Easy 5 Ingredient Chili (30-Minute Meal) - 730 Sage Street (2024)

This seriously easy 5-ingredient chili recipe is pure comfort food in one bowl! And best of all, it's made with just 5 pantry staple ingredients and takes 25 minutes!

The spicy flavor from the tomato sauce enriched with kidney beans, tender ground beef, chili powder, and green chilis is a winning combination the whole family will love.

🌟 Why this recipe works

Forget spending hours over the stove to make chili or waiting all day for it to cook in a crock pot. This 25-minute masterpiece oozes with the same flavor and pleases everyone all the same!

With just a few pantry ingredients and less than $10 spent, you can feed a large family with a sumptuous chili that you can whip up in no time using a single stovetop pan. It's full of flavor and has those soft chili beans and spicy tomato flavors you're accustomed to tasting.

The spice level is also easily adjustable to your liking by reducing the amount of chili powder to be kid-friendly or increasing it to be dad friendly!

It's the perfect dinner recipe to whip up after a busy day at work and can even be prepared in advance and microwaved on the spot to save even more time for busy moms.

And if you want something quick and easy for dessert to pair with the delicious chili, check out oureasy dessert recipes. You'll find everything from energy bars, easy fudge recipes, cookie recipes, and more.

🍽 Key Ingredients

All you need is a few pantry ingredients to make this delicious 5-ingredient chili recipe and one stovetop pot.

Ground beef- Use lean ground beef to give the chili that rich, beefy flavor. Chuck beef is a great option, as it has a ratio of 80/20.

Onion- The onion is an essential part that adds flavor to the beef.

Canned tomatoes with green chiles- You'll also need three cans diced tomatoes with green chiles to provide the spicy tomato flavor.

Canned beans- Black beans or kidney beans will work in this recipe. The beans are another essential ingredient in chili recipes to give it texture and flavor.

Chili powder- Just a few spoons of chili is all that is needed to add that extra layer of spice.

Substitutions

Beans

Pinto beans are also a good substitute for black or red kidney beans.

Ground beef

If you don't want to use beef for this recipe, you can substitute it for ground sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey.

🔪 How to make

You'll be surprised at how tasty this 5-ingredient chili recipe is to make and how easy it is to whip up. Just follow the instructions below and the helpful cooking tips to get started.

Preparations

• Open and drain the two cans of beans.
• Dice the white onion.

Cooking instructions

Step 1
Set a large pot over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef for 5 to 7 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.

Tip: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a plate, leaving 1 tablespoon of the beef fat in the pot.

Step 2
Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.

Step 3
Add the 2 cans beans, cooked beef, and diced tomatoes with chiles into the pot and turn the heat down to medium-low.

Step 4
Simmer the sauce for around 10 minutes until fragrant and thickened slightly.

Step 5
Remove from the heat and spoon into bowls. Top with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

💭 Cooking tips

Using turkey or chicken

If you opted to use ground turkey instead of beef, cook it in the pot with a tablespoon of olive oil to help it brown.

Thin sauce

Some cans of diced tomatoes come with watered-down tomato juice that will need to be cooked longer on medium heat to make your chili thicker. The longer your chili cooks, the thicker it will become, so keep your eye on it until the consistency is to your liking.

📖 Variations

This 5-ingredient chili recipe is the easy version that uses minimal ingredients to create a delicious chili in 25 minutes, but if you want to give it some extra flavor, we have a few variations for you.

Roasted green chilies

Use a can of fire-roasted green chilis and a can of diced tomatoes instead of 2 cans of tomatoes with green chilis for a smokey-flavored chili.

Sweetened chili

Add some sweetness to your chili with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add the sugar to the chili at the same time as the cooked beef, beans, and tomatoes.

Chili with chorizo

Cooking 1 chopped chorizo with the ground beef will give your chili an extra meaty texture and add extra spice and flavor to the sauce.

🥗 What to serve with

There are many great recipes you can serve with this immensely satisfying 5-ingredient chili recipe.

From tacos to enchiladas and casseroles, you can find them all in this comprehensive guide of25 easy ground beef recipes with few ingredients.

Or pair this easy chili recipe with other easy recipes, like meatloaf, ribs, or even stuffed peppers. Whatever recipe you choose, you can guarantee they're going to be easy to make with minimal ingredients and delicious!

Another favorite combination we love at 730SageStreet is chili cheese fries! Pour this 5-ingredient chili over some freshly cooked fried and top it with shredded cheddar cheese for the perfect lunch or dinner for sharing with friends and family.

🙋 Frequently asked questions

🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating

Any leftover 5-ingredient chili is great for using on other recipes, like tacos and enchiladas, and it's perfect for storing in the fridge or freezer to make it last longer.

Fridge- Store your chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer- Freeze your chili in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Reheating- When you're ready to eat, simply reheat your chili on the stove over medium heat until it's hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave, in 30-second increments, stirring after each one until it's heated.

Chili is always a family favorite during the fall and winter. For more ideas try one of these delicious meals below. Including my easy cheeseburger casserole.

For more easy dinner ideas make with ground beef check out my ground beef and rice recipes with few ingredients and my easy ground beef recipes.

👪 Serving size

This 5-ingredient recipe will provide 4 to 6 servings, and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to suit your needs.

This chili recipe is perfect for home cooks on a budget and those after-work evenings, as it takes just 25 minutes to prepare. And if you're looking for more tasty recipes for dinner to impress your friends and family, try our50 best cheap dinner ideasfor less than $10.

📋 Recipe