Spicy Ground Beef Chili
Updated Jan 08, 2026
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This spicy ground beef chili with jalapeños is everything chili should be: hearty, warming, just spicy enough, and deeply comforting. Made with simple pantry ingredients and fresh jalapeños, it comes together easily in one pot and tastes even better the next day — making it perfect for weeknights, weekends, and game-day gatherings alike.
There are nights when only a big pot of chili will do. This is that chili. It’s rich and meaty, layered with warm spices, and kicked up just enough by fresh jalapeños to keep things interesting without veering into “why is my mouth on fire?” territory. In other words, it’s spicy in a friendly, inviting way. No fancy footwork, no fancy ingredients, just the kind of chili my family is very happy to see on the table on a winter night, served over bowls of hot rice.
Ground beef makes this chili weeknight-accessible, while jalapeños add a clean, bright heat that builds gradually. You can easily adjust the spice level — remove the seeds for milder chili, leave them in if you like a little drama. The tomatoes and beans keep everything grounded, and a slow simmer pulls all the flavors together into something cozy and deeply satisfying.
It’s also a make-ahead dream: the flavors mellow and deepen overnight, meaning leftovers are arguably the best part.
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Why You’ll Love This Chili
- Bold but balanced heat: Jalapeños add spice without overwhelming
- One-pot and approachable: No fancy techniques or obscure ingredients
- Great for leftovers: Tastes even better the next day
- Flexible: Easy to tweak for heat level or add extra vegetables
This is the kind of chili that works just as well ladled over rice or a baked potato as it does straight from the bowl with a hunk of cornbread.
What's In This Post?
Ground Beef, Black Bean, and Jalapeño Chili: Hearty and perfect for cold weather with just the right amount of heat from the jalapenos.
Ingredients
This chili recipe is endlessly adaptable. Add corn for sweetness, bell peppers for extra veg, or swap in black beans or kidney beans depending on what’s in the pantry.
- Ground beef – A hearty protein for a hearty chili.
- Onion – You can use red or yellow onion.
- Olive oil
- Carrots – Add a sweet veggie to contrast the jalapeño.
- Celery – A light, crunchy element.
- Garlic powder, ground cumin, chili powder, bay leaves – The perfect assortment of dried herbs and spices for this chili.
- Crushed tomatoes – You can use canned crushed tomatoes for this recipe.
- Black beans – Drained and rinsed.
- Jalapeño – Gives this dish its signature kick.
How to Make Beef and Jalapeño Chili
- Brown the ground beef and drain.
- Sauté the vegetables: Return the pot to medium heat, and cook the onions, carrots, and celery until the vegetables start to become tender.
- Finish the chili: Add the tomatoes, beans, browned beef, jalapeño, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve: Serve in bowls with all of the garnishes.
FAQs
I actually think (and I feel pretty sure many of you will agree) that the toppings make the chili. Sour cream, scallions, yellow or red onions, avocados, guacamole, jalapeños (jarred or fresh), salsas of all kinds, and fresh diced tomatoes. And lots of shredded cheese, which you can switch up from cheddar to Monterey Jack to Havarti to Fontina to a Mexican blend. Or try crumbled Cotija, dry and tangy and a little salty, not dissimilar to feta. Delicious. Or queso fresco cheese, milder and softer, still crumbly — give it a go on your next chili night.
Jalapeño peppers add the perfect spicy element to any chili recipe, especially this one. I usually remove the seeds from my jalapeños, but if you prefer a spicier chili, you can leave some or all the seeds in and adjust the heat level to your liking.
This would make an excellent addition to some nachos or a great filling for quesadillas with some handfuls of shredded cheese.
As written, this chili lands in the comfortably spicy zone — enough heat to notice, not so much that it scares anyone away from the table. For milder chili, remove all the jalapeño seeds and ribs, or use just one pepper. For more heat, keep the seeds, add an extra jalapeño, or finish with a pinch of cayenne.
Crockpot Variation
You could 100% make this chili in a slow cooker. If possible, sauté the vegetables on the stovetop first, so they get browned and tender, then combine them with the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
The slow cooker advantage, of course, is that you can set it and forget it. Make it early in the day, leave it safely bubbling away in the slow cooker, and come home to a comfort food dinner.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
You can make this chili up to 3 days ahead, and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers.
What to Serve With Spicy Ground Beef Chili
- Serve this spicy ground beef chili with:
- Cornbread, biscuits, or tortilla chips
- Rice or baked potatoes
- Toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, or sliced jalapeños
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Spicy Ground Beef Chili with Jalapeño
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups chopped onion (red or yellow)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup chopped jarred jalapeño (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh – seeded – jalapeño)
- 3 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
To Serve (Pick and Choose)
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Guacamole (or diced avocado)
- Slivered or chopped onions (or scallions)
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the meat, stirring frequently to break it up into crumbles, until no pink remains. Turn it into a colander to drain.
- Return the pot to medium heat, and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to become tender. Add the tomatoes, beans, browned beef, jalapeño, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve in bowls with all of the garnishes.
Notes
Nutrition
More Chili Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken and White Bean Chili: The flavor of buffalo chicken wings translated into a healthy chili — a new go-to favorite.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili: A slow cooker turns juicy chicken thighs and pureed chipotle in adobo sauce into a very satisfying chili.
- Game Day Ground Beef Chili: Another very classic chili recipe.
- Barbacoa Beef Chili: Super flavorful from the barbacoa beef that is made the day before in the slow cooker.
- Turkey or Chicken Chili: This one is a total party staple in my house, from The Mom 100 Cookbook.
