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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Thick Oven Baked Chili

    Published by Melissa on February 14, 2021 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 45 Comments

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    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.

    oven baked chili in cast iron pan

    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! 

    pinterest button for thick oven baked chili recipe

    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. 

    ingredients for thick oven baked chili

    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
    cooking thick oven baked chili in a dutch oven

    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. 
    pot of oven baked chili with beef, sausage, tomatoes and beans

    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. 

    blow of thick chili with grated cheese and more toppings

    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. 
    bowl of thick chili with grated cheese, sour cream and chips on top
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    4.34 from 3 votes

    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
    Prevent 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
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    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Amanda

      January 23, 2011 at 6:28 pm

      Mmm with Fritos! Great idea!

      Reply
    2. Kristen

      January 23, 2011 at 8:17 am

      What a great idea – I’ve always done a crockpot chili – I’ll have to try this

      Reply
    3. Faith

      January 23, 2011 at 6:33 am

      Love how thick and hearty your chili is! Perfect with the corn chips!

      Reply
    4. pigpigscorner

      January 23, 2011 at 2:59 am

      Why haven’t I thought of putting sausages in chili?! Looks so good!

      Reply
    5. Sarah, Maison Cupcake

      January 22, 2011 at 5:45 pm

      I’m crazy about chilli, it’s my Sunday night tradition and yippee, it’s Sunday tomorrow! Xx

      Reply
    6. Evan @swEEts

      January 22, 2011 at 5:13 pm

      This looks like my kinda meal! I love easy casseroles and I love chili. Mountain man will go crazy if I let him eat it with fritos 🙂

      Reply
    7. Shelby

      January 22, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Your chili looks very yummy – and I love to scoop it up up with the Frito’s scoops!

      Reply
    8. Betty @ scrambled hen fruit

      January 22, 2011 at 2:19 pm

      Mmmm….that looks like divine comfort food, especially with the fritos!

      Reply
    9. carrian

      January 22, 2011 at 12:54 pm

      That looks wonderful! Baked huh… I’ll have to try it!

      Reply
    10. Donna

      January 22, 2011 at 12:32 pm

      Wow! Baked ~ must try this techinique!

      Reply
    11. Maria

      January 22, 2011 at 10:42 am

      I love the idea of baking chili! Great recipe!

      Reply
    12. Kim

      January 22, 2011 at 10:29 am

      I’ve ran across that cassserole book before and really enjoyed looking through it. I’m sure you’ll find all sorts of tasty recipes in there. Love the idea of making chili in the oven. This one looks great!

      Reply
    13. teresa

      January 22, 2011 at 9:06 am

      oh my goodness, i would never think to oven bake chili, i love how rich and concentrated everything is, delicious!

      Reply
    14. Kulsum at JourneyKitchen

      January 22, 2011 at 7:46 am

      A chilly would be so warming and great right now while I freeze at work with cold hands and hungry stomach. Gorgeous Barabara!

      Reply
    15. rebecca

      January 22, 2011 at 7:40 am

      looks great have a fun weekend Barbara

      Reply
    16. kristy

      January 22, 2011 at 6:23 am

      This is such comforting food to warm my belly for sure. Looks really inviting. Thanks for sharing & hope you’re enjoying your day.
      Blessings, Kristy

      Reply
    17. Sue

      January 21, 2011 at 8:37 pm

      Looks good, especially scooped with the Fritos:)

      Reply
    18. Lyndsey

      January 21, 2011 at 5:39 pm

      This looks so good. I never thought of baking chili. It has a lot of good flavors going on there too!

      Reply
    19. JG

      January 21, 2011 at 5:37 pm

      Nice! I’ve never used black beans while making Chili. We would like that. Chili with Sour Cream is the best!
      ~Judy

      Reply
    20. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel

      January 21, 2011 at 3:31 pm

      Looks great for game days or a party – especially since it can be eaten with the chips. Nice hearty munchie food 🙂

      Reply
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