Thick Oven Baked Chili

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:

1. Chili Fries: Spoon thick chili over homemade or store-bought french fries. 
2. 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.
3. Chili Baked Potato: Top hot baked potatoes with steamed broccoli, chili and cheese. Pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese before serving. 
4. 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. 

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Thick Chili Recipe

This meaty and flavorful Thick Chile Recipe is baked in the oven for a satisfying casserole with tomatoes, beans, ground beef and sausage. 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time1 hr 40 mins

Total Time1 hr 45 mins

Course: Beef

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Barbara Bakes LLC

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Equipment

• OXO Good Grips Ground Meat Chopper
• Microplane Premium Classic Zester (baby blue)
• 1Easylife 18/8 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons, Set of 6 for Measuring Dry and Liquid Ingredients

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.

Notes

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Casseroles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1471mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g