This easy chili mac is a hearty one-pot dinner made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, red beans, tomatoes, and simple seasonings. It's a comforting, budget-friendly meal that's perfect for weeknights.
What's great about this recipe
- It combines two comfort-food favorites, chili and macaroni, in one hearty dish.
- Everything cooks in one pot, which keeps preparation and cleanup simple.
- It's made with a combination of fresh ingredients and pantry staples for a budget-friendly meal.
- It's great for weeknight dinners, game day, or casual get-togethers.
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Budget Check
- The full recipe is about $16-$17
- Per serving (6 servings): about $2.65-$2.85
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. national averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region.
Ingredients you'll need
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Oil - Use olive oil or your favorite oil suitable for sautéing.
Aromatics - Onion and garlic add flavor to the base of the dish.
Ground beef - Use ground beef with your preferred fat content. We use 80/20 for added flavor, but leaner ground beef works well too.
Spices and seasonings - Chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, dried chile de árbol, and Worcestershire sauce season the dish and add some heat. For a milder version, leave out the cayenne and dried chile peppers.
Tomatoes and broth - Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth make up the base. If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium products where possible.
Red beans - A can of red kidney beans makes the dish hearty and filling.
Macaroni - Elbow macaroni cooks right in the pot, soaking up some of the seasoned broth as it cooks.
Suggested toppings and sides - Shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, corn muffins, crackers, corn chips, sour cream, sliced jalapeño peppers, and hot sauce are all good options. (Optional, not pictured.)
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make easy chili mac
- Heat the oil in a large pot (we use a 6-quart Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season with the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Arrange the beef in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir and cook for another 1-3 minutes, breaking up any large pieces, until browned.
- Still on medium heat, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Stir in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and dried chile peppers. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the red beans to the pot and stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the mixture at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the macaroni while stirring. Lower the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Stir often, especially in the beginning, to keep the macaroni from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes, stirring 2-3 times.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours. Remove the bay leaf and dried chile peppers.
Serve with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, or your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and notes
- Stir the macaroni often, especially during the first few minutes of cooking. When first added, it tends to sink to the bottom and can stick and burn.
- If the mixture gets too thick before the macaroni is fully cooked, add a little more beef broth.
- The chili mac will thicken as it sits. The macaroni continues absorbing liquid after cooking, so if it looks too soupy, let it sit for a few minutes.
- For a milder version, leave out the cayenne pepper and dried chile de árbol.
- If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans, and adjust the salt at the end.
Storing and reheating
Cool leftovers and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For food safety, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
To freeze, transfer leftovers to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving some room for expansion. Label and date. Freeze for 2-3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the chili mac in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or reheat individual portions in the microwave. Add a splash of beef broth if needed to loosen it. Heat leftovers to 165°F.
If you enjoyed this chili mac recipe, try our easy beef and macaroni. It's a childhood classic that's easy to make at home. And if you can't get enough, our cheeseburger macaroni is a favorite variation. For more weeknight and game day favorites, try our beef and bean chili or a simple chili cornbread casserole that's always a hit.
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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 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional
- 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 Chile Peppers we used dried Chile de Arbol, optional
- 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
- Heat the oil in a large pot (we use a 6-quart Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season with the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Arrange the beef in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir and cook for another 1-3 minutes, breaking up any large pieces, until browned.
- Still on medium heat, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Stir in the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and dried chile peppers.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the red beans and stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the mixture at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the macaroni while stirring. Lower the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Stir often, especially in the beginning, to keep the macaroni from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes, stirring 2-3 times.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours. Remove the bay leaf and dried chile peppers.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, or your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Stir the macaroni often, especially during the first few minutes of cooking. When first added, it tends to sink to the bottom and can stick and burn.
- If the mixture gets too thick before the macaroni is fully cooked, add a little more beef broth.
- The chili mac will thicken as it sits. The macaroni continues absorbing liquid after cooking, so if it looks too soupy, let it sit for a few minutes.
- For a milder version, leave out the cayenne pepper and dried chile de árbol.
- If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium beef broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans, and adjust the salt at the end.
💌 Save this recipe
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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!