Chili mac is an easy one-pot dinner made with ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes, and plenty of seasoning. It is a budget-friendly meal that is full of flavor and easy to adjust from mild to spicy.
Ingredients
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Oil - Use an oil with a moderate to high smoke point.
Produce - Onions and garlic add plenty of flavor.
Ground Beef - Use the ground beef with the fat content of your choice. You can go super lean with sirloin or if you want a little fat for flavor go with ground round or chuck (what we used).
Spices - Chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, chili de arbol (dried whole chili pepper), and Worcestershire sauce add flavor, color, and spice. (Eliminate the cayenne and chili de arbol to keep the dish mild.)
Pantry - From the pantry you will need macaroni, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and red beans. Use reduced sodium canned products if you are sensitive to salt.
Suggested toppings and sides - shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, corn muffins, crackers, corn chips, sour cream, sliced jalapenos peppers, and hot sauce.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make chili mac
Combine the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large pot (we use a 6-quart Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with the prepared seasoning mix. Stir well.
Arrange the beef in one layer, cook 2-3 minutes. Stir and arrange again again. Cook 1-3 minutes until browned. Stir and break up large pieces.
Still on medium heat add the onions, cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
Next, add the garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Stir often.
Stir in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and dried chili peppers.
Raise the heat to high, bring the liquid to a boil (about 5-6 minutes). Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes to let the flavors develop and come together.
Raise the heat to medium, add the red beans to the pot, stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep it at a simmer, raise or lower the heat as needed.
Finally, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the macaroni to the pot while stirring. Then lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Keep the liquid simmering, raise or lower the heat as need. Stir the macaroni often (especially in the beginning) because it sinks and will stick to the bottom of the pot.
Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir 2-3 times while it sits.
Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we did not add extra to ours. Use tongs to remove the bay leaf and chili peppers. Serve with shredded cheese and sliced green onions or your favorite toppings.
Storing and reheating
Let the chili mac cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place cooled leftovers in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave until hot all the way through. Add a splash of beef broth if needed to loosen it.
According to USDA recommendations, do not leave cooked food out for longer than 2 hours, or for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Cook's note
This dish can easily be turned into a casserole, which is great for potlucks or serving buffet-style. Prepare the recipe as directed, then transfer it to a large oven-proof casserole dish. Add cheese if desired, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F until heated through.
If you liked this recipe, try our Frito pie casserole or hamburger soup for two more easy ground beef dinners that are fun and family friendly.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef ground chuck, ground round, or ground sirloin work well
- 2 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional - leave it out if you do not like spicy
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 4 cups Beef Broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 (8 ounce) can Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1-2 Dried Whole Chili Peppers we used dried Chili de Arbol, optional - leave it out if you do not like spicy
- 1 (15 ounce) Can Red Beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces Elbow Macaroni
- Shredded Cheese for serving optional
- Sliced Green Onions for serving optional
Instructions
- Combine the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large pot (we use a 6-quart Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with the prepared seasoning mix. Stir well.
- Arrange the beef in one layer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir well, arrange in one layer again and cook an additional 1-3 minutes until browned. Stir and break up any large pieces.
- Still on medium heat add the onions, cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Next, add the garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Stir often.
- Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and dried chili peppers (if using) and stir.
- Raise the heat to high, bring the liquid to a boil (about 5-6 minutes).
- Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes to let the flavors develop and come together.
- Raise the heat to medium, add the red beans to the pot, stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep it at a simmer, raise or lower the heat as needed.
- Finally, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the macaroni to the pot while stirring. Then lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Keep it simmering, raise or lower the heat as need. Stir the macaroni often (especially in the beginning) because it sinks and will stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the chili mac sit for 5 minutes. Stir 2-3 times while it sits.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we did not add extra to ours.
- Use tongs to remove the bay leaf and chili peppers.
- Serve with shredded cheese and sliced green onions or your favorite toppings.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Ronda
This is Excellent! I'm not one of those people who made a million modifications and claim the end result was good. I followed your recipe, your times for cooking and it came out soo flavorful. Yes, there was minor alterations made but that was only: no kidney beans, no cumin and no dried peppers but that's only because my husband has a spice issue and cannot stand kidney beans lol.. I just wanted to thank you ever so much for sharing such a wonderful, tasty, easy Chili Mac recipe. It is absolutely delicious.
Elizabeth
Hi Ronda,
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!