rewrite this title Easy Chili Recipe ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Published: by Brigette on February 5, 2026  |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This quick and easy chili recipe is the perfect cozy winter meal and a budget-friendly way to warm up. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or game day, it’s hearty, comforting, and always a crowd-pleaser.

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she will be sharing easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Chili Recipe

This chili is so easy and versatile! It’s been really cold here in South Carolina (and yes, we’re complete wimps compared to the rest of the country, haha), and cooking a big pot of hot chili on the stove is the perfect dinner during the freezing weather. It’s a budget-friendly way to warm up!

You can use whatever ground meat you want (beef, turkey, venison, chicken) — and one pound of meat stretches into a whole lot of servings, thanks to the beans. And, speaking of beans, you can use a mixture of different kinds or stick with straight pinto beans.

There are so many toppings you can add to customize it! Think shredded cheese, crumbled corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or chopped avocado. We are currently dealing with some dairy sensitivities at my house, so we skipped the cheese and sour cream — and I didn’t even miss them.

If you have leftovers, this chili is fantastic over baked potatoes the next day.

Chili Dinner Menu:

Easy Chili

Blue Corn Chips

Chopped cilantro, green onions (and whatever other toppings you want to add!)

Ingredients for Chili:

1 large onion (or two small) (Aldi) — $0.30

4 cloves garlic (Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.25

2 Tablespoons olive oil (Aldi — $7.25 for 33T) — $0.44

1 lb ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice) (Food Lion, reduced) — $2.47

one box Texas chili seasoning (Publix) — $0.75*

2 14-oz cans crushed tomatoes (Harris Teeter — $0.50 a can) — $1

1 6-oz can tomato paste (Aldi) — $0.77

1-2 cups chicken broth (Aldi — $1.79 for 25 bouillon cubes. I used 2 cubes and 2 cups water) — $0.14

4 cans pinto beans (I used 3 cans Bush’s sidekicks from Publix last week — $0.25 each after rebate, plus 1 can Aldi organic pinto beans — $0.99) — $1.74

1/2 bag organic blue corn chips (Aldi — $2.19 for 1 bag) — $1.09

chopped cilantro, chopped green onions (Aldi) — $0.35

*Alternatively, you can use 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Total for Dinner: $9.30 (Serves 6+)

How to Make Easy Chili:

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until tender.

3. Add the ground turkey and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in all of the seasonings until well-mixed.

5. Add in the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and stir well.

6. Bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your turkey chili if needed.

7. Top with crumbled corn chips and chopped cilantro and green onions.

Recipe

Easy Chili ($10 Family Dinner)

Author Brigette

Course dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

This easy chili recipe is the perfect cozy winter meal and a budget-friendly way to warm up. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or game day, it’s hearty, comforting, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

1 large onion or two small (Aldi) — $0.304 cloves garlic Aldi — $1.75 for 3-ct pkg — $0.252 Tablespoons olive oil Aldi — $7.25 for 33T — $0.441 lb ground turkey or ground meat of your choice (Food Lion, reduced) — $2.471 box Texas chili seasoning Publix — $0.75*2 14- oz cans crushed tomatoes Harris Teeter — $0.50 a can — $11 6- oz can tomato paste Aldi — $0.771-2 cups chicken broth Aldi — $1.79 for 25 bouillon cubes. I used 2 cubes and 2 cups water — $0.144 cans pinto beans I used 3 cans Bush’s sidekicks from Publix last week — $0.25 each after rebate, plus 1 can Aldi organic pinto beans — $0.99 — $1.741/2 bag organic blue corn chips Aldi — $2.19 for 1 bag — $1.09chopped cilantro chopped green onions (Aldi) — $0.35

Instructions

Finely chop the onion and garlic.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until tender.

Add the ground turkey and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Stir in all of the seasonings until well-mixed.

Add in the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and stir well.

Bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Top with crumbled corn chips and chopped cilantro and green onions.

Notes

*Alternatively, you can use 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
You can use whatever ground meat you want (beef, turkey, venison, chicken) — and one pound of meat stretches into a whole lot of servings, thanks to the beans. And, speaking of beans, you can use a mixture of different kinds or stick with straight pinto beans.
There are so many toppings you can add to customize it! Think shredded cheese, crumbled corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or chopped avocado.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg

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More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this easy family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

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