This quick and easy chili recipe is a great winter comfort food and a budget-friendly way to warm up. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or game day, it’s hearty, comforting, and always a crowd pleaser.
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she’ll share easy, delicious, and affordable dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and fast food.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chili Recipe
This chili so easy and versatile! It’s been really cold here in South Carolina (and yes, we are complete wimps compared to the rest of the world, haha)and cooking up a big pot of hot chili on the stove is the perfect dinner during the cold weather. It’s a budget-friendly way to keep warm!
You can use any ground meat you want (beef, turkey, venison, chicken) – and one kilogram of meat expands into a lot of servings, thanks to the beans. Also, speaking of beans, you can use a mix of different types or stick with straight pinto beans.
There are many extras you can add to customize it! Think shredded cheese, crushed corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, chopped jalapenos, or chopped avocado. We’re currently dealing with dairy issues in my house, so we skipped the cheese and sour cream – and I didn’t miss it.
If you have leftovers, this chili is delicious over baked potatoes the next day.
Chili Dinner Menu:
- Easy Chili
- Blue Corn Chips
- Chopped cilantro, green onion (and any other additives you want to add!)
Chili Ingredients:
- 1 large onion (or two small) (Aldi) – $0.30
- 4 cloves of garlic (Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) $0.25
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (Aldi – $7.25 for 33T) — $0.44
- 1 lb ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice) (Food Lion, reduced) cost 2.47 $
- One box of Texas Chili flavor (Publix) – $0.75*
- 2 14-oz cans crushed tomatoes (Harris Teeter – $0.50 a can) — $1
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste (Aldi) – $0.77
- 1-2 cups chicken broth (Aldi – $1.79 for 25 bouillon cubes. I used 2 cubes and 2 cups of water) – $0.14
- 4 cans of pinto beans (I used Bush’s side cans at Publix last week – $0.25 each after rebate, and 1 Aldi organic pinto beans – $0.99) – $1.74
- 1/2 bag organic blue corn chips (Aldi — $2.19 for 1 bag) — $1.09
- chopped cilantro, chopped green onion (Aldi) – $0.35
*Alternatively, you can use 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon onion and garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste..
Dinner Total: $9.30 (Serves 6+)
How to Make Easy Chili:
1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until tender.
3. Add the ground turkey and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Mix all the spices until well mixed.
5. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and stir well.
6. Bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper to your turkey if needed.
7. Top with crushed corn chips and chopped cilantro and green onions.
Easy Chili ($10 Family Dinner)
This easy chili recipe is a comforting winter dish and a budget-friendly way to warm up. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or game day, it’s hearty, comforting, and always a crowd pleaser.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 1 big onion or two small ones (Aldi) – $0.30
- 4 cloves garlic Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg – $0.25
- 2 Spoons olive oil Aldi – $7.25 for 33T – $0.44
- 1 lb ground turkey or ground meat of your choice (Food Lion, reduced) — $2.47
- 1 the box Texas chili seasoning Publix — $0.75*
- 2 14- oz cans of crushed tomatoes Harris Teeter – $0.50 a can – $1
- 1 6- oz can tomato paste Aldi – $0.77
- 1-2 cups chicken broth Aldi – $1.79 for 25 bouillon cubes. I used 2 cubes and 2 cups of water – $0.14
- 4 cans pinto beans I used Bush’s side cans at Publix last week – $0.25 each after rebate, and one Aldi organic pinto beans – $0.99 – $1.74
- 1/2 a bag organic blue corn chips Aldi — $2.19 for 1 bag — $1.09
- chopped cilantro chopped green onion (Aldi) – $0.35
Instructions
-
Finely chop the onion and garlic.
-
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until tender.
-
Add the ground turkey and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
-
Mix all ingredients until well combined.
-
Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and stir well.
-
Bring to a boil over low heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
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Top with crushed corn chips and chopped cilantro and green onion.
Notes
You can use any ground meat you want (beef, turkey, venison, chicken) – and one kilogram of meat expands into a lot of servings, thanks to the beans. Also, speaking of beans, you can use a mix of different types or stick with straight pinto beans.
There are many extras you can add to customize it! Think shredded cheese, crushed corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, chopped jalapenos, or chopped avocado.
Nutritious food
Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 24g | Oil: 12g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg
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