make chili if I don’t have allspice! But you can leave it out if you don’t like it or use a tiny pinch of cinnamon.
  • Red pepper flakes: Use more if you like it fiery, less if you don’t.

PRO TIP: Use this recipe as a jumping-off point to find your perfect chili. Get creative boos, and donโ€™t be afraid to think outside of the box. Iโ€™d love to hear about any changes youโ€™ve made in the comments! 

How to make this Southern Chili Recipe

Fresh ground beef seasoned with black pepper and other spices sitting in a cream-colored Dutch oven before cooking
1
Cook the meat with a bit of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Season it with salt and pepper to taste and cook until it’s browned.
Browned ground beef in a Dutch oven with freshly chopped onions, green bell peppers, and jalapeรฑos, ready to be stirred
2
Add the onions, peppers, and jalapenos and saute until they’re tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
A Dutch oven filled with browned beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce before mixing
3
Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and kidney beans to the pot.
A wooden spoon resting in a Dutch oven filled with chili ingredients, with various dry spices sprinkled on top before stirring
4
Add the stock, Worcestershire, steak sauce, chili powder, onion powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, allspice, and red pepper flakes and stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
A rich, thick chili with ground beef, beans, and tomatoes, stirred with a wooden spoon
5
Heat the chili to a slight boil and then reduce the heat and continue to simmer uncovered.
The best chil ever with sour cream, avocado, and tortillas on top and a spoon in the bowl.

Classic Southern Chili Recipe

This chili recipe is made with Southern flare and slow-cooked in a Dutch oven until just right! Its loaded with meat, peppers, beans, and spices to keep you warm all winter.
4.92 from 56 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: Soup
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef or ground chicken or ground turkey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ยฝ onion finely diced
  • ยฝ 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 ยฝ tsp garlic powder
  • ยฝ tsp smoked paprika
  • ยฝ tsp cumin can go up to 1 tsp
  • ยผ tsp allspice
  • ยผ tsp red pepper flakes can go up to 1/2 tsp

Instructions

  • Add olive oil to a large dutch oven.ย  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

Taste as you go. Once you add too much of something, there’s no taking it back. Adjust seasonings little by little.
Always try to for the good stock. Using homemade or high-quality store-bought stock makes a big difference in flavor. WAY better than just water.
Make this chili yours boos! Cook it to your preferred consistency. For a soupier chili, simmer for about 15 minutes. Want it thick? Let it go for 25-30 minutes.
Also, don’t over-stir it. Let your chili simmer and do its thing y’all. Stirring too much can break down the beans and make it mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 788mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1102IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!

Tips for Making the Best Chili Ever

  • Taste as you go. Once you add too much of something, there’s no taking it back. Adjust seasonings little by little.
  • 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 chili, simmer for about 15 minutes. Want it thick? Let it go for 25-30 minutes.
  • Don’t over-stir. Let your chili simmer and do its thing y’all. Stirring too much can break down the beans and make it mushy.

Recipe Variations and Additions

  • Make a vegan chili. 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 โ€œground meatโ€ like tofu options that you can use in place of the meat.
  • Add veggies. You can easily add some diced zucchini, yellow squash, grated cauliflower, or chopped mushrooms.
  • No bean chili. There’s a great debate about beans in chili. I prefer my chili to have beans but if you don’t you can leave them out and add another half pound of ground meat.
  • Turn up the heat. Add more jalapeรฑos, extra red pepper flakes, or a splash of hot sauce.
The best chili ever in two white bowls topped with sour cream, lime, avocado and tortilla chips ready to serve.

What to Serve With the Best Chili Recipe

  • Add Some Chili Toppings: Half the fun of a bowl of chili is getting to load it up with your favorite toppings! Enjoy your bowl of chili with sliced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, or salsa. Donโ€™t be afraid to load it up, baby! 
  • Cornbread. There’s no doubt that chili and cornbread are a match made in heaven! Try my honey cornbread, hot water cornbread, brown butter cornbread, or Mexican cornbread.
A close up of a wooden spoon of mexican rice being served
This fluffy, flavorful Mexican rice is the perfect sidekick to your chili. A Tex-Mex must-have!
A close up of jiffy cornbread recipe muffins stacked on top of each other
My jiffy cornbread Is sweet, buttery, and ready in a flash. Is there a better way to soak up a bowl of chili? I think not.
A large white bowl of salsa verde with limes, cilantro and peppers around it
Drizzle this salsa verde over your chili boos, or scoop it up with chips.
A slice of Mississippi mud pie being lifted from the pie to serve
My Mississippi mud pie is the perfect way to end a Southern chili feast!

How to Store & Reheat Chili

Let it cool to room temp, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep it sealed up tight, boos!

To reheat, 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.

How long will chili last in the fridge?

This chili will have y’all eating good for 4-5 days.

Can I freeze this chili recipe?

Fo sho boos! 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.

A bowl of best chili on the table without any toppings while limes and avocado are scattered around on the table top.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to great chili?

Everybody asks me this, and y’know what boos? I’m giving y’all my secret! It’s all about layering flavor and getting the right texture. Brown the meat and veggies first, then add your spices and taste as you go.

Why is my chili so watery? How do I thicken it up?

It probably needs more time to simmer uncovered so the liquid can cook off. You can also stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste or mix up a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and liquid) to thicken it up.

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yep boos! Just brown the meat and sautรฉ the veggies first, then toss everything into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

My chili burnt to the bottom of the pon, what did I do wrong?

The heat was probably too high. 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.

A half a bowl of chili on the table topped with sour cream and avocado.

More Easy One Pot Recipes

Filed Under:  Fall Recipes, Soups and Stews, Stovetop, Super Bowl and Game Day Party, Winter Recipes

Comments

  1. Snow in Georgia. Of course, I made your chili recipe. Added beefy onion soup mix, because I only had 1 onion for 3 lbs of ground beef. This recipe is so on point and delicious. I will keep it rotation! Thank you so much.

    1. I don’t see why not. I haven’t tested it but let me know how it turns out for you.

  2. Ugh, this recipe is amazing! So glad i revisited your site; this is my fave chili recipe now. :,) absolutely delish

  3. Chili is simmering on the stove. Had a small bowl. Delicious! W sauce out of stock at the store, but the chili is amazing. Love your recipe!

4.92 from 56 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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