Mexican Chili

5 from 10 votes
18 Comments

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Mexican Chili served in a Tostada Bowl is SO easy to make and the clean-up is even easier! It is low in fat, high in fiber, hearty and flavorful.

Tostada bowl of Mexican Chili with cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, avocado and tomatoes.

A Family Favorite in a Tostada Bowl

I’ve made this Mexican Chili recipe dozens of times, and it is one of our favorites! It’s such a versatile recipe that can be eaten as a soup, used as a dip, drizzled over nachos, and even eaten in a tostada bowl (for a fun southwestern twist on bread bowl soup)! I was worried that the tostada would get soggy, but it didn’t. It actually turned out great! This recipe makes about 10 servings so we only used 4 tostada bowls and ate the rest of the chili for leftovers.

Ingredients for Mexican Chili

A few cans of your favorite beans, some corn, and a handful of other simple seasonings, and you’ve got a hearty meal that everyone loves! Here’s what you need for Mexican Chili:

  • Kidney beans – One can, or 15 ounces.
  • Black beans – one can
  • Refried beans – one can
  • Mexican style chili beans – one can
  • Corn – one can of your favorite brand. If you have leftover grilled corn on the cob, cut it off the cob and use it in this chili. So good!
  • Diced tomatoes – You can also use a can of Rotel with added seasonings.
  • Tomato sauce – one 8 ounce can
  • Chilies – one four ounce can, chopped
  • Water – about a cup, or you can use beef broth for extra flavor.
  • Taco seasoning mix – one package or 1 to 2 tablespoons, or however much you like.
  • Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix – one package
  • Ground beef – one pound lean ground beef, turkey or ground chicken.
  • Onion – half a cup, finely chopped
  • Tostada bowls – find these in the Mexican food aisle. They’re crispy like taco shells, but in a bowl shape.
Ingredients to make Mexican Chili including Mexican Chili Beans, kidney beans, black beans, tomato sauce, corn, refried beans, onion, ranch seasoning, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, ground beef, diced chilis and tostada bowls.


Additional Spices and Seasonings

Aside from the taco seasoning and ranch packet, I love experimenting with different seasonings and switching things up, especially in such a versatile recipe like this Mexican chili. For an extra kick, try a few of these suggestions:

  • Chili powder – add just a teaspoon at a time, because it packs a powerful punch.
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Cumin
  • Mexican oregano
  • Chipotle peppers
  • Diced green peppers
  • Cayenne pepper – again, add a teaspoon at a time.
  • A couple cloves garlic

Make it a Vegetarian Dish

There are so many hearty ingredients in this chili! We love using lean ground beef in this recipe but you could easily substitute ground turkey or chicken, or leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish. Use water or vegetable broth instead of beef broth.

Top view of a garnished tostada bowl of Mexican Chili with sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado and shredded cheddar cheese.

Choose Your Toppings

Once you stir all the ingredients together in a large skillet, cook on medium-high heat until heated through. Then add to the crock pot to simmer for a couple of hours. To serve, dish some chili into each tostada bowl and garnish with any toppings you like:

  • Sour cream
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Pepper jack cheese
  • Avocados
  • Crushed tortilla chips
  • Tomatoes
  • Chopped onion
  • Salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Sliced olives
Mexican Chili in a tostado bowl with fixings on the side.

Questions About Mexican Chili

Are tostada shells the same as taco shells?

Both are made from cornmeal. A tostada shell is usually flat, while hard taco shells are folded. For this recipe we use tostada bowls which (as the name would suggest) are bowl-shaped rather than flat.

Does real Mexican chili have beans?

This can be a touchy subject! People have very strong opinions on what constitutes “chili”. An authentic Texas chili (also known as “chili con carne”) does NOT have beans. But for this recipe, we love bulking up with a few cans of our favorite beans.

What NOT to put in chili?

Do not put raw meat into a pot of chili and let it cook away. Your meat needs to be cooked before adding other ingredients. This includes ground beef, bacon, chorizo, etc.

Two bowls of homemade Mexican Chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, avocado and jalapeños.

READ MORE: 75+ Best Mexican Recipes

How to Make Mexican Chili

Mexican Chili in a tostada bowl with sour cream, avocado, jalapeños, cheese and tomatoes.

Mexican Chili

5 from 10 votes
Mexican Chili is SO easy to make and the clean-up is even easier! It is low in fat, high in fiber, hearty and flavorful.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican/Spanish
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 15 oz kidney beans
  • 15 oz black beans
  • 15 oz refried beans
  • 15 oz Mexican style chili beans
  • 15 oz corn
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 1 can chilies chopped (4 oz)
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
  • 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • ½ c. onion finely chopped
  • 6 Tostada bowls

Instructions

  • Brown meat and onion in a large cooking pot over medium high heat.
    Pot of Ground Beef and onion for Mexican Chili.
  • Add all remaining ingredients (do not drain any of the cans before adding) and bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
    Pot of cooked Mexican Chili with a wooden spoon.
  • Simmer on low heat for 20-30 min stirring occasionally.
    Ladle holding a scoop of Mexican Chili over the pot of chili.
  • Serve in tostada bowls.
    Top view of a garnished tostada bowl of Mexican Chili with sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado and shredded cheddar cheese.

Notes

Crockpot Option:

You can also brown the meat and onion, then combine with all remaining ingredients in a large slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours.

To Make it Vegetarian:

Leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish. Use water or vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Toppings ideas:
    • Sour cream
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Pepper jack cheese
    • Avocados
    • Crushed tortilla chips
    • Tomatoes
    • Chopped onion
    • Salsa
    • Guacamole
    • Sliced olives
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 40gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 1774mgPotassium: 1598mgFiber: 23gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1048IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 9mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

    1. Yes, you can use chicken. I would recommend dicing the chicken and then sautéing the chicken until no longer pink in the middle. Thanks for asking!

  1. I am so excited to make this. We are having a chili cook off on Saturday and I have never made chili before and didn’t know what to do . Then I remembered when you made this for us and how amazing it was! Here’s to hoping it turns out as good as yours 🙂

  2. Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is collecting links to posts about Mexican dishes and flavours. I do hope you link this one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Have a great week.

  3. @ Shelly– That's a great question. I haven't frozen this before but I am sure it would be ok. I have frozen and re-heated other chilis before and they have turned out fine!

  4. Hi! I commented up there ^ over a year ago and had a quick question. I was thinking of making this for a freezer meals group I'm a part of… do you think it would hold up to freezing and reheating (minus the garnishments of course)? Thanks!

  5. 5 stars
    I always visit your blog before any recipe websites. I have never left comment so I am long past due. Everything I make from your blog is a family/friends hit. thank you so much! Making this Mexican chilli for the first time tonight for guests coming over. Thanks so much! Melissa in Charlotte, NC

  6. I love that I can rely on your blog to help me when I need a recipe. I wanted to make chili tonight, but out of ground turkey for my usual recipe. Love it, Erica. Give that baby extra snuggles today, just because she has an awesome mom.

  7. 5 stars
    Made this today and it was my first time making chili. Loved it! I let it simmer in a crock pot for 6 hours on low and it turned out fabulous.

  8. 5 stars
    I've made this 3 or 4 times since you've posted it. We absolutely love this recipe and it's so easy! We especially love adding chunks of fresh avocado as garnish. I'm so glad you re-posted this as I may not have seen it otherwise. Thanks!