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Easy, Healthy 20-Minute Chili

ByStephanie Wilson Updated on
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Looking for a fast, hearty, and comforting dinner? This easy healthy chili recipe is your answer. Whether you're feeding a hungry crowd on game day, whipping up a quick weeknight dinner, or sticking to a Halloween tradition, this recipe is full of flavor and comes together in a flash.

Want to make a delicious chili in the slow cooker? Try this easy crockpot chili recipe with turkey or this healthy vegetarian chili recipe!

Verticle view of a bowl of chili in a white bowl

Recipe Overview

A quick, hearty one-pot chili made with lean beef, beans, and colorful peppers. Ready in 20 minutes, perfect for busy nights, game day, or cozy fall dinners.

  • ⏱ Time: 20 minutes
  • 🍽 Serves: 6
  • 🌶️ Flavor: Mild to medium, bold and savory
  • 🥘 Why you'll love it: Fast, filling, and full of flavor

What I Love About This Chili

I love the nourishing ingredients in this quick chili recipe. It’s made with lean ground beef, beans, peppers, and plenty of warm spices. No long simmering required-just simple ingredients, bold taste, and dinner on the table in under half an hour.

  • Quick and easy: From stovetop to table in just 20 minutes.
  • Healthy and hearty: Packed with lean protein, beans, and veggies.
  • Perfect for any season: Cozy in fall and winter, but easy enough for summer game days.
  • Customizable: Use what you have on hand-it’s forgiving and flavorful.

Key Ingredients

Here's a glance at what you'll need. The full list and quantities are in the recipe card below.

  • Lean ground beef: Adds hearty flavor with less fat.
  • Peppers and onion: A mix of green, red, and jalapeño adds depth and just the right kick.
  • Garlic and spices: Chili powder, cumin, and oregano bring classic chili flavor.
  • Beans: A mix of kidney, black, and chili beans makes it satisfying.
  • Corn and tomatoes: Fresh, frozen, or canned corn works. Use tomatoes and tomato sauce for a rich base.

How to Make This Healthy Chili

  1. Brown the beef and vegetables: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the beef, onion, garlic, and peppers until they are tender and browned, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Add the spices: Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes more until fragrant.
  3. Add beans and tomatoes: Stir in the drained beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until everything is heated through and thickened.

Variations and Serving Ideas

  • Make it vegetarian: Swap the ground beef for plant-based crumbles or extra beans.
  • Add more heat: Leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a dash of cayenne.
  • Try ground turkey or chicken for a lighter option.
  • Top it off: Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.
  • Add cornbread: I can’t imagine chili without this skillet cornbread recipe or this cornbread recipe with creamed corn.
Fast and Easy Healthy 20-Minute Chili Recipe | 31Daily.com

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this chili ahead of time?

Yes! This chili stores well and often tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

What beans are best for chili?

A combination of kidney, black, and chili beans works well. Feel free to use what you have on hand-pinto or cannellini beans are great too.

Is this chili spicy?

It has a mild to medium heat from the jalapeño. You can easily adjust the spice level by omitting it or adding more to taste.

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?

Absolutely. Canned diced tomatoes are convenient and flavorful-just be sure to include all the juices.

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Bowl of 20 Minute Chili with shredded cheese and a lime wedge
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Healthy 20-Minute Chili Recipe

Looking for a quick and delicious chili recipe? This Healthy 20-Minute Chili is a go-to easy dinner, tailgating, or game day recipe.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • green pepper chopped
  • red pepper chopped
  • jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
  • 2 (15-oz) cans of beans like kidney and black beans, drained
  • 1 (15-oz) can chili beans like S&W, undrained
  • 1 cup corn fresh or frozen
  • 4 medium tomatoes chopped and divided or 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juices
  • 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef, onion, garlic, and peppers in a dutch oven over medium heat, 6-8 minutes or until beef is cooked and vegetables are tender.
  • To the beef and vegetables, add chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until spices are fragrant.
  • Add canned beans, corn, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the chili has thickened.

Notes

    1. Lean Ground Beef: Swap the ground beef for plant-based crumbles or extra beans for a vegetarian chili recipe or try ground turkey or ground chicken.
    2. Tomatoes: Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can swap one (14.5-oz) can of diced tomatoes with their juices.
    3. Add more heat: Leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a dash of cayenne if you want your chili to be spicier.
    4. Top it off: Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.
    5. Add cornbread: I can’t imagine chili without this skillet cornbread recipe or this cornbread recipe with creamed corn.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 566mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g
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Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Stephanie Wilson

Cookbook Author, Food Writer, and Chef

Stephanie Wilson is the founder of 31Daily.com, where she shares seasonal recipes, weekly meal plans, and teatime favorites to help readers gather around the table with joy. A certified private chef, cookbook author, and longtime event planner, she brings over 20 years of experience in catering, food writing, and media production—including network television work as a producer, director, and writer. Her work has been featured by Today.com, The Kitchn, Parade, and more.

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Thanks for the chili recipe! I made it today, but changed it up a bit. Eliminated the pepper and corn as hubby doesn’t like and used liquid smoke and catsup. I call it my smokey sweet chili. For a fun note…In my working years whenever we had a chili cook-off between units, our unit one with my chili. I never told about the liquid smoke and catsup. Thanks for all your wonderful posts and pictures!

    Reply