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Easy Chipotle Cheddar Beef Chili. My family’s favorite quick and easy chili recipe – perfect for cold fall and winter nights. Ground beef (or use ground chicken or turkey), seasoned with a homemade chili seasoning mix, then mixed with onions, poblano peppers, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Gochujang chile paste, butter, tamari/soy sauce, and broth. Simmer the chili on the stove, then just before serving, mix in a bit of cheddar and cream cheese to balance the spice and add a touch of creaminess to this delicious, hearty chili! Ladle into bowls and top each with your favorite chili toppings. Make the meal even better with a side of homemade beer bread. Yum!
I’ve been so excited to share this chili that I actually waited well over a month to share it. Originally, I wanted to share this on Halloween since I often serve my Nonnie’s chili on Halloween night. However, I decided to wait one more week for the snow to arrive.
After just about a full week of snow here in Colorado, I can officially say that it really is chili season!
This is one of the simplest chili recipes, but it’s still so flavorful. To be very honest, it’s not too different from my Nonnie’s beef chili, which I shared in the newest HBH cookbook, Quick & Cozy.
One ingredient sets this chili apart: chile paste. For the longest time, I’ve been using Gochujang chile paste to spice up and add flavor to many dishes that are not Asian-inspired. I always find Gochujang to add just the right amount of spiciness without being too spicy.
It’s SO GOOD.
Last year, I braised short ribs with Gochujang and thought they turned out really great! That recipe made me think that I should use Gochujang in my classic chili recipe in place of the cayenne and hot sauce.
It honestly came out tasting fantastic with the best flavor. This Gochujang really is the secret. It makes the best pot of chili!
These are the details
Ingredients
- ground beef, or try using ground bison, chicken, or turkey
- yellow onions
- poblano peppers
- chili powder, chipotle Chile powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin
- crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- tomato paste
- diced green chiles
- Gochujang
- salted butter
- tamari/soy sauce, or season the chili with salt
- broth
- cream cheese
- mixed chili beans or black beans
- cilantro and green onions
- plenty of cheddar cheese, avocado, and yogurt for serving
Special Tools
None! All you need is a nice big chili pot. This recipe is basically effortless!
Steps
Step 1: brown the beef
Brown the meat. I love to use ground beef or mix ground beef with ground bison. But as mentioned in the recipe, you can use ground chicken or ground turkey too. Use whatever you and your family enjoy the most!
Once the meat is broken up and browned, almost everything else will go into the pot to simmer!
Step 2: add everything else
Now, mix in the peppers, the onions, and all the seasonings: chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste (I use the entire can!), green chilies, and Gochujang. Then add some salted butter and a good splash of tamari or soy sauce (whatever you use at home) to the chili. These two ingredients sound like they might not be necessary, but trust me. Both add a nice depth of flavor while seasoning the meat.
Mix in some broth, I always use bone broth.
Step 3: let the chili cook
At this point, you can cook the chili for 30 minutes, all afternoon, or even all day, then let it sit overnight and serve the following day. I always find chili to be best the longer it has to slow cook.
When you let it sit overnight, the spices meld, making everything even more flavorful.
Step 4: finish it
Just before serving, mix in the cream cheese. This balances the heat from the chili paste so that the chili is still spicy but not SO spicy. It’s perfect.
The Toppings
Over here, you can’t make chili without adding all the best toppings. Chili is only made better with toppings.
How to layer
I layer as follows: shredded sharp cheddar cheese (my mom taught me this growing up, always add cheddar to beef chili), a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, and sliced avocados. Then sprinkle on plenty of fresh cilantro and green onions too.
And no bowl of chili is complete without beer bread. Both are great together!
Looking for other fall dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas:
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Healthy Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Crockpot Chipotle Queso Chicken Chili
Lastly, if you make this Easy Chipotle Cheddar Beef Chili. be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Chipotle Cheddar Beef Chili
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 610 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (or use ground chicken or ground pork)
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 can (28 ounce) crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can (8 ounce) tomato paste
- 1 can (4 ounce) diced green chilies
- 2-3 tablespoons Gochujang chili paste, to your taste
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons tamari/soy sauce
- 2-3 cups chicken or beef broth
- 6 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can mixed chili beans, drained
- cilantro, green onion, avocado and Greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large dutch oven set over medium-high heat, brown the meat and onions all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 5 minutes.2. Add the poblanos, chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Mix in the tomatoes, tomato paste, Gochujang, butter, and diced chilies. Pour over 2 cups of broth. Add the tamari. Stir to combine. Partially cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours or up to all day, stirring every hour.3. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and beans. Cook until the cheese melts, 5 minutes.4. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top, as desired. I like Greek yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on November 7, 2024
Hey Tieghan,
Another great recipe. Who doesn’t live Chili in the fall or anytime? The cream cheese really was a great touch made it really creamy. Right after I made it I saw the recipe for Chili and Cornbread. I was really wanting cornbread. I’d definitely make the cornbread but I ate a whole pot of chili by myself not that it’s a bad thing it definitely isn’t. Also, the Korean chili paste was really good in it. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Mike,
Awesome! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Made this for a Halloween party and it was a total hit!! Loved by everyone and so delicious!! We served it with corn chips, cheese, sour cream, green onion & avocado 🙂 Thank you for a great recipe!
Hey Jess,
Awesome! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Making it this weekend for my daughter’s family. Mixed chili beans.. name a brand. Looks delicious! Also, you drain fat after cooking hamburger? Love cooking your recipes!
Hi Mary Ann! You can drain the fat out if you’d like, I normally drain out a little bit! 🙂 xT
Winner!! Second time making this delicious chili. I used red Fresno chilis instead of pablano chilis. For tonight I’m using less chili paste for our guests. Make sure to add the cream cheese at the end. Thank you for another delicious recipe 🌶️
Hey Susan,
So kind of you to try this and leave feedback, glad to hear it was a hit! Have the best day!
This recipe is SOOO good I always come back to it, it’s my favorite chili. QQ – I want to make this for my parents but they don’t like too much spicy heat. Should I just use less chipotle powder or what’s the best substitute?
Hey Megan,
Thanks so much! So glad to hear this chili is always enjoyed:) Yes, I would reduce the chipotle powder as well as the chili paste. I hope this helps! xxT
Thank you for sharing. It came out flavorful and delicious. I didn’t make it spicy and it was still so good. I didn’t have onions so I substituted with powder (2 tbsp). Great recipe!!
Hey Lena,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I’ve made this recipe 3x in the last 5 weeks. SO good. We make firecracker crackers and put them on top. 10/10!
Hey Shayli,
Love to hear this! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad your family has been enjoying it:) xT
As usual, your spice and flavour combos are a WIN! I hadn’t even heard of poblano peppers until I made your buffalo turkey chili (another fave with our family) – this one is amazing as well! I had some leftover cotija cheese from another recipe of yours, so we topped it with some crumbled cotija. AMAZING!!! 🙂
Hey Julie,
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a nice Sunday:) xx
I love making chili all year round and I love trying different recipes, this one is on my to-make list but I was wondering if you would be able to make it in a slow cooker?
This chili is so quick and easy to make and soooo good. Lots of flavor and creamy. I almost couldn’t stop eating it. I made it on the stove top and just let it simmer for an hour. It came out perfect.
The recipe immediately went into the rotation of my winter meals
Hi Jeff,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this dish and your comment! So glad it turned out well! xT
great!!
Thanks so much, Olivia!
Made this in the slow cooker as our annual Christmas chili and it was delicious! Used three bell peppers instead of poblanos and no broth for a thicker version. The cheese and cream cheese really takes this to the next level. Fully expect to make this again next year.
Thanks so much, Rachel! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy Holidays! xx
This recipe sounded so interesting I had to try it. I even made a double batch so I could freeze some. It was wonderful, so many flavors combined and complemented each other. I didn’t have enough cheddar cheese so added less than half, which worked perfectly.
Now my favorite chili recipe! Thank you!
Hey Lili,
Awesome!! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xxT
Made to the exact instructions
Soooooooo
Goooooooodddd
Hey Gena,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment! XxT
This one was a WINNER. And I do not like chili. Not one recipe I’ve ever tried (except Cincinnati/Skyline 3-way, which is really just a meat sauce over spaghetti). I made it vegan, using fake beef, butter, cream cheese, and cheddar. It was definitely a little spicy, which my husband loved. I tamed it a little with vegan yogurt and avocado. Served with tortilla chips, and plan to serve the leftovers with French bread. I have already printed and added this recipe to my recipe book.
Hi Camille,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Happy Holidays! xxT
Another amazing recipe from HBH! This is so easy to make and very flavourful. I made the recipe as is with no modifications.
Hi Melanie,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xxT
I was wanting to change up my basic chili recipe and absolutely loved this one. Made it as the recipe stated and it was a hit on a cold Denver night. Thanks for another great one!
Hi Laura,
Love to hear this! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Happy Thanksgiving! xx