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

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.

this recipe

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!

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!

1. First, dice the onion.

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

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

4. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash your hands after touching raw meat.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.