Montana Creekside Classic Chili Recipe

This easy Montana chili recipe turns Frontier Soups Montana Creekside Classic Chili Mix into a hearty, full-flavored meal with ground beef, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and a touch of sweetness. Ready in about 40 minutes, it's a comforting classic made for weeknights, game days, and cozy gatherings.

Ingredients

You Will Need

Montana Creekside Classic Chili Mix
1 Tbsp. oil
1 ½ lbs ground chuck*
1 ½ cups beef broth (12 oz.)
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
(optional: ½ tsp. each of salt and freshly ground black pepper)

*May reduce ground chuck to 1 lb., if preferred

Instructions

Here's What You Do

In a 3 or 4-quart pot, heat oil.
Add ground chuck and brown thoroughly over medium to medium-high heat.
Stir in chili mix. Add in broth, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and sugar.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the whole chile pepper.
Serve with garnish of sour cream, shredded cheese, or sliced avocado with cornbread on the side.

Got leftovers? Learn how to cool, store, and reheat soup safely in our guide to soup storage and food safety.

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Use the tips below to customize nutrition, boost flavor, or stretch the soup to fit your needs.

Reducing Sodium

Broth:

To reduce sodium, use an alternative broth such as: low-sodium, organic, stock, bone broth, unsalted, or try making a homemade broth. See chart below to compare.

All our mixes contain no added salt, only what occurs naturally in the ingredients. In the interest of transparency, we use regular (full-sodium) store-bought broth to create our recipes and calculate the nutrition panels — which is why the sodium levels may appear higher than you desire.

While we don’t like it from a health standpoint, salt is a major flavor booster. If you are using reduced sodium broth and looking to enhance flavor, try adding these depending on your preferences: fresh ground pepper, herbs & spices, lemon juice, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, hot-sauce, flavored vinegar.

Tomatoes:

Instead of a regular can (14 oz.) of petite diced tomatoes, use a can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes or 1-2 cans (10 oz.) of no-salt-added diced tomatoes & green chilies.

Variety (1 cup)	Sodium (mg)	% Daily Value
Standard Broth	860 mg	37%
Low-Sodium Broth	570 mg	25%
Organic Broth	550 mg	24%
Stock	510 mg	22%
Bone Broth	400 mg	17%
Organic Low-Sodium Broth	100 mg	4%
Unsalted Broth	35 mg	2%

Boosting Protein

Instead of garnishing with classics like cheese and sour cream, try cottage cheese instead (ideally full-fat 4%). One large dallop per bowl or you can mix in 1+ cup to the entire pot of chili. For best results: we recommend you: 1) liquify/smooth cottage cheese entirely in blender or with immersion blender before adding, and 2) turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly before adding so it does not curdle and/or lose its silky texture. See chart below for nutritional info.
Add a can of your favorite bean such as black, white/cannellini, lentil, chickpea, navy, etc.
Add shredded (or diced) cooked chicken (8-16 oz) or add more ground chuck/beef (add broth).
Swap standard broth for bone broth.

Nutrient	Per 1 Cup Full-Fat 4% Cottage Cheese
Protein	~23 – 25 g
Calories	~220 – 240 kcal
Total Fat	~9 – 10 g
Sodium	~820 – 850 mg

Nutritious Options/Swaps

Top with sliced avocado.
Use ground turkey, chicken or lean ground beef instead of ground chuck (add broth).
Toss in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and simmer with soup mix.
Add fiber-rich grains like quinoa or farro during the simmering phase (add broth).
Top soup with hemp hearts and/or nutritional yeast

Recipe Variations

Looking to switch things up? A few simple tweaks can make this recipe your own.

Montana Chili Serving & Garnish Ideas
Top your chili with shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, or jalapeños. Complement the chili with sides like cornbread, tortilla chips, corn chips, or baked potatoes to soak up the flavor.

Whole Grain & Fiber Boost
Try adding 1 cup of rinsed quinoa, brown rice, farro, or barley to simmer with the broth, you will need to increase water or broth by 1-2 cups as well.

Turn Montana Chili Into a Meal
Prepare your favorite grain/pasta/starch (white/brown rice, farro, quinoa, mashed/boiled potatoes, or your favorite pasta) and ladle chili on top!

Custom Heat Level
Adjust the spice by leaving out the whole chile for a milder chili, or add it during the final half of cooking for a gentle kick.

Montana Chili With Leftover Pork
Swap the beef for chopped or shredded leftover pork tenderloin for a rich, slightly smoky variation. Top bowls with avocado and sour cream for a creamy finish.

Montana Beef & Sausage Chili
Use 1 lb ground beef and ½ lb spicy sausage for extra depth and a little more heat.

Chili Night Upgrade
This chili also makes a great topping for Frito chili pie, chili dogs, chili cheeseburgers, or smothered burritos.

Ultimate Baked Potato Topper
Bake potato. Slice open the top lengthwise. Liberally ladle chili inside.

Inspired by our customers. Thanks to L, Judy, and Edda R. for sharing their ideas. Have a favorite twist of your own? Send us an email or leave a review on the product page.

Looking for another regional chili recipe? Try our Michigan Backroads Country Chili.

Dietary Adaptations

These mixes are flexible by design. Use the adaptations below to meet your dietary needs or cooking preferences.

Vegan/Vegetarian

We like the classic chili texture you get when using non-beef crumbles in this recipe.

You Will Also Need:

1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. plant-based beef substitute (such as Beyond Beef)
1 ½ cups vegetable broth (12 oz.)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Here’s What You Do:

In a 3-4-quart pot heat oil.
Crumble and sauté beef-substitute 5 minutes.
Stir in contents of chili mix. Add in tomatoes, broth, vinegar and sugar.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes.
Remove the whole Japonés pepper.
Serve with sliced avocado or cornbread on the side.

Alternative Vegan Recipe

You Will Also Need:

2 ½ cups of vegetable broth (add more broth for desired consistency)
1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, in their juices
1 (15-ounce) can of kidney beans, drained
1 cup of dry textured vegetable protein, such as pea.
Salt and pepper, to taste

Gluten Free

This soup is naturally gluten free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Dairy Free

This soup is naturally dairy free when prepared as directed. No special substitutions are needed.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker

We do not recommend using a slow cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

We do not recommend using a pressure cooker due to the short cooking time on the stovetop.