Quick and Easy Beer Chili
This easy beer chili recipe is made with hearty beef seasoned with a blend of spices and simmered with tomatoes, beans and pumpkin beer. It’s perfect for game day meal or a quick weeknight dinner. Either way, you’ll love it.
Why I love this beer chili recipe
Judging by the fact that it might hit 90 degrees this weekend – something it didn’t do all summer here – I don’t think fall is as officially here as we might like. But, can we just pretend for a minute, because I’m in desperate need of some cooler weather. Especially with this baby bump getting so big.
Either way, I have a quick and easy beer chili recipe for you that will get you through fall and into winter. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal, but it’s also football party quality. It’s not too spicy, either, making it perfect for crowds, but that can totally be adjusted if you want to kick things up a notch.
Other dairy free chili recipes: slow cooker white chicken chili | sweet potato lentil chili | buffalo chicken chili | Cincinnati chili / white turkey chili
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Get ready to fall in love with chilly weather and shorter days with fresh new recipes for autumn!
Here’s what you’ll need to make beer chili:
So, what beer goes best with chili?
As far as beer goes, you can use whatever you want. We happened to have a pumpkin beer in our fridge so that’s what I used. I think a dark beer like a stout or a brown ale would work really well in here, too, but you have to be careful to get a beer that is dairy free and/or vegan friendly (if you need it).
You could use a light style beer and it will work just fine. I’ve definitely done it in the past, but I would recommend using a full bodied beer if you have the choice. They just add so much more flavor and complexity to the chili.
How to make chili with beer
Prep your ingredients. To make this beer chili super easy, I opted out of chopping too many veggies. Normally, I tend to think chili needs bell pepper for flavor, but I only chopped one sweet onion for this one. I also used pre-minced garlic to save you some time. Just make sure your jar is fresh, or you’ll be missing out on flavor. Of course, you can still use fresh, and I’ve included the amount in the recipe, just in case.
Cook your onions and garlic. Heat a large pot (Dutch oven, stock pot or even a nice, deep skillet) to medium high. Add olive oil, garlic and onions to the pot and sauté them until the onions are translucent. Stir frequently to prevent them from burning.
Brown you beef. Add your ground beef to the pan and brown it. Use a meat chopper or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. When it’s no longer pink, add your seasoning and cook until fragrant.
Simmer the chili. Add the rest of your ingredients and bring your pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and let everything simmer about 15 – 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper to taste before serving.
Everything you need to know about making beer chili
Beer is used in chili as a substitute for water, and it adds flavor and acidity to the chili. Different beer will provide different flavor in your chili, so you use one that you would like to drink.
Normally, kidney beans work best in chili, but I love a combination of beans in my chili. This recipe uses black beans and kidney beans, but you can use chili beans (rinse the sauce), navy beans, or even pinto beans. They are all very interchangeable when it comes to chili, and you can’t go wrong with one versus another.
To completely cook off the alcohol in your chili, you’ll need to simmer it for a long time. However, the chili will be safe to eat within the amount of time listed in the recipe. You can also use a NA beer if needed, but if you are abstaining from alcohol, this is probably not the best choice for you.
More chili recipes
More recipes with beer
- Instant Pot beer braised short ribs
- Pumpkin beer cheese soup
- Beer battered onion straws
- Dairy free clam chowder
Quick and Easy Beer Chili
This easy beer chili recipe is made with hearty beef seasoned with a blend of spices and simmered with tomatoes, beans and pumpkin beer. It’s perfect for game day meal or a quick weeknight dinner. Either way, you’ll love it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 5 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin beer
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, heat olive oil to medium-high. Add onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef and continue cooking, breaking meat into pieces as it browns. Add spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 252
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 849.1 mg
- Fat: 6.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.7 g
- Fiber: 7.9 g
- Protein: 23.8 g
- Cholesterol: 45.2 mg
Keywords: beer chili, beer chili recipe, chili with beer, chili recipe with beer, easy chili recipe, chili with beans
Published: September 21, 2022. Updated: September 21, 2022.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.
