Name: Ground Beef Chili Beans
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients: 7 thick slices of bacon cooked and chopped (save 1-2 tbs. of bacon grease); 2 lbs ground beef; 2 cloves minced garlic; 1 peeled and diced onion; 1 diced green bell pepper; 1 diced yellow or red bell pepper; 4-5 stalks of celery chopped (I add in the chopped leaves too for flavor); 2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes; 1 5 oz can tomato sauce; 2 10 oz can of pinto beans drained; 1 10 oz can of kidney beans drained; 1/2 jar of green salsa salsa; 2 shakes of Tabasco sauce; 2 tbs. chili powder; 2 tsp. coriander; Salt and Pepper to taste

This post is sponsored by Smart & Final. All content is my own.

My family loves having ground beef chili beans. It really is the perfect dinner to feed a large family, with leftovers too!

Having a warm bowl of chili with a piece of cornbread is one of my favorite Fall meals.

I always feel like feeding the family gets easier during the colder months because I can start making soups, stews, and chili. Meals that warm the soul and last for lunch the next day.

Table of Contents

Which ground beef is best for chili?

I like to use high quality ground beef for chili and as often as I can when cooking any recipe. It always tastes better when we get organic angus ground beef in any of the recipes we make.

But, we are a big family and sometimes we are on a budget. I always look out for family packs of ground beef when I am shopping at Smart & Final. We usually get 80-90% lean ground beef.

Smart & Final has all the fresh and quality ingredients you need to make the best chili!

I love their canned diced tomatoes and beans that taste great and make it easy to make a family dinner.

Donate in store while you are shopping at Smart & Final this week to Support Kids 4 Hope who are making advances in the treatment and research of childhood cancer!

If you donate at least $5 you’ll receive a $5 off $25 coupon for your next shopping trip!

How do you make the best homemade chili?

To make the best homemade chili try to increase the flavor using fresh and high quality ingredients.

It’s great to get fresh veggies for your chili from the grocery store or local. Using fresh garlic sauteed with the veggies definitely makes the flavor come out in your chili!

What are the main spices in chili?

The main spices in chili are chili powder, salt, pepper, coriander, and cayenne. You can definitely make it your own with the seasonings you choose to use or leave out!

What ingredients go into chili?

Here are the ingredients that go into my chili. If you want a spicier version you could easily add a spicier chili or a pinch of cayenne pepper!

This ground beef chili recipe is one of my favorites because it’s not too spicy, but everyone always raves about the flavor. It goes great with cornbread and feeds a large family!

7 thick slices of bacon cooked and chopped (save 1-2 tbs. of bacon grease)
2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves minced garlic
1 peeled and diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced yellow or red bell pepper
4-5 stalks of celery chopped (I add in the chopped leaves too for flavor)
2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 5 oz can tomato sauce
2 10 oz can of pinto beans drained
1 10 oz can of kidney beans drained
1/2 jar of green salsa salsa
2 shakes of Tabasco sauce
2 tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste

How do you make chili with ground beef?

In a large skillet brown hamburger seasoning with chili powder, coriander, and salt & pepper to taste. Drain excess grease
In a separate large pot saute your diced veggies and garlic in 1 tbs. of saved bacon grease until translucent *You could alternate with butter or olive oil, but the bacon grease really brings out the flavor in the chili!
Add browned hamburger to the sauteed veggies in the pot
Add chopped bacon, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, and Tabasco into the pot and stir
Let simmer for 20-30 minutes on medium heat adding salt and pepper as needed
Serve with your favorite cornbread or chips and cheese

Can I use taco seasoning for chili?

If you are a busy mom looking for a short cut you could definitely throw some taco seasoning into the mix! This might change the flavor depending on which taco seasoning you get.

We do this for our Taco Soup recipe!