Homemade Chili with Jalapeños

Fresh jalapenos give heat and flavor to this simple homemade chili that comes together in 30 minutes or less. Enjoy it for an easy weeknight dinner.

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You work hard all day. Your family is hungry. You want a quick and easy meal that doesn’t take all day or cost a fortune. It’s not too much to ask, is it?

Sounds like it’s time to up your kitchen game with a homemade chili recipe that will knock your socks off.

Homemade chili is one of my go-to meals. It’s got spice and heat which keeps things exciting. It’s got lots of beans, a cheap, plant-based ingredient with lots of fiber. And homemade chili is a great vehicle for using up whatever meat and exciting toppings you have on hand. This jalapeño-spiced Chili is a perfect example.

Is it chile, chili, or chilli?

Chile is the name of the spicy pepper used in Mexican, South American, Indian, African, and Thai cuisines. In the UK, it’s written as chilli.

Chili, as in chili sauce, chili powder, and chili con carne is a mixture of chiles and other ingredients.

What ingredients go in Chili?

Traditional chili con carne is a mixture of meat (diced or ground beef) and chiles or chili powder. In some parts of the southwest United States, it’s frowned upon to add beans, tomatoes, or other ingredients.

However, I live in California where anything goes, so my homemade chili has beans. Sorry.

How do you make good homemade chili?

I’m glad you asked!

It’s possible that you’ve only known homemade chili as one coming from a packet of dry mix or a few cans mixed together. But this recipe is a from-scratch affair.

Typically, I add spice to chili via chili powder, but in this recipe I use fresh jalapeno pepper. It’s a great way to get a kick of heat into the chili for a really low cost. You can buy fresh jalapenos at the grocery store for just a few pennies. They’re lightweight, so a single pepper doesn’t cost all that much.

Pro tip: Canned chopped green chiles are extremely expensive. Consider using fresh jalapeño chiles instead to lower the cost of your dish!

Can I add different ingredients to homemade chili?

In this Jalapeno Chili, I’ve designated that you can use whatever meat you like: ground beef or turkey, cooked chopped pork, shredded chicken or beef. Anything goes which means that you can use up leftovers from earlier in the week and save some money.

Or just go without. This chili is just as tasty without the meat. Texas laws notwithstanding.

Just be sure to offer some toppings. The toppings really make this an eye-catching dish.

Can I Freeze Chili? 

Absolutely you can. And I recommend that you do! It’s a great thing to freeze and then have on hand for those easy summer weeknight meals. And chili actually will benefit from being in the freezer. It’s one of the ways that my freezer is my BFF. 

What can I serve with this chili recipe?

You of course can enjoy this on it own! But we also love serving some quick bread with like our Whole Wheat Beer Bread. 

Or you could make some homemade Tortilla Chips to go with it!

How to make this good and cheap:

Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When you see a good price on tomato sauce, beans, or your favorite meats, buy a few extra to stash for later. You know you’ll use them.
• Cook your own beans. It’s a lot cheaper to cook dry beans than to buy canned. Recently I’ve started using my electric pressure cooker for beans and it just may be a game changer.

How I make this recipe easy:

This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

• plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
• Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
• 5-quart pot with lid – I have this one. It’s perfect for cooking chili or a big pot of rice.
• dual-sided silicone spatula/spoon – This is great for the cooking process as well as scraping every last bit out of the pan.

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4.84 from 6 votes

Homemade Chili with Jalapeños

Fresh jalapenos give heat and flavor to this simple chili that comes together in 30 minutes or less. Enjoy Jalapeno Chili for an easy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: 6

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¼ onion chopped for ¼ cup
• ▢ 1 jalapeno chopped
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 8 oz tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 cup chicken (cooked and cubed) can also use cooked, ground beef, chopped pork, etc.
• ▢ 3 cup pinto beans cooked and drained
• ▢ 2 cup black beans cooked and drained
• ▢ 1 to 2 cup water
• ▢ toppings for chili : cooked rice, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, etc.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large stockpot heat the oil until shimmering. Add the jalapeno, onion, and garlic. Cook over high heat for 3 minutes or until the onions are clear.
• Deglaze the pan with the tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Add the meat, pintos, black beans, and enough water for your preferred consistency. Stir until blended.
• Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with toppings.

Notes

Chili can be frozen. Chill completely before storing the chili in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 838mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 8.4mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 3.6mg

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