Easy Homemade Chili Recipe

Yesterday was cold and rainy. It was a perfect day to come home and enjoy a bowl of homemade chili for dinner, so that is exactly what I did! I consider chili the perfect freezer food. Why? Chili doubles easily and tastes just as good when it is thawed and reheated.

You can make chili using your favorite recipe – or you can try my easy chili recipe below. It’s a simple recipe that comes together quickly. The flavor is good and gets better as it simmers. This recipe is a simple one that I have adapted to make a Whole 30 chili recipe too. Whether you are on the whole 30 or not, it’s a great healthy chili recipe to make! However you make your chili, double it and freeze some soon. You’ll be glad you did on the next cold fall or winter day.

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I also like to keep 1 pound bags of cooked hamburger frozen in my freezer. This allows me to throw together a batch of chili in a hurry. Having cooked hamburger in my freezer at all times is one of my favorite kitchen tricks. It saves me so much prep time by doing this one simple thing!

Ingredients:

1 pound of hamburger, cooked and drained
1 large onion, diced
2 cans (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine cooked hamburger with diced onion and tomatoes. Stir together over low heat. Add spices. Allow to simmer on low on the stove (covered) for one hour.

Additional Notes:

As I said before, chili is a very easy dish to double. Allow the chili to cool before storing it in the freezer. I freeze chili in quart size freezer bags (laid flat) or in quart canning jars. Both work well.

We like to eat our chili with cheese on the top. I like to mix in crushed corn tortilla chips which reminds me of a tortilla soup. My husband likes to eat his chili with Fritoes on the side. You can try either of our variations or eat it as is! You can also add more tomatoes or more meat or more chili powder if you desire. Chili is a very forgiving recipe so feel free to adapt to your taste!

Do you freeze chili or any other soups?

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Easy Homemade Chili Recipe

This homemade chili recipe is simple and delicious. It is also a Whole 30 chili if you are looking for a healthy chili recipe.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound of hamburger, cooked and drained
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cans (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine cooked hamburger with diced onion and tomatoes. Stir together over low heat.
  2. Add cumin, garlic powder, oregano and chili powder.
  3. Allow to simmer on low on the stove (covered) for one hour.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 199
  • Sugar: 8.9g
  • Sodium: 683mg
  • Fat: 9.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.1g
  • Fiber: 4.6g
  • Protein: 16.2g
  • Cholesterol: 45mg

Keywords: chili

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4 Comments

  1. Can I use frozen cooked ground beef to make your chili recipe and then freeze that chili? ie. can I freeze and unfreeze the cooked beef and then freeze the beef again in the chili and unfreeze again to eat chili?
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  2. When I make chilli I don’t put meat in it so I really depend on the beans. I serve it with cheese as you do but also include sour cream, chopped avocado, and chopped green onions. If I don’t make corn bread to go along with it then I serve it with Fritoes. A Nebraska tradition I have not been able to embrace is to serve chilli with cinnamon rolls. It’s the only way natives eat it and seems so odd to me even after being here for over 20 years.

    1. Cinnamon rolls? That’s one I haven’t heard of yet. Although, in the Whirrett family, chili is served with a side of Ritz crackers and strawberry jam. I guess it’s the same principle. Something sweet to go with the salty!

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