Weeknight Chili in a Skillet – A Recipe for Chili Served Over Rice

The kids are starving, the clock is ticking. What’s for dinner? We have a solution. Weeknight Chili in a Skillet, a recipe for chili served over rice will satisfy the hunger of the whole family without hurting your wallet. This easy recipe uses simple pantry ingredients with pork sausage to create a hearty meal that can be on the table quickly.

Skillet Chili Ingredients

• Ground Pork Sausage
• Onion, Diced
• Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• Canned, Diced Tomatoes, do not drain
• Chili Beans, do not drain
• Optional Ingredients
• White Rice, Cooked
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Weeknight Chili Skillet Recipe

I call my creation a chili skillet because it is essentially a quick chili dinner made in a large skillet.

This chili skillet only has a few ingredients but each one packs a punch of flavor. Ground pork sausage is already seasoned with great flavor making it a great skillet ingredient. My family prefers mild pork sausage, but you could use medium or hot pork sausage if you prefer.

Chili beans also provide a chili blast of flavor meaning that there’s no need to add extra chili powder unless you want it super spicy. No judgement, go ahead and add it if you like. You also can use whatever type of chili beans you like – mild, spicy, black bean – just use a can of pre-seasoned chili beans and you are set. Check out our Amazon Store for some of our favorite pantry essentials – like canned chili beans!

I also like diced onion and green pepper in my chili for some added nutrients and flavor. I would totally swap in a red, orange or yellow pepper if I didn’t have a green one, or maybe even a jalapeno.

Can you serve chili over rice?

Heck, yes. Serving chili over rice is a great way to stretch your wallet since rice is cheap. Also, beans and rice have served together for centuries since they pair together to make a complete protein.

Like chicken chili? Try our Creamy Chicken Chili or our Easy Crock Pot Chicken Chili.

How to Make Chili in a Skillet

Step by Step Instructions

1. Brown ground pork sausage in a large skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Once browned, remove sausage to a plate lined with paper towel. If there’s an excess amount of grease, drain off leaving 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
3. Add diced onions and green peppers to the grease, and sauté until softened.
4. To the vegetables, add cooked pork sausage and undrained diced tomatoes and chili beans.
5. Stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes until thick.
6. If desired, serve over cooked, white rice and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Storage Instructions

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions for skillet chili, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• Use mild, medium or hot ground pork sausage. It is your choice!
• Red, yellow or orange peppers can be used instead of green peppers, if desired.
• For some extra heat, add a diced jalapeno or ground chili powder to the Chili Skillet recipe.
• Do not drain the diced, canned tomatoes or the chili beans.
• This would taste amazing with some cornbread. Try our favorite recipe, Maryann’s Sweet Cornbread.
• Skillet Chili can be eaten as is or to make it stretch farther, serve over cooked white rice.

Recipe Variations

• Use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken instead of sausage.
• Add minced garlic, if desired.
• Instead of chili beans, use red kidney beans, pinto beans or black beans. Add more flavor with spices like ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, etc.
• Stir in a can of green chilis.
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Garnish with fresh avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and crushed tortilla chips. Or, add a dash of hot sauce.

Can you make chili in a cast iron skillet?

Absolutely! Making chili in a cast iron skillet is not only possible but also a great option. The cast iron skillet provides even heat distribution and retains heat well, allowing the chili to simmer and develop flavors beautifully. Plus, using a cast iron skillet adds a rustic touch to your chili-making process. So go ahead and fire up your cast iron skillet for a delicious batch of chili!

Quick Dinner Recipes Using Sausage

I’m searching my deep freezer for some inspiration. Have you ever done that? Some of my best recipe creations have started this way over the years. Today, I pulled out a pound of ground pork sausage. I recently bought a butchered hog from a friend, and now I have beautiful little one pound packages of ground pork sausage. What can I make with 1 pound of pork sausage?

Typically, I use it one of three ways including Biscuits and Gravy (a classic), Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup (Sam’s favorite soup) or Southern Sausage and Pintos (my favorite fast meal). Tonight, I wanted something fast, easy and something that I could make with pantry staples such as beans, rice and tomatoes.

Recipes with Pork Sausage Meat

What can I do with a 1 pound package of ground pork sausage?

Here’s six of our favorite ways to use up ground pork sausage.

Sausage and Potato Casserole

Tuscan Soup

Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole 

Potato Sausage Soup

Southern Pinto Beans and Sausage

Hanky Pankies