This easy skillet chili is quick to make and tastes like it simmered all day. Fire-roasted tomatoes and tender pinto beans give it depth and body. Serve with your favorite toppings.
This is how to make a fast, delicious chili that comes together in under an hour.
This smoky skillet chili is perfect for busy weeknights or any time you need comforting chili without hours of simmering.
When chili season rolls around, sometimes you want that rich, layered flavor but you don’t have all day. This version gives you big chili flavor fast.
I also make chili so I can use it in other dishes: chili cheese fries, stuffed spaghetti squash and stuffed peppers are all better with a good pot of chili ready to go. It’s great on baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yes — hot dogs. A chili bar is one of my favorite party setups.
Here are a few shortcuts and tips that keep this quick chili tasting like it’s been cooking for hours:
- Toast the spices with the vegetables and browned meat. Adding chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin to the hot pan brings out much more flavor than stirring them in at the end.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes. They add a smoky depth that transforms a short-simmer chili. I prefer crushed fire-roasted tomatoes for texture and consistency.
- Choose pinto beans. They become very tender and blend beautifully with the meat and sauce; I find them more pleasing in texture than larger beans.
These three choices—spice toasting, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, and pinto beans—are what make this quick chili taste so satisfying.
The recipe is versatile: swap ground beef for turkey, chicken or a plant-based substitute. Adjust the heat with cayenne, chipotle powder or fresh jalapeño if you like it spicy.
If you want a side recommendation, try cheddar-jalapeño cornbread — it pairs wonderfully with chili and holds up well for leftovers.
Later this week I’ll share a recipe for chili-stuffed peppers that uses this same quick, flavorful base.
Quick and Easy Smoky Skillet Chili
Quick and Easy Smoky Skillet Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 14-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chicken stock
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and minced garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add the ground beef and another pinch of salt and pepper. Break it up and brown for 6 to 8 minutes. Once the meat is browned, stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, oregano, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to toast the spices.
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Stir in the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, pinto beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve topped with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or your favorite garnishes.
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I like a little chili with my chips.