Stovetop Chili with Woodfired Chili Seasoning
Stovetop Chili with Woodfired Chili Seasoning
Most stovetop chilis need all afternoon to earn their depth. This one hits in an hour.
An hour rather than an afternoon, which is how it landed among our game day recipes.
The key is Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning, a rich, smoky blend that brings layered complexity without a long ingredient list or a long cook. One packet, toasted in the hot pan for sixty seconds before any liquid touches it, and you’ve already built the backbone of the pot.
From there: brown two pounds of ground beef, sauté the onion and garlic, add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, kidney beans, and black beans. Stir. Simmer uncovered for thirty to forty-five minutes. That simmer thickens the chili naturally and pulls the woodfired smokiness through every bite. The beans absorb the seasoning. The tomatoes reduce. The chili pulls together into something dense, dark, and worth the simmer.
The result is thick, dark, and built. Not assembled. The kind of bowl that makes people ask what’s in it.
A few things to know going in: drain the fat after browning the beef, give the seasoning its sixty seconds in the hot pan before adding anything liquid, and resist the urge to cut the simmer short. Thin chili tastes like effort cut short.
Ground turkey works if you want to go leaner, same technique, same flavor payoff from the seasoning. Serve it loaded with shredded cheddar, sour cream, diced onion, and pickled jalapeños, or build a quick Frito pie when the situation calls for it.
This is the version you’ll keep coming back to.
Flavor First.
Stovetop Chili with Woodfired Chili Seasoning
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown the beef: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the diced onion (and bell pepper if using) to the pot. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Toast the seasoning: Stir in the Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices and deepen the flavor.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, kidney beans, and black beans. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens to your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add a pinch of salt, a splash more broth for a looser chili, or let it simmer longer for a thicker result.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, diced onion, jalapeños, or cornbread.
Nutrition
Notes
- Toast the seasoning — Stir the Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning into the hot pot and let it cook for a full minute before any liquid goes in. Heat opens the spices and drives the smoky character deeper into the base. Don’t skip this step.
- Simmer uncovered — Once everything is in, drop to low heat and leave the lid off. Evaporation thickens the chili naturally and concentrates the flavor. A covered pot traps moisture and gives you a thinner result.
- Drain the beef — Excess fat muddies the flavor and makes the texture heavy. Drain or spoon it off after browning and the Kinder’s seasoning reads clearly in the base.
- Make it a day ahead — This chili gets better overnight. The spices knit into the broth and the texture tightens. Make it the night before if you’re serving a crowd.
- Dial in the heat — Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning has depth without being fiery. Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne, or a splash of hot sauce during the simmer to push the heat where you want it.
- Build the bowls right: shredded cheddar, a spoonful of sour cream, diced white onion, and pickled jalapeños. A warm square of cornbread on the side makes the full case.
- For a Frito pie, spoon the chili hot over corn chips in a bowl and hit it with shredded cheese and sour cream. Feeds a crowd with no extra work.
- Leftovers are solid on baked potatoes, over hot dogs for chili dogs, or loaded onto nachos. Chili cheese burritos are another move: warm flour tortillas, a scoop of chili, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor improves overnight as the spices settle into the base.
- Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before containerizing — it holds clean and reheats well.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water if it’s thickened too much in the fridge. The microwave works too — heat in 90-second intervals, stirring between each.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
Yes. Brown it the same way as beef. Turkey is leaner, so use a touch more olive oil and drain any excess liquid after cooking. Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning comes through just as strong.
How do I make this chili thicker?
Simmer longer uncovered, evaporation does the work. If you need it thick fast, mash a handful of beans against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them in. The released starch thickens the chili without adding anything else.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the beef and sauté the onion and garlic on the stovetop first, this step matters for flavor. Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
Can I make this chili ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s worth doing. The flavor gets noticeably better after a night in the refrigerator. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat low and slow on the stovetop before serving.
What if I can’t find Kinder’s Woodfired Chili Seasoning?
Use a chipotle or woodfire-forward chili seasoning packet as a substitute. The blend won’t be identical, but a bold, smoky packet gets you close. Kinder’s is worth tracking down, it’s widely available at major grocery retailers.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes. Use a large Dutch oven or stockpot, everything scales 1:1. You may need to extend the simmer time slightly to account for the larger volume of liquid.
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