This flavorful, thick chili recipe is oven-baked in a Dutch oven with tender ground beef, sausage, and beans in a rich tomato base. A hearty meal perfect any time of year.
This chili recipe is part stew, part casserole. It’s baked in the oven for mess-free, hands-off cooking that doesn’t’ sacrifice flavor. The long-simmered dish is protein-packed with tender ground beef, sausage, and just the right amount of spice.
If you’re a fan of thick, flavorful chili, you’ll love this cooking style!
Update: It’s the best time of year to make comforting oven baked chili, so I’ve updated this post with new photos and instructions. Enjoy!
For Christmas one year, my sweet friend gave me a new cookbook, The Big Book of Casseroles. It was the perfect gift because I’ve been needing comfort food lately and this cookbook is loaded with warm, delicious comfort food recipes including this terrific chili.
How to Make Thick Chili in the Oven
You can use any kind of sausage you like for this recipe. I usually use choose sausage that’s sold in the breakfast meat area of the grocery store. Kielbasa, chicken sausage or chorizo would all work well too.
Before you start cooking, be sure to drain and rinse the black beans very well. You want to remove as much of the starchy liquid as possible.
The first step is to brown the sausage and ground beef. I like to use a meat chopper to easily break the meat into smaller crumbles as it cooks. You can also use a wooden spoon.
Add the bay leaves to the Dutch oven just before going into the oven. I like to give everything a good stir, then tuck the leaves into the chili so they’re easier to find for removal later.
Toppings Ideas for Thick Chili
Turn your oven-baked chili into a DIY dinner with a fun toppings bar! Our favorite toppings for this chili are:
- Shredded cheddar
- Chopped green onion
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Frito scoops or tortilla chips
4 Ways to Serve Oven-Baked Chili
But that’s not the only way to enjoy this chili recipe. Here are four more fun and versatile ways to serve up your stew:
- Chili Fries: Spoon thick chili over homemade or store-bought french fries.
- Chili Dip: top the chili in the casserole dish with shredded cheese, diced onions, sliced jalapeños, and bake until the cheese is melty and hot. Add cilantro and serve with Frito scoops.
- Chili Baked Potato: Top hot baked potatoes with steamed broccoli, chili and cheese. Pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese before serving.
- Taco Salad: Scoop the chili on top of crisp lettuce and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
Can I Freeze Chili?
If you have leftover chili, you can store it for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Or freeze the chili for up to three months. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
More Comforting Stew Recipes
If you’re like me and craving comfort food this time of year, you’ll love these other delicious recipes:
- Round Steak Beef Stew is a classic filling gravy and beef dish with colorful vegetables.
- Deer Valley Wild Mushroom Stew is a creamy and satisfying wintertime stew with beef and mushrooms.
- Instant Pot Swedish Kalops (Beef Stew) from Pressure Cooking Today is a traditional Swedish take on simple, but always comforting beef stew.
Thick Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans 15-ounce black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can 14-ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 can 15-ounce tomato sauce
- 1 can 4-ounce green chilies
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil.
- Sauté the beef, sausage, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves and discard.
- Serve with sour cream, sliced green onions, or grated cheddar cheese.
Susan
This is the best chili I’ve ever made. I actually started with some leftover corn and bean salad, added more beans, onions and the meat. Also I substituted chipotle peppers. (2) for the green chilies. I got a nice thick chili with smoky flavor. Baking it made a huge difference. Thanks, Barbara.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the rave review Susan! It’s so great that you included what you had on hand.
NancyL
Making this today …snowing fiercely here in north Idaho ……… smells wonderful already😋
Barbara Schieving
Definitely a perfect day for chili – thanks Nancy!
LILLIAN ODONNELL
I would love to make this Baked Chili for about 50 people so does the sausage give it a great flavor? Also can you help me on how much to buy for this many people.We are also making White Chicken Chili to serve as well my daughter is making that. But I like the idea as baked.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Lillian – do you have something big enough to bake it in? You’d need two large dutch ovens (double the recipe in each dutch oven) and enough space in the oven to bake them – probably two ovens. Yes, I think the sausage does add tons of flavor to the chili.
Julie Day
Hi once the chilli has cooled down can l reheat it , or how would k store left overs, as lm just one person
Thank you
Julie x
Barbara Schieving
Hi Julie – yes, chili reheats very well. I often freeze leftovers in single servings in Ziploc bags for quick lunches and dinners another day.
marla {family fresh cooking}
Perfect! Thanks Barbara, will add the link now 🙂 Looks wonderful.
Martha (MM)
Wow, looks really great and so perfect for the Super Bowl buffet! Thanks for linking up to Tailgating Time. I hope you will join us tomorrow for the big Super Bowl party. I will be posting a link to the code for the party within the Tailgating post at 11am – I hope you will join us as a host for the big event! 🙂
Chaya
Baking chili is new to me and I like the idea.
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen
This chili looks amazing!! Perfect for a cold winters night! 🙂
Joy
That looks wonderful. I have yet to successfully make chili
Megan
It sounds easy enough and so hardy! I like that you baked it too!
Lauren from Lauren's Latest
Baked chili! Who would have thought! That’s a great idea! And this looks perfect and easy enough to make for the Superbowl!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Hmmm, oven baked chili is a concept I’ve never heard of! I’ve simmered all day on the stove and crockpotted, but never oven-baked. Will have to give this one a shot!
deeba
This does sound like the best deal for this cold weather Barbara… baked chili is a great option! My daughter would love it coz it’s thick! Mmmm
Juliana
Barbara, I never made chili, but like the idea of ground beef and sausage. This chili makes a great meal 🙂
Barbara
Wow. That is really thick, Barbara. I’d love to serve it on game day…especially with the chips for dipping into it!
Rocky Mountain Woman
perfect for my Super Bowl parteee!
Crustabakes
i am drooling over this. I would want some nachos to go along with this! YUMM!
Anna Johnston
Mmmm, I love this Barbara, like the slight changes you’ve made too.., delicious 🙂
Ann
This chili looks so thick and hearty- fantastic!