Beer Chili Recipe: Simple Homemade Chili Made With Your Favorite Beer

Learn how to cook this homemade beer chili recipe with your favorite beer for a hearty winter dinner idea. Made using a craft brew IPA, this homemade chili can easily be customized with your favorite craft beer and chili seasoning to taste. It’s easy to make, is kid-friendly and tastes great even leftover the next day.

I was once accused of being a serial dater. Granted this came from a guy in his mid-forties who’s longest relationship EVER has been two years max. But you know how people love to judge. That said, I guess I have dated a lot of guys over my lifetime. However, as my sister-in-law will retort, sometimes you have to date a lot of frogs to find your prince. I’m not really looking for a prince so much these days. Dating during a pandemic seems like one of the worst ideas ever. However, what I do miss about dating is the dinners. 

Many, many years back — around eight to be precise — I was dating a guy who was both a cook and a musician. (Gotta love a guy who does all the crafty things.) I was never much of a cook. My mom always cooked old school. Everything fried in an inch of grease and casseroles for days. In fact, I didn’t have my first medium cooked steak until I was in my early thirties. (I know. Well done steak. Gross.)

After my first marriage ended, I dated on and off here and there, dipping my feet back into the proverbial dating pool. That’s how I ended up dating Scott. We were together off and on for about three years or so. It didn’t last, obviously, but there were a lot of happy memories there. We were dating, in fact, when I first diagnosed with fibromyalgia. That’s a whole other story entirely, however.

What’s significant here is that Scott loved to cook. And he would cook for me a lot when we moved into our first apartment together. He introduced me to a lot of new foods. Most I enjoyed. However, I never had a fondness for fried eggs on burgers, much to his dismay. But most things I loved. Many were actually pretty easy to make. Scott taught me a lot of tips and tricks on cooking. While Hello Fresh, and eventually other meal delivery kits, honed my skills a bit further.

This homemade beer chili recipe is one of Scott’s creations. I originally shared this recipe on my other blog, Soap Deli News, when he first created this dish. However, as so much time has passed, I wanted to share it again. This beer chili recipe is really easy to make. Therefore it’s a great recipe for beginners or college students. Plus, what’s better than adding some of your favorite beer to a warm dish while waiting out a winter storm?

Scott’s simple beer chili recipe was originally created with a beer from a local brewery, called Starr Hill. We actually have a pilot brewery here in the Roanoke valley, where they test new brews and such. He used their Northern Lights India Pale Ale to create his beer chili. However, by no means do you have to use this specific brand or even an IPA. Just pick a good beer, one of your faves, whether it’s a stout, a porter or an ale. And, as with all chili, don’t be afraid to customize and personalize this recipe to suit your tastes.

This beer chili recipe isn’t particularly spicy. That’s my fault, actually. I don’t handle spicy foods well. And while I’ve adapted over time to enjoy curry and spicy Indian dishes, at this point in my life, anything but mild salsa would set my mouth on fire. Therefore, if you prefer your food on the hotter side of things, you’ll definitely want to add some extra cayenne or other peppers of choice to this beer chili recipe. You can also make your own chili seasoning mix recipe to use.

That said, prepared as is, this beer chili recipe is kid-friendly. It’s not too spicy, it favors a majority of people, and of course, all the alcohol is cooked off, leaving only the extra flavor behind.

Beer Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds ground beef
2-3 16oz. cans stewed or diced tomatoes
1 16 oz. can tomato paste
4-5 16 oz. cans of dark red kidney beans (Alternately you can mix light red and dark red kidney beans or use black beans as a healthier alternative.)
1-2 medium to large onions (white or yellow), diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced finely
1 or 2 sweet bell peppers – yellow, orange, or red, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 package McCormick regular chili seasoning mix
1/2 bottle of good beer

Directions for Making Beer Chili:

To make this homemade beer chili recipe, first cook the ground beef until brown and cooked through. Then drain the grease from the pan.

Once the beef has cooked, combine the beef in a large pot with other ingredients, only draining two of the three cans of stewed/diced tomatoes.

Cook the beer chili over medium-high heat uncovered until the chili reaches a semi-boil.

Once the chili starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Then cover the chili and simmer, stirring frequently for 2-3 hours. (Alternately, you can also make this beer chili recipe in a crockpot.)

To give your chili a punch of extra heat, add more jalapenos, habanero chili peppers or ground cayenne pepper to suit.

Once your chili has cooked for the recommend time, it’s ready to eat.

To serve, simply top the beer chili with your choice of garnish. You can use chives, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, or tortilla chips. Or try any alternate toppings you like best on your homemade chili. Or try it with this kid-friendly cornbread recipe!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Beer Chili Recipe

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Cook this beer chili recipe with your favorite beer for a hearty winter dinner idea. It's easy to make, tastes great and is kid-friendly.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 16oz. cans stewed or diced tomatoes
• 1 16 oz. can tomato paste
• 5 16 oz. cans of dark red kidney beans
• 2 medium to large onions (white or yellow), diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced finely
• 2 sweet bell peppers
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 package McCormick regular chili seasoning mix
• 1/2 bottle beer

Instructions

1. Cook the ground beef until brown and cooked through. Drain.
2. Combine cooked beef in a large pot with other ingredients, only draining two of the three cans of stewed/diced tomatoes.
3. Cook over med-high heat uncovered until the chili reaches a semi-boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring frequently for 2-3 hours
5. For extra heat, add more jalapenos, habanero chili peppers or ground cayenne pepper to suit.
6. To serve, top with your choice of garnish such as chives, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or whatever you like best on your chili!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 898Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 490mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 22gSugar: 11gProtein: 71g

If you like this beer chili recipe, but are looking for a heart healthier version, then be sure to try my vegetarian pumpkin chili recipe with rice. Or give this white chicken chili recipe a go.

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