This Dutch oven chili is a hearty and delicious chili made with ground beef, beans, sweet potato, bell pepper and corn, this chili is loaded with veggies and flavour. Plus, it’s ready in under 45 minutes, making it doable for a weeknight dinner.
There are few winter dishes that I love more than chili. It’s such a comfort food for me! There are so many ways to make a chili, but for me, it always starts in my Dutch oven (I have a 5.5qt Le Creuset that I bought as a gift to myself a couple of years ago).
I often go for the classic recipe here, but I also love to make a turkey and white bean chili or vegetarian chili.
Why this recipe works
This recipe has everything you want in a chili, it’s made with ground beef but has enough vegetables that you won’t feel like you need another veggie side. There are a couple of secrets to this recipe and one of them is my homemade chili seasoning.
Ingredients you’ll need
- I tend to use olive oil for most of my recipes, but you could also use canola oil.
- It starts by sautéing two onions.
- For the meat I use ground beef, but I’ve absolutely made this recipe with ground pork or ground turkey in the past.
- For the homemade chili seasoning I use a combination of chili powder, cumin, Montreal steak spice, coriander, and salt.
- For heat I add a jalapeno, you could leave this out if you aren’t a fan of spice or double it if you want a spicier dish.
- Garlic is a staple.
- For the liquid elements, I use a can of diced tomatoes and a can of crushed tomatoes.
- Since I love to pack my chili with vegetables, I add a sweet potato and red bell pepper. These also help to add sweetness and balance the dish.
- Corn helps to brighten the dish and add additional sweetness.
- I love beans in my chili and grew up with kidney beans, but you could also use black beans, or white beans.
Expert tips
- Use broth to thin it out. If the chili ends up being too thick, you can always thin it out with some beef broth.
- Freeze the leftovers. This is one of the dishes that freezes really well. I like to freeze half of it in a freezer bag, flatten the bag before adding to the freezer and it will take up very little space.
- It actually tastes better the next day, so this is the kind of dish that works perfectly for prepping ahead.
- My secret ingredient is Montreal steak spice, it’s one of the best spic rubs for any kind of beef, so it makes perfect sense to add to a chili.
Step by step instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly translucent. Add ground beef, cook, and crumble until almost fully cooked about 5 minutes. The beef isn’t going to caramelize, but it will brown slightly.
- Add garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, steak spice, coriander and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.
- Bring to a simmer, add bell pepper and sweet potatoes. Cook, covered for 15 minutes.
- Add beans and corn, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Topping ideas
The toppings are a huge part of a delicious dish! My go to’s are:
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Pickled jalapenos
- Sliced green onions
Serving suggestions
Name a better side dish to go with chili than cheesy garlic bread! I also love to serve a big salad like a kale and avocado salad.
Dutch Oven Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 454 g / 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Montreal steak spice
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- 796- mL / 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 796- mL / 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½″ cubes
- 540- mL / 19-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 341- mL / 12-oz can corn kernels, drained
Optional toppings:
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly translucent. Add ground beef, cook, and crumble until browned and almost fully cooked about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, steak spice, coriander and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.
- Bring to a simmer, add bell pepper and sweet potatoes. Cook, covered for 15 minutes.
- Add beans and corn, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Notes
- If you like a thinner chili, you can use broth to thin it out. You could also add some beer!
- To freeze the leftovers. Transfer cooled chili to a large freezer bag, and seal completely, removing as much air as possible. Flatten into an even sheet, and freeze.
- If you’re able to wait, the chili gets better the next day!
Let me know if you give this beef and beer chili a try in the comments below.
Shirley Clements 
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