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Campfire Chili

Campfire chili with a Dutch oven simmer—bubbling, thick, and hearty for camping dinner. Ground beef and beans cook together until the flavors meld, then it’s topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crackers.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Campfire chili base
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 can (15 oz) kidney beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheese for serving
  • 0.5 cup sour cream for serving
  • 1 cup crackers for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a Dutch oven over the campfire and brown the ground beef until browned, then add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring so the vegetables soften and the beef develops flavor.
  2. Keep the pot moving occasionally so the bottom doesn’t stick and you see a light browning on the beef and edges of the onion and pepper.
Build and simmer the chili
  1. Add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the Dutch oven and stir to combine until the paste breaks up and the chili looks evenly colored.
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over the campfire; you should see steady bubbling across the surface and around the edges.
Cook covered
  1. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for 35-40 minutes over a steady simmer, stirring occasionally so the chili thickens and cooks through.
  2. Check the texture near the end—beans should be tender and the chili should look thick enough to cling to a ladle.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hot chili into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crackers right before eating for the best crunch.

Notes

Pro tip: aim for a gentle, steady simmer (not a rolling boil) so the beans don’t break down and the chili thickens evenly. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight and reheat on the stovetop or over a low campfire). For a lighter option, swap half the ground beef for lean ground turkey or use 1 lb beef + 1 lb extra beans.