Beef Chili (with copycat French's Chili-O Seasoning)

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My go-to chili has the same flavor profile as French's chili-o recipe, but it's made from scratch and man, is it so much better. This hearty homemade chili has mostly pantry ingredients that I always keep on hand.

It's rich, has the perfect blend of spices, and it's crowd-pleasing, but what I may love the most is that it tastes even better the next day, making it the perfect make-ahead meal.

Three cream colored bowls of copycat French's Chili-O Beef Chili with wooden bowls of sour cream and cheese and a small bowl of green onions.

Did I mention that this is a one-pot meal? Yeah, it's that too. And, it also makes enough for lots of servings. I like to make a batch of this chili and freeze half of it for later.

Let me tell you: future Ashley is always thankful to find a container or two of this chili in the freezer when I don't feel like cooking. My family is too--it's their favorite.

While you're at it, you're going to want to make some of my Jiffy sweet potato cornbread to serve with this chili. For a green vegetable, try either my kale Caesar salad (without the tuna on top) or watermelon and beet salad.

Or, make some nachos with some flair by using tostones as a base. Have I convinced you to make this chili recipe yet? Let's do it!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
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Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this chili with homemade chili seasoning:

ground chuck
Vidalia onion
vegetable oil
dark red kidney beans
diced tomatoes
crushed tomatoes
tomato paste
beef broth
chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
granulated sugar
Optional toppings: Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Diced onion on a wooden cutting board with one onion half on the side, a chef's knife, and the onion peelings.

First, dice the onion.

Sautéing onion with a wooden spoon in a Dutch oven with dark blue handles.

Next, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Browning ground beef in a Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.

Then, add the ground beef to the Dutch oven. Brown ground beef and cook until it's crumbly.

Adding a can of diced tomatoes to a Dutch oven filled with chili ingredients.

Finally, add the remaining ingredients. Bring the chili to a bowl. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chili thickens, about 1 hour.

Hint: Don't drain any of the canned vegetables. The liquid from the cans helps add flavor to the chili.

Hint #2: This copycat French's seasoning mix can double as taco seasoning or to flavor fish, meat, and chicken. Store it in an airtight jar in your spice cabinet to keep on hand.

Substitutions

Here are some simple ingredient swaps you can make if you don't have them on hand or want to change things up:

Ground Beef - I like to use ground chuck (80/20) for this chili. I find that it has the best amount of flavor. Use lean ground beef like ground sirloin if you prefer. You can substitute ground turkey too.
Beef Broth - Feel free to use chicken broth instead of beef broth.
Beans - Light red kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, or Great Northern beans are excellent alternatives to the dark red kidney beans I call for.
Onion - Instead of a Vidalia onion, you can use another sweet onion. A yellow onion or white onion is also a great choice.

Variations

Check out even more ways to give this recipe a twist:

Spicy - Want your chili to have a kick of heat? Add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
Deluxe - Add some crunch and top with your favorite chips. I love to add Fritos.
Slow Cooker Chili - After browning the ground beef (you can use a large skillet instead of a Dutch oven), transfer all the ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Note: Your chili won't be as thick because the liquid won't be able to evaporate.
Chili Mac n Cheese - Make old school chili mac. Stir some of this chili into your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. If you need a good one, check out my three-cheese mac and cheese with smoked gouda.
Chili Baked Potatoes - For a hearty meal option, serve this chili atop baked potatoes--either white, Yukon gold, or sweet potatoes.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

measuring spoons
chef's knife
liquid measuring cup
Dutch oven
wooden spoon

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (Be sure the chili is cooled to room temperature before refrigerating.)

This chili is great for freezing! Let it come to room temperature and then transfer to freezer safe containers. Freeze up to 6 months.

Tasty Tip

Guess what? This chili is even better the next day. If you're a meal prepper, then this is the recipe for you! Make it ahead of time to enjoy during the week.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chili-O seasoning discontinued?

It's not, but you don't need it! This version is so much better than using a from-the-packet seasoning blend. I bet you have all the spices in your cabinet already too.

What is the most important spice in chili?

I think it's chili powder. For the best results and major chili flavor, use a high-quality chili powder (I like Mexene.) And be sure to use regular chili powder instead of ancho chili powder or hot chili powder.

What liquid is best for chili?

Broth, by far! It adds richness to the chili.

How to deepen chili flavor?

If you want to amp up this chili even further, an easy way is to swap out some of the broth for beer. (An amber or lager are great options.) You can also add a little cocoa powder or espresso powder to the spice blend if you'd like.

Should chili be thick or soupy?

Chili should be thick. This is a hearty dish that can be eaten all on its own.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this easy beef chili:

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