This Dutch Oven Chili Recipe is packed with flavor & just a touch of heat. It only takes 15 minutes to prep and builds flavor in the dutch oven as it simmers. This will be everyone's new Game Day favorite!
This chili recipe is perfect for so many events. I serve it all the time in the colder months when I'm expecting a crowd. It is the perfect Super Bowl food to make a few hours ahead and guests can serve themselves and choose their own toppings.
Does anyone else feel like chili and cornbread are married and must be made together? I do! I like to load sour cream and crumbled cornbread into my chili. It's got a lot going on, but it feels so right.
My Southern Cornbread Muffins are a must try recipe, so be sure to check them out! You can prep them ahead of time too, so it's no rush when company arrives.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's a dump and go kind of recipe
- This chili only takes 15 minutes to prep
- It's loaded with flavor and perfect for game day
If you love hearty soups, check out my Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Green Chili Chicken Soup and Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup.
The Ingredients for Stovetop Chili:
Bell Pepper, Sweet Onion, and Garlic: Must have flavor building vegetables for chili
Ground Beef & Ground Pork Mixture: We use a 2:1 ratio of ground beef to ground pork for the ultimate tenderness. I use this combination in meatballs frequently. It really makes a fabulous improvement in texture opposed to using only ground beef.
Olive Oil, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste, and Chicken Stock: For the base of the soup. Make sure to use chicken stock rather than chicken broth. Stock creates a heartier version and I always choose chicken stock for soups and stews.
Fire Roasted Tomatoes: For a nice smoky kick
Kidney Beans: Hearty, thick beans that soak in the flavor of soup
Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Bay Leaf, Salt: The perfect seasonings for a flavor filled chili
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Dutch Oven Chili:
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Here are the Step by Step Instructions for this Easy Stovetop Chili Recipe.
Step 1: Place a dutch oven on the stovetop over a little less than medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and allow it to heat up. Add the ground beef and pork, and with a wooden spoon begin to break up a bit. Allow this to cook for about 8 minutes until no longer pink.
Step 2: Transfer the meat into a bowl and drain most of the grease from the dutch oven, except for about 1 tablespoon.
Step 3: Into the empty dutch oven, add the bell pepper, onions and salt. Stir together and allow vegetable to soften for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground pork and beef mixture back into the dutch oven. Then, the garlic, spices and bay leaf. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained kidney beans, and fire roasted tomatoes.
Step 5: Lastly, pour in the chicken stock, and give it a good stir. Allow the chili to come to a low boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low. Cover with the lid and cook for two hours, stirring every hour.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy! My favorite toppings include cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, and cornbread!
Expert Tips:
- Make sure to drain most of the grease from the pot or it will sit on the top layer of the chili when serving.
- Don't worry if the vegetables aren't fully softened, they will cook in the soup.
- You can cook it longer than 2 hours, just be sure to stir every hour or so and keep the heat on low.
For more of my Game Day favorites, check out these Roast Beef Sliders, Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers, Walking Taco Casserole and Pulled Pork Egg Rolls!
Recipe FAQs:
It's all about the seasonings and the fire roasted tomatoes. This chili has fire roasted flavor and hints of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder.
The longer the chili simmers in the dutch oven, the more the flavors build. I like to cook my chili for a minimum of 2 hours to really capitalize on flavor.
If you don't care for kidney beans, you could use canned black beans, garbanzo, or cannellini beans. Make sure to rinse and drain them. If you don't like beans, just leave them out and use a little less on the chicken stock.
Sure thing, just follow steps 1 through 4 and throw everything into the crockpot and slow cook for 6 hours on low or medium mode. Stirring every few hours.
For more dutch oven favorites, check out my Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin and Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken!
Storage:
Store the chili in a sealed container in the fridge and enjoy within three days. Try serving it over a baked potato with cheese or over the top of my veggie nachos..YUM!
More Soup Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Dutch Oven Chili Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Dutch Oven Chili
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This Easy Dutch Oven Chili is packed with flavor & just a touch of heat. It only takes 15 minutes to prep and will build flavor in the dutch oven as it simmers.
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper, diced medium
- 1 small yellow onion, diced medium
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 16 ounce ground beef (80/20 tastes best in chili)
- 8 ounces of ground pork (I only used half of the package shown in the photo)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 34-48 ounces of chicken stock (If you like it thicker, start with 34 ounces. If you want more of a soup like mines, 48 ounces. It will thicken as it simmers)
- 15 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 14 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes, full can with juice
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Instructions
- Place a dutch oven on the stovetop over a little less than medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and allow it to heat up. Add the ground beef and pork, and with a wooden spoon begin to break up a bit. Allow this to cook for about 8 minutes until no longer pink.
- Transfer the meat into a bowl and drain most of the grease from the dutch oven, except for about 1 tablespoon.
- Into the empty dutch oven, add the bell pepper, onions and salt. Stir together and allow vegetable to soften for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground pork and beef mixture back into the dutch oven. Then, the garlic, spices and bay leaf. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained kidney beans, and fire roasted tomatoes.
- Lastly, pour in the chicken stock, and give it a good stir. Allow the chili to come to a low boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low. Cover with the lid and cook for two hours, stirring every hour.
- Serve and enjoy! My favorite toppings include cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, and cornbread!
Notes
- My favorite toppings for chili are cornbread, of course. I also love to top with jalapeños, cheddar cheese and a small dollop of sour cream.
- Make sure to drain most of the grease from the pot or it will sit on the top layer of the chili when serving.
- Don't worry if the vegetables aren't fully softened, they will cook in the soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: dutch oven chili, stovetop chili
Robert Smithson
This was delicious!
★★★★★