This recipe for my favorite homemade chili is definitely loved around the house! It pays homage to my Midwest roots and is very similar to Cincinnati chili. It’s hearty, warming, filled with ground beef, heat and lots of delicious seasonings!
Nothing makes me happier than eating a big warm bowl of chili during the winter months. It’s perfectly comforting, and filling making that cold weather seem to disappear. While there are many variations of chili, this just happens to be my FAVORITE homemade chili! I grew up in the Midwest (Chicago) before moving to Atlanta, and if you’re from the Midwest you will have surely heard of Cincinnati chili. It’s a meaty chili that’s often used as a topping for spaghetti and hot dogs…and then topped with cheese. They call it a 3 way!
It’s my favorite way to eat chili, and since I’ve been keto I’ve been loving it because there are no beans; which means I can have a ton without filling guilty! I like to just put some in a bowl and top with of course cheese, but also sour cream and avocado (for some additional healthy fat)!
To maximize flavors; I like to cook my chili low and slow! I’ve been known to leave my homemade chili in the pot cooking for over 2 hours! This recipe is great for the crock pot as you literally just throw all the ingredients in the pot, cover it, and let it cook. Low and slow means a thick, flavorful chili which is exactly what you want in this recipe.
Couple things to note:
- I like to brown my ground beef FIRST because it brings out more flavor into the chili. I discard some but not all of the fat.
- The ground beef should be broken into small pieces. Avoid big chunks. You can use a spatula or a potato masher to do this.
- Chocolate in chili is AMAZING! I like to use unsweetened baking chocolate. You can of course omit especially if your strict keto, but I’ve found that adding a bit of chocolate to this chili does not throw me out of ketosis. Plus it’s unsweetened so that helps.
- There are no beans in this chili. You can of course add them, but beans will most definitely throw me out of ketosis so there a no for me.
Check out my Beef and Poblano Pepper Chili recipe
What you choose to do with this chili is completely up to you! If you aren’t keto; I definitely recommend using this as a topping for cooked spaghetti or hot dogs. It is sooooooo good! You can not forget the cheese, and I love to top it with a nice sharp cheddar. Since I’m still following keto, I just topped with cheese, some additional peppers, green onions, and of course sour cream and avocado. What would you eat this chili with? Check out the recipe below!
My Favorite Homemade Chili
This recipe for my favorite homemade chili is definitely loved around the house! It pays homage to my Midwest roots and is very similar to Cincinnati chili. It's hearty, warming, filled with ground beef, heat and lots of delicious seasonings!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
- 5 cups water
- 6 oz can of Tomato paste
- 1/2 oz baking chocolate unsweetened
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
- Add the 5 cups of water.
- Add the tomato paste and chocolate and heat over medium heat stirring to combine for about 2 minutes. Stir to break up the tomato paste.
- Add chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, cumin, allspice, cloves, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and vinegar.
- Turn heat to high and to bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to med-low.
- Cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, at a low boil.. stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened quite a bit.
- Serve on top of hot dogs or spaghetti or on its own. Top with whatever toppings you'd like.
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