Dutch Oven Chili

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This richly flavored Dutch Oven Chili is loaded with beans, hearty beef, and nourishing veggies, making it the perfect toasty meal to fuel your cold-weather adventures. Made right on the stovetop and in under 40 minutes, this chili is sure to be a household staple.

What You’ll Love About This Dutch Oven Chili

• Hearty and so filling! – This Dutch oven chili contains 6 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein in just one cup, which means it is going to be filling, satisfying, and blood sugar-friendly.
• Feel good nutrition! – This chili not only tastes great but contains over 10% of your daily needs for 18 vitamins and minerals.

Ingredient Notes & Possible Substitutions

Olive Oil – Any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work for sautéing the vegetables for this Dutch oven chili. 

Sweet Yellow Onion – Chili should have notes of sweetness balanced with smokiness and a little bit of spice. Sweet onions work well to accomplish this flavor profile, but a brown or white onion can also be used.

Bell Peppers – I used a red and green bell pepper. You can use any combination that you prefer. 

Jalapenos – If you cannot tolerate a little spice, be sure to remove the seeds when dicing the jalapenos (and wear gloves to prevent the capsaicin from getting on your skin!), or choose to omit this ingredient.

Ground Beef – I used 85:15 ground beef and chose not to drain the grease. The fat from the meat can make the chili taste a little richer, but you can absolutely drain the grease or use leaner beef to keep the chili calorically light. 

Crushed Tomatoes – For a chunkier chili, you can use one 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and one 15-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes. For a saucier chili, you can use a 28-ounce can of tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes.

Tomato Paste – Tomato paste makes the chili really richly flavored. For ¼ cup you will need about half of an 8-ounce can. 

Beans – Feel free to substitute the kidney or pinto beans for your favorite bean to use in chili. You can use black beans, light kidney beans, white beans, or even garbanzo beans. Dry beans can also be used instead of canned. To use dry beans, cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and then add a total of 3 cups of beans to the chili.

Beef Bone Broth – Beef bone broth is generally richer in flavor and nutrients than conventional broth; however, any type of beef stock or broth may be used. My favorite brands are Trader Joe’s and Kettle & Fire.

Chili Seasoning – This chili seasoning is flavorful, fairly mild, and balances the sweetness and smokiness perfectly. It is also super easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time! You can use your favorite chili seasoning but keep in mind that the amount used to season the chili might vary.

How to Make Dutch Oven Chili

1. Prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion and finely dice the bell peppers and jalapeños. Mince the garlic, drain, and rinse the beans. 
2. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, jalapeños, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
3. Add the raw ground beef to the Dutch oven and brown it, breaking it apart with a wooden spatula as it cooks. Once the beef is no longer pink, drain any excess grease if necessary (depending on how lean the beef is and your preference).
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chili seasoning, and beef broth to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Increase the heat to bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Once the chili is cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings.

FAQ’s

What size of Dutch oven do I need?

I would recommend using a 4.5 QT or larger, especially if you plan to deviate from the recipe at all, to avoid overfilling it. 

Can I use anything other than a Dutch oven?

A simple stock pot will work the same for this stovetop chili recipe.

Can I make Dutch Oven Chili in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! I would still recommend cooking the vegetables and beef beforehand. This can be done in a regular skillet and then transferred to the slow cooker if your appliance does not have a sauté function.

After the vegetables and meat have been transferred to the slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. 

Can I make this recipe in an Instant Pot?

Yes! This recipe can very easily be made in your Instant Pot. To do so, simply follow the recipe as written but instead, use the sauté function on the instant pot to sauté the vegetables and brown the ground beef.

Then, add the remaining ingredients, stir, cover, and seal. Cook the chili on high for 10 minutes, let the steam naturally release for 5 minutes, then use the quick release to release the remaining steam.

What is the best type of beans to use for chili?

This largely comes down to preference. Dark red kidney beans are the most common bean found in chili, and I think this is mostly because they are a little tougher and hold up well in soups and chilis. Feel free to use your favorite type of bean in this chili or a combination of beans.

Can I make this recipe paleo-friendly?

This Dutch oven chili can easily be made paleo-friendly by swapping the beans for about 3 cups of peeled and diced sweet potato. The sweet potato can be added at the same point in the recipe as the beans but will take longer to cook (about 30-45 minutes or until tender). Also, be sure to use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you are trying to avoid refined sugars.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, this recipe is gluten-free without any alterations. Be sure to read labels on any packaged goods if you have a severe intolerance or celiac to ensure everything used is certified gluten-free.

Can I use a different type of meat for this chili?

Yes! Ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork will all work in this recipe.

Recipe Notes

• We get our beef from Butcher Box. It is grass-fed and delivered right to our doorstep. You can learn more here. (affiliate)
• Prepare chili seasoning ahead of time so you have it on hand and can easily add it to any chili recipe.
• This recipe can easily be made in 30 minutes, however, if you have time to let it simmer on low on your stovetop, I’d recommend it, I think it allows the flavors to marry and come together so well.
• If using low-sodium broth or canned goods, be sure to taste the recipe and add additional salt if needed.
• If you prefer a thinner chili (more comparable to the consistency of a soup) you can add 1-2 additional cups of bone broth to the recipe. If thick chili is your thing, feel free to reduce or omit the broth.
• Be sure to cook the veggies until tender or you can end up with crunchy vegetables after the chili is done cooking. 
• For an extra meaty chili, you can add an additional ½ pound of ground beef to the recipe. You will likely need to drain excess grease with the addition of this extra beef.
• To make the chili sweeter, you can add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar or coconut sugar.

Topping ideas

Top this chili with any of your favorite traditional chili toppings or try something fresh or unique. Here are some ideas:

• Ripe avocado
• Chives
• Fresh cilantro
• Cheese or dairy-free cheese
• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Crumbled bacon
• Tortilla chips (I love the Siete brand)
• Chopped onions
• Diced tomatoes
• Extra spicy sliced jalapenos
• A drizzle of hot sauce
• Gluten-free cornbread (If you don’t need it to be gluten-free, check this one out)
• Lime wedges

Enjoy this Dutch Oven Chili recipe!! If you want to try some other chili recipes you can try my Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili, Slow Cooker Turkey Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash, Slow Cooker Healthy Chicken Chili or Slow Cooker Turkey Chili.