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Chili Mac (+Video)

Chili Mac (or Chili Macaroni) is the best homemade chili mixed with macaroni. It’s filling, rib-sticking comfort food to the max!

A CLASSIC FAVORITE DINNER RECIPE

Raise your hand if Chili Mac (a.k.a. Chili Macaroni or Mac Chili) was one of your childhood favorites. It is budget friendly and you can make a lot for a crowd without going broke. And any leftovers are fantastic for work lunches the next day. So when you add another cheap ingredient like macaroni then you have a meal that is not only affordable but very filling and kid-friendly as well.

finished, The Best Chili Macaroni recipe in a large skillet topped with parsley flakes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why is it called Chili Mac?

Because it is chili mixed with macaroni.

Can Chili Mac be made in the crock pot?

Yes absolutely! Try my Slow Cooker Chili Mac recipe.

What is the best chili powder to use?

My favorite at the moment is the one made by Spice Islands. It has a good solid flavor and it doesn’t have any cumin added (which can sometimes overwhelm the chili flavor.)
My other go-to (that I have to order online because there isn’t a store near me) is Penzey’s Chili Powder. I love pretty much all of Penzey’s spices. This one has cumin added as well as some Mexican oregano so it definitely gives a deeper flavor profile. Also, if you like heat, they offer this in regular, medium and hot options.
Note: I’m not affiliated with either of these companies and do not earn any income when you click on the links.

Is Chili Mac a midwest thing?

It is very popular in most midwestern states. However, it has gained popularity in the rest of the United States.

What’s the difference between goulash and chili mac?

Goulash has macaroni, ground beef and diced tomatoes and it is made with Italian flavors and seasoning. Chili Mac also has macaroni, ground beef and diced tomatoes but it has the addition of beans and chili powder.

Can Chili Mac be frozen?

Yes. Place in a freezer safe bag or container and it will keep up to 3 months.

fully cooked chili Mac in a large skillet with a large cooking spoon scooping some out of the pan.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • ground beef
  • small onion
  • garlic
  • kidney beans
  • diced tomatoes
  • tomato sauce
  • tomato paste
  • chili powder
  • ground cumin
  • salt & pepper
  • shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)
macaroni pasta noodles, ground beef, onion, garlic, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper, shredded cheddar cheese.

HOW TO MAKE CHILI MAC:

Boil and cook macaroni noodles until tender. While macaroni is cooking, cook ground beef along with onion. Stir and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft. Add in garlic during last couple of minutes of cooking (so it doesn’t burn.) 

ground beef and diced onion in a large pan.

Drain excess grease from beef and put back into pot. Add remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) into beef mixture.Now, how much chili powder you put in is to taste. We like 1 1/2 tbsp, but if you want, start with a tablespoon, give it a taste, and then go up from there with what you enjoy. After macaroni is cooked, drain and add to the pot. Heat to boiling, stir occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes.

cooked macaroni noodle, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder and diced tomatoes added to cooked ground beef in the sauce pan.

Make sure to give it a taste test at this point. I usually find I need to season with a bit of salt. Then serve and sprinkle each serving with shredded cheese.

a bowl of chili Mac with shredded cheese on top.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: October 2012
Updated & republished: February 2020

The Best Chili Mac recipe

Chili Mac (+Video)

Chili Mac (or Chili Macaroni) is the best homemade chili mixed with macaroni. It's filling, rib-sticking comfort food to the max!
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Boil and cook macaroni until tender. While macaroni is cooking, cook ground beef along with onion.
  • Stir and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft.
  • Add in garlic during last couple of minutes of cooking (so it doesn't burn). Drain excess grease from beef and put back into pot
  • After macaroni is cooked, drain it well. Stir macaroni and remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) into beef mixture.
  • Heat to boiling, stir occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Make sure to give it a taste test at this point (careful, it's hot!) I usually find I need to season with a bit of salt. Then serve and sprinkle each serving with shredded cheese.

Video

YouTube video
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Sodium: 428mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




25 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    It was good but that being said it had a very strong tomato flavor and not enough chili mac flavor. I added quite a bit more cumin and chili powder.

  2. 5 stars
    This is delicious. It’s so easy to make and the spice amount/combination is perfect. You’ll want to make it a lot.

  3. Thank you! I'm salivating, just thinking about this recipe. So many memories rushing through my head! My kids and grands grew up eating this food…more times than I can count. :=) Looking forward to cool weather returning to AZ!! Hungry for "Slow Cooker Chili", too. God bless you for sharing your wonderful recipes!!

  4. 5 stars
    I grew up in Northern Indiana, South Bend to be exact. My dad used to make this for 7 of us kids that he was raising on his own. I thought it was just a way to get an extra meal out of the chili we had the day before. I still make this when we have left over chili I add the cooked noodles. Thank you Brandi for reminding me about a childhood favorite!

  5. There are so many recipes you have that I really want to try and this one was the first, making me a believer that every recipe you post will be delicious!!! It was so yummy! My husband loved it! I used a package of chili spices instead of the chili powder and cumin. I also added some Velveeta cheese for a cheesy chili mac! Will definitely be making this again! Love your website!!!

  6. I totally grew up on Mac and cheese casserole.
    My mom would through all kinds of things in to the pot, and we always loved it!

  7. I'm glad this brought back some happy memories for some y'all. It is always so fun for me to see how people connect with a certain recipe. thank you so much for all the sweet comments!! ~Brandie

  8. Looks terrific – I think we called this dish goulash when I was a kid…I say call it anything you want, as long as you don't forget to call me for dinner. =) MMMM good!

  9. Love this stuff, but you made me laugh about the dipping ham sands in chili, we dip grilled cheese sands in chili and my BFF from Dayton,Ohio, dips peanut butter sands in hers, btw, I'm from Tennessee and would have never thought of dipping ham sand….<3 your page…

  10. When my kids were still at home, I sometimes made this with leftover chili, and sometimes with leftover spaghetti sauce. Both are delish. Makes me almost wish my kids were still younger and living at home! Maybe I will make this as a side dish when they are ALL home for Thanksgiving. Or maybe for my church group luncheon next week. Or maybe just for myself. LOL!

  11. I have heard this called something different depending on where I was living. We called it Johnny Marzetti in grade school and my married family called it goulash. I think it is great no matter what it is called so just don't call me late to supper.

  12. With all the new fancy recipe I forget about the old classic. This is a one of our favorite's! Thanks for the reminder!

    Carrie