This 3-ingredient easy chili recipe is made in 30 minutes or less! Thick, hearty, and filled with flavor. This is the perfect easy soup recipe for fall!
We love serving it with warm cornbread muffins or adding cornbread croutons on top.
Table of Contents
The Best Homemade Chili
This easy 3-ingredient chili recipe similar to my chili recipe but has only three basic ingredients that you can build upon. If you have a little more time to let your chili simmer, this Wendy’s chili recipe is a winner, too.
All that you need to make it is a pound of cooked and drained ground beef, a can of chili beans (undrained), and a can of chili-ready diced tomatoes. Mix the meat, beans, and tomatoes together in a large pot, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.
Only 3 Ingredients!
It’s as easy as that! Delicious and hearty chili that’s ready in no time.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chili beans: Make sure to use undrained beans. The sauce helps give that soupy consistency.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles: I like to use Rotel or Hunt’s Seasoned Diced Tomatoes in Sauce for Chili.
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef gives the chili a heartier flavor. Drain the ground beef grease before adding the remaining ingredients.
Ways to Modify
At this point, you have a great bowl of thick and hearty chili. It serves four to six people and has a great flavor just on its own. But sometimes I like to get creative, and I’ll add in some extra ingredients to make it even better.
- Add spice! Kick up the spice by adding chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
- Protein. Use different meat like shredded chuck roast, stew meat, diced chicken, ground turkey, or diced beef sausage.
- Beans. Experiment with different beans! Try adding a can of black beans, cannellini, pinto beans, or kidney beans.
- Garnish. Top chili with onions, jalapenos, sour cream, sliced avocado, or shredded cheddar cheese.
How to Make Easy Chili
With three pantry staple ingredients then chili will be made in three steps! It is that easy!
- Mix ingredients together in a pot. In a large pot, mix together the cooked beef, beans, and tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Serving. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then enjoy with your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped tortilla chips, and green onions.
5 star review
“Very easy chili recipe to make and it was delicious, the whole family enjoyed it, will be making it regularly, thanks!”
-Laura
Expert Tips
Take this 3 ingredient chili recipe to the next level with a few extra add-ins like seasoning, veggies, or even different meat. This is a great base to start with and stir in a twist of ingredients for the best chili recipe.
- Seasoning. Add in more seasonings to boost the flavor. We love chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder. You can even make this homemade chili seasoning for extra flavor.
- Vegetables. If you love to add in more ingredients try chopped carrots, sliced red onion, corn, bell peppers, or celery.
- Don’t drain. You will want to leave the cans of beans undrained. This adds liquid to the chili and makes it more soupy.
- Adding to the chili. When adding different ingredients, the key is to keep the ratio of 1 pound of meat, 1 can of beans, and 1 can of diced tomatoes. If it’s too thick, just add a small can of tomato sauce, along with a little chili powder.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Simply add all ingredients to the slow cooker and mix together. Then cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. It will be the best crockpot chili!
The key to this recipe is that it offers limitless possibilities of variations. You can swap out the beef for turkey, Beyond meat, stew meat, chicken, etc. Want a different bean than chili? Add in whatever kind you like with a little chili seasoning. Have fun making this your own!
Yes! Use plant-based ground meat or omit the meat and use only vegetables.
No problem! You can use canned diced tomatoes and add your own seasoning to the tomatoes.
Yes! That will taste fresh and flavorful. Peel and dice the fresh tomatoes for a smoother texture. Then add your own homemade chili seasoning to the tomatoes before adding them to the beef chili recipe.
When it comes to easy soup recipes, this quick chili recipe is at the top of my list. Some of my other favorites are taco soup, lasagna soup, crockpot chicken enchilada soup, and hearty vegetable soup.
Storing and Reheating Easy Chili Recipe
Store your 3 ingredient chili recipe with ease! It is the perfect dinner to have over and over again during the colder months. It only takes minutes to reheat and is easy to store for three months long.
- Refrigerator. Place the chili in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for five days. When ready to enjoy reheat!
- Freezing. Freeze this easy chili recipe for another dinner. Allow the chili to cool to room temperature. Place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer for 3 months.
- Thawing. Take the chili out of the freezer and place it in the fridge to let it thaw completely. Then reheat when ready.
- Reheat. Place the easy chili in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is heated through.
More Chili Recipes
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Easy Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef , cooked and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can chili beans , undrained
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles , I use Rotel or Hunt's Seasoned Diced Tomatoes in Sauce for Chili
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
Optional toppings: Cheese, Sour cream, Tortilla chips, Cilantro, Green onions
Instructions
- In a large pot, mix the meat, beans, and tomatoes together. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with your favorite toppings, such as cheese and sour cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Big fan of chili here! Can’t wait to try this simple recipe! It looks absolutely delicious!
This is a lifesaver when you are short on time and ingredients. My family thought it was good too!
Only 3 ingredients and less than 30 minutes?? I am soooo in!
This is the easiest & tastiest chili ever!! Perfect for those nights, you don’t know what to make!
Thank you for such an easy, delicious recipe! We made this Sunday for our football games and everyone loved it! We topped ours with extra cilantro and avocados!
Being on Weight Watchers, sometimes I find myself in a lunch rut. Eating the same thing over and over, every day. I decided to make something different that I could portion out and have for lunch for the week and that’s when I found this recipe. It’s not only extremely easy to make, totally budget friendly because it only asks for 3 ingredients, but it’s also so incredibly yummy! I only added additional salt & pepper for my taste. And using ground turkey in place of beef makes it even more healthy, clocking in at only 3 points per serving! It’s thick, hearty, filling and delicious!
This is a bachelor’s go to recipe. If you like it more like a good Arizona red, add at least a quarter cup of chili powder–mild or hot to your taste. If you like it really picante a can of adobo. I like my chili soupy so I add V8 for for more liquid. Simple, quick and always great.
Sounds delicious, thanks for the ideas! :)
You could also substitue the tomatoes with a jar of salsa, if you want some extra stuff in there. I like southwest style with corn and black beans in it.
wow this looks good, will cook for my children the same age as me. Yum., Thanks mate.
I love chilli! and this one looks so perfect. Gotta try this soon. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Kristin!
Hello I just added 1lb turkey, one can dark kidney beans, one can Italian style diced tomatoes. Seasoned. And 1 pack chili mix. Should I add some water say about a cup or so? Thanks
William
Hi William! I would start with 1/2 cup of water and add a little if the chili mix flavor is too strong. Sounds like it will be delicious! :)
I wanted to thank you for this recipe. I volunteer at our Hands of Hope Food Bank in Durant, OK and I bake for our clients. This recipe will be an appreciated addition to our recipes for our clients. It is simple, not a lot of ingredients, and saves times. Thank you again.
If you’re going the crock pot route, do you still need to cook the ground beef ahead of time?
Cooking the ground beef in the crock pot should be fine. I would just make sure to stir it occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly. :)
Love this chili recipe!
how many servings from this receipe?
It serves 4-6 people!
This looks amazing! You can cook for me anytime. Will follow you on Pinterest.
I love making chili in the crockpot. Thanks for sharing this easy 3 ingredient recipe.
I love making chili in my crockpot too! I love how crockpots cook for me! ;)
This is the shortest ingredient and prep list I have ever seen. I <3 it! Heading over to Yellow Bliss Road for my tasty yums like this!
Thanks Taylor! It’s super yummy and even better because it’s so easy!!
What size cans?
Around 15 oz!