Pantry Chili
Pantry Chili is the best dinner on a cold night when you’re almost to grocery day! Made with whatever’s in your kitchen, this simple but delicious budget-friendly recipe is ready in under an hour with minimal work.
Soup season is long in Canada, and this Pantry Chili is made monthly from September to April in my house! It’s a basic chili filled with whatever canned food you have in your pantry.
You can add a variety of beans, legumes, vegetables, spices….anything goes! In my recipe, I used canned kidney beans, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add meat if you like or keep it vegetarian. I can whip a batch of this hearty chili up in less than 40 minutes and there is barely any prep work.
Pair it with this Winter Detox Salad for a perfect cold night soup and salad combo. You’ll also like this Black Bean Vegetable Soup.
Some of the best budget meals are made with canned food. I like to keep my pantry (aka “cantry”) well-stocked and will buy in bulk if something we use often is on sale. This way when an inspiration for a meal hits, I have the majority of ingredients on hand and can’t whip up a delicious and healthy meal for my family!
Ingredients
- Onion
- Garlic
- Green pepper
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Tomato paste
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Kidney beans
- Corn
- Can of black beans
- Ground beef
- Oil
I bet that you have many of the ingredients you need right now in your pantry to make up a mean Pantry Chili like this one!
According to a University of California, Davis study, many canned fruits and vegetables have equal or more nutrients than their fresh or frozen counterparts. I guess I really didn’t think about it before, but it does make sense. The canning process seals in flavor and freshness just hours after picking. Nutrients are locked in at peak ripeness, making cans one of the best ways to get food from farm to table.
I appreciate that there is less waste with canned foods. Too often I’ll buy fresh veggies or fruit only to have them go bad because I haven’t had a chance to make the recipe. I hate to waste money, and I know when I buy canned food, I’m getting more bang for my buck. My cans will be there, tasty, fresh and waiting for me to use when I’m ready.
What I used for my Pantry Chili
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- Can opener: You definitely can’t make this recipe without a can opener! This one has a great grip and a lock to reduce the effort.
- Stockpot: I love this covered soup pot. It’s the ideal size for a family soup or stock.
- Garlic press: You can mince garlic by hand, but why waste time when you can press multiple cloves in one movement?
How to Make Chili
- First, heat some oil in a large soup pot and brown the beef. After a few minutes, add the onions, garlic, and green pepper and cook until the beef is fully cooked.
- Then, add all your seasonings and canned ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil before simmering covered at least half an hour. Serve warm with your favorite toppings and side dishes.
That’s it! If your chili gets too thick, add water or chicken broth to make it more soupy. I like to top mine with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
How to Store Leftovers
Assuming you have any of this delicious dish left, this chili recipe will last about 4 days in the refrigerator. It’s perfect for meal prep!
You can also freeze chili! Frozen, this will last about 6 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. It’s a great soup to make in large batches and freeze in individual portions for future lunches and quick dinners.
To reheat, simply return to a pot over medium-low heat. If your chili has become too thick, add a little liquid. You can also microwave this for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring occasionally.
Other Chili Recipes
There’s nothing better than chili when it’s freezing outside and you’re having a family night. The beauty of chili is there’s so many alternatives!
If you’re looking for a standard meat and bean chili, look no further than this classic best chili recipe.
When you’ve got a busy day and want dinner as soon as you’re done, try chili in the crockpot! Slow Cooker Verde Chicken Chili is a great option for a make-ahead dinner that simmers all day.
And chili doesn’t always have to be beef! I love this Southwestern Turkey 5 Bean Chili because it’s lower in fat that traditional but just as flavorful.
Switch it up this Taco Tuesday with this Taco Chili! All the comfort of the original with canned corn and taco sauce.
Other amazing recipes to try…
- Busy Day Soup
- Presidential Chili
- Keto Zuppa Toscana
- White Chicken Chili
- Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Meatballs
- Pumpkin Chili
- Baked Beans with Ground Beef
- Frito Chili Pie
Do you have any amazing soup recipes? I’m always looking for more recipes to try! Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, on Facebook at Simply Stacie, and on Pinterest @SimplyStacie and let me know how you liked this and my other recipes!
Pantry Chili
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 28oz/796ml can
- 1 can kidney beans 540ml can, drained
- 1 can corn 341ml can
- 1 can black beans 540ml can, drained
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add in ground beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in onions, garlic and green pepper and continue cooking until beef is browned and onions and peppers are softened.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt. Then add diced tomatoes (undrained), kidney beans, black beans, corn, red wine vinegar and tomato paste and stir together. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Love to make pantry chilli!
yay! I have all the ingredients to make pantry chili!
Always have our favorite canned goods on hand. It makes for some quick meals and is always fresh and ready to use.
Thanks for sharing this. Will be giving this a try.
Wow this chili looks so wonderful and one that I have to try thanks for sharing.
Mmm chili is so good !!
Interesting facts about canned food!
Your chili recipe sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it out! I agree that canned goods can help you put together a great meal much faster! I use canned veggies and beans, too, for chili, bean salad, homemade soups and lots of casseroles!
I make something that my grandmother called “Cowboy Beans.” You could call it a version of chili. It’s a yummy meal with hardly any effort. I throw the ingredients into the crock pot before work, and it is ready when I get home. I use four different beans, hamburger meat, onion and green pepper, and BBQ sauce.
Now that you mention it, cans do take up a lot of the pantry. We use corn like you in recipes and as a side. The same with beans. We have all types of canned tomatoes from sauce to soup to diced plain or mexican style. There are so many canned options out there to help make cooking easier.