A quick skillet chili perfect for some chili cheese fries, Frito pie and walking tacos.
Quick Chili
I love a good homemade chili and I've got several recipes up on the blog. Like anybody else though, I try to keep a few cans of chili on hand too, stocking up whenever I find them on sale.
It's just mighty convenient when you're in a hurry for something like a couple chili dogs, mini-Frito pies, walking tacos or some chili cheese fries. and there are some really good brands out there these days, including both Hormel and Wolf brand, which are two of my own personal preferences.
By the way, since I don't keep individual chip bags on hand, I like my "walking taco" in a bowl.
I also love these little individual kind of casseroles that have the same ingredients layered in individual serving dishes and passed through the oven long enough to melt the cheese.
Yep, I actually get cravings for all of the above, and, sometimes frankly, that's dinner for me! This recipe is for a small skillet version of chili that I make when I don't have any canned on hand. It will be equal to about two cups, so increase it accordingly as needed.
I prefer to use Rotel Chili Fixin's tomatoes for this quick chili. It's a brand of diced tomatoes with green chilies, that also contains additional chili spices and seasonings such as salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, red pepper, garlic and onion, so expect some heat for sure!
I buy it at Walmart here locally, but if you can't find that version in your local grocery market, you can certainly substitute original or mild regular Rotel. If you prefer less heat, change to standard diced tomatoes, but just be sure to taste and add some of the missing seasonings from the Cook's Notes, in both cases.
I also like to use a can of stewed tomatoes, as opposed to sauce or crushed, because they are cooked down with the trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery), and more flavorful.
Just a hand chopper or some kitchen shears right in the can to break them down. These little choppers are so handy to have in the kitchen for small jobs that I have two sizes!
Here's how to make my quick skillet chili.
As always, find the full recipe with ingredients, measurements and directions, as well as a printable further down the page. Just swipe/scroll to the bottom of this post.
Add ground beef to a large skillet.
Brown the beef and drain off any excess fat.
Add the tomatoes and seasonings.
Nice and thick in about 30 minutes!
You should end up with about 2 cups of finished product, just enough for a couple chili dogs, mini-Frito pies, walking tacos or some chili cheese fries.
Let's make some Chili Cheese Fries this time! Just prepare the fries the way you usually do, oven or air fryer. Place fries into an oven safe dish because you'll want to pass these through the oven.
Top with cheese.
Top with some of the chili.
Add more cheese and place into a preheated oven, either baking or just passing under the broiler, but keep an eye on them and don't walk away. Things can go awry quick with the broiler!
Add your favorite toppings and dig in! Oh my gosh, my mouth is literally watering over here y'all...
For more of my favorite chili recipes, click over to my Pinterest page!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
Unable to view the printable below on your device? Tap/click here.
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