Chili mac is hearty and delicious, a comforting mix of spicy chili and cheesy macaroni for a perfect weeknight dinner that's easy to make and satisfying. Try it with my classic chili and you will love it!
Chili Mac Recipe
We're cooking up a big pot of Cheesy Chili Mac in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends! You'll definitely want a bowl of this.
Chili mac, or chili cheese mac as we always called it, is one of the best comfort foods around. It's a delicious mashup of your favorite bowl of chili with cheesy, creamy macaroni and cheese, two of the best dishes ever.
What You'll Love About Chili Mac
- This dish is loaded with lots of cheese, noodles, ground beef, chili beans, and spices for a dish that is guaranteed to satisfy the biggest of cravings.
- It's a one-pot dish that will feed your entire family, and you can easily scale it up.
- It's quick and easy to make, done in around 30 minutes, making it perfect for fast weeknight meals.
Chili mac and cheese is a super versatile dish you can serve anytime, great for just about any occasion, whether it's comfort food Friday, game day, backyard barbecue, or big family picnic.
Let's talk about how to make chili mac, shall we?
Chili Mac Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Vegetable Oil.
- Vegetables. Onion, jalapenos (use bell pepper for milder heat), garlic.
- Ground Beef. You can use ground turkey or chicken for a leaner dish.
- Spices. Chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Hot Sauce. Optional, to taste.
- Tomato Paste.
- Beef Broth. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes. You can also use diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce.
- Kidney Beans. You can use other beans, like black beans or pinto beans.
- Dry Elbow Macaroni. This recipe works with other noodles as well.
- Shredded Cheese. I'm using cheddar, but feel free to use your favorite melty cheeses, like pepper jack or a Mexican blend.
How to Make Chili Mac - the Recipe Method
Cook down the onion and jalapenos in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with a bit of oil, then add the garlic and let it bloom for a minute or so.
Add the ground beef and brown it, cooking it mostly through, then stir in the spices, hot sauce and tomato paste.
Cook this mix for a minute or two, then stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, chili beans, and macaroni noodles.
Simmer the pot of chili, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente, or done to your liking.
Stir in half of the cheddar cheese until melty, then remove from heat. Top with remaining cheese and cover off heat for 2-3 minutes to melt the top cheese.
Boom! Done! Your chili mac and cheese is ready to serve. Doesn't it look delicious! I'm seriously ready to dive into this pot.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- For more flavorful chili, simmer the pot of chili without the noodles for 20 minutes or longer, then add the macaroni and continue with the recipe. This will let the flavors mingle and meld.
- If you prefer, you can cook the macaroni noodles separately, stir them into the simmering pot of chili, then proceed with the cheese. This can help prevent the noodles from becoming too mushy.
- Want to up the heat factor? Use an extra spicy hot sauce during cooking as well as for serving, or incorporate hotter peppers instead of jalapenos.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover chili mac will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily reheat it in the oven on low heat, or microwave a bowlful.
I do not recommend freezing chili mac, as the noodles can become mushy.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this easy chili mac & cheese recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Rasta Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- American Goulash
- Pastalaya
- Baked Chili Mac and Cheese Casserole
- See all of my Chili Recipes
- See all of my Pasta Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Chili Mac Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2-3 jalapenos diced (use bell pepper for milder heat)
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne optional, for spicy
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2.5 cups beef broth
- 2 15-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes or use diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can red kidney beans drained
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or use a Mexican blend
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes to brown and cook mostly through, stirring a bit.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, hot sauce, and tomato paste. Cook 1-2 minutes to bloom the spices, stirring.
- Add the beef broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, and macaroni noodles. Stir.
- Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the noodles are done to your liking.
- Stir in half of the cheddar cheese until melty, then remove from heat. Top with remaining cheese and cover off heat for 2-3 minutes to melt the top cheese.
- Garnish and serve!
Nutrition Information
Ed Moder says
WOW! Who'd uh thunk it? Chili mac, so simple yet so delicious. I made this last night after my beautiful soux chef cut up the veggies. It turns out that I have a trigger finger that locks up when I use the knife to cut onions. So we make a great team. 67 years experience and a fascinated amateur.
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She said to add more beans, so I did and she also said to add the hot sauce at the table instead of during cooking, so I did.
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This turned out to be one of the best meals I have cooked so far. I needed to make a comment since it was so good and lots of leftovers. Yum Yum!
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Mike Hultquist says
Hey, that's GREAT, Ed! A classic comfort food dish! Sounds like you got a new favorite! I love it. See you soon!
cindy says
I made this for lunch today. it came out great. I used to make something similar for my kids when they were little as they loved it and it was economical for a single mom to do. ☺️
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks, Cindy! Glad you enjoyed it.
Pat Nugent says
They have finally come out with a low carb noodle (Carbanota) that tastes good. The earlier products were sorta cardboard tasting. It has opened up so many more meal options for us. many of them are yours.
Mike Hultquist says
I'm glad to hear this! Thanks, Pat!
jeffrey palmer says
Made it
Love it and it's a very budget friendly
(in fact I disabled my ad blocker just for your site:))
Mike Hultquist says
Great budget-friendly recipe indeed! Much obliged, Jeffrey.
Rick says
This looks amazing! Try making ¼lb meat balls and smoking it for about an hour before adding to the chili. Also try Flat Iron Pepper Company pepper flakes. Talk about adding heat and flavor!
Mike Hultquist says
I love this idea! Nice!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu and vegetable broth i love pasta sooooooooo much i never had chili mac before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Ramya. Thank you.
Brent says
Hello Mike
Simply stated...this meal is off the charts! ❤
Thank you for sharing!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Brent! I know, we're crazy for this one!
Gaila Lessman says
Hey Mike!
It's awesome with spaghetti noodles as well and an additional can of Rotel. 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! Thanks, Gaila!
Neena Cholette says
This recipe is excellent! I literally just made it and needed to make a comment. I used a Smoked Bourbon Chili powder and my own homemade smoked cayenne powder (but regular spices will be fine too). So this dish has a nice smoky flavor to it! For the jalapenos, I used only ½ -1 (with seeds) and this gives a perfect kick without going overboard. For the cheese, I used a Habanero cheese. I would recommend this recipe for all chili lovers.
I love Mike's recipes and cook them quite often, keep them coming Mike! You are amazing!
Mike Hultquist says
Wow, awesome! Thanks so much, Neena! Glad you liked it! I LOVE your chosen spices.
Cary floyd says
Made this tonight for dinner. We both loved it. Right amount of heat and some great flavor in the Chili. Keep posting them out there and I will keep making them.
Mike Hultquist says
Cary!! Thanks so much. I really appreciate the comments. Very happy you both enjoyed it.
Mich says
When I saw this recipe in my inbox, I said "if MIKE has a recipe for Chili Mac, I've gotta check it out, as his will top ANY other recipe out there, it'll be the real deal". Reading the ingredients, I know I won't be disappointed. Can't wait to make this recipe this Fall & Winter. THANK YOU for your continued excellence!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Mich! I hope you love it! It's definitely a HIT in our kitchen!