This smoky, moderately spicy Chipotle Chili delivers big bold flavor with minimal effort — perfect for cozy weeknights, game days, or feeding a crowd. Lean ground beef, two kinds of beans, and a whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce create a rich, deeply seasoned base that gets better the longer it simmers. The real fun begins with the make-your-own chili bar: set out an array of creative, crunchy, cool, and indulgent toppings so everyone can customize their bowl exactly the way they like it.
Easy Chipotle Chili Recipe
Serves 6–8
What You’ll Need:
What You’ll Need
1 bell pepper
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 can black beans
1 can red beans
One 28 oz can diced tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
Toppings (see below)
What To Do:
Dice the bell pepper and onion into medium-sized pieces. Mince the garlic.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion becomes translucent. Add the beef to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and break it up into smaller pieces. Cook, stirring very occasionally, until the beef begins to brown slightly, 4-5 minutes.
Remove 1 whole pepper from the can of chipotles and mince. Drain out the sauce from the can into a small bowl as best as you can and save the remaining peppers for another use. Drain the beans and rinse briefly under cool water.
Stir the minced chipotle, reserved sauce, rinsed beans, and diced tomatoes into the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat slightly and let simmer until stew-like, 20-25 minutes.
Serve with your toppings of choice.
Suggested Make-Your-Own Chili Bar Toppings:
- Crispy potato tots (hot and golden)
- Crisped bacon bits
- Potato chips
- Cool sour cream or Mexican crema
- Generous piles of shredded cheese
- Crushed Goldfish crackers
- Crunchy tortilla chips or Fritos
- Warm cornbread crumbles or mini cornbread muffins
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- Fresh or pickled jalapeño slices
- Quick-pickled red onions
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Hot sauce assortment
- Rice (as a base)