Many chili recipes use a little of A LOT, but this super easy campfire chili minimizes ingredients while maximizing flavor…

Most chili recipes have a LONG list of ingredients that add a bit of this and a bit of that. But who has room to take all of that camping?

Instead, you can make this super easy campfire chili with a handful of ingredients and nearly ZERO prep. It eliminates excess ingredients while still packing plenty of flavor.

With ground meat and two types of beans, it’s a hearty meal that’s perfect to cozy up with under the stars after a day of adventuring.

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Vegetarian Campfire Chili Alternative

Don’t worry, vegetarian friends. You can easily make this a vegetarian chili by making two simple changes.

First, omit the ground meat. It’s still packed with protein from the two types of beans.

Second, substitute the beef broth with a can of beer. Yep, your favorite beer will work well!

(Even using beer, this recipe is still kid-friendly since the alcohol and smell of beer burns off during cooking.)

Want to Spice It Up?

This recipe has a mild spice level. If you like spicy campfire chili, you can add a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped. That’ll bring it up to medium heat.

For you firebreathers out there, you can really turn up the heat by substituting the smoked paprika for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Even if you like it very spicy, we recommend scraping out the seeds and ribs. Then add the desired amount of peppers and sauce to the chili.*

*Pro Tip: Start with a few peppers and then add to taste as the flavors combine during cooking.

Hearty Campfire Chili

Alrighty, are you ready for this deliciously simple chili recipe? We know we are! Give it a try, and let us know how you like it in the comments below.

Super Easy Campfire Chili

4 from 10 votes

Recipe by Camping Food Recipes Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

This quick and super-easy campfire chili recipe will become your new camping favorite. It’s packed with flavor despite its simplicity!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp 1 olive oil
1 lb 1 ground beef or turkey
1 1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz 15 can of black beans, drained
15 oz 15 can of red kidney beans, drained
14.5 oz 14.5 can of diced tomatoes, NOT drained
1/4 tsp 1/4 smoked paprika
14.5 oz 14.5 can of beef broth
2 tsp 2 salt
1 tsp 1 garlic powder
1 tsp 1 cumin

Directions

Place Dutch oven on a campfire grate over medium heat, and add the oil to coat the bottom.
Add the ground beef, crumbling it but careful not to overwork it. Once the ground beef starts to brown, move it to the side and add the onions. Continue to brown the ground beef and saute the onions until they start to turn translucent.
Drain the grease, and add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Cook the chili for about 20 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
Serve immediately with shredded cheese, sour cream, Fritos, or any other of your favorite toppings.