Homemade chili mac and cheese with cilantro is one of those easy dinners that feels filling, and budget-friendly all at the same time.
This is the kind of meal I like to make when I need something simple but not boring. It uses basic pantry ingredients, comes together in one pot, and works well for busy weeknights when everyone wants a warm dinner fast.
If you love easy ground beef dinners, cheap family meals, or comfort food recipes that stretch, this chili mac and cheese is a great one to keep in your dinner rotation.
It is kid-friendly, filling, and perfect for serving with a simple salad, cornbread, or tortilla chips on the side.
It reheats well too, which makes it solid for meal prep.
Serve it on its own or with some crusty bread on the side — and if you like skillet pasta dinners, check out 12 Skillet Dinners the Whole Family Will Love for more ideas in the same lane.
If you’re into easy one-pan pasta and beef dinners, these are worth a look too:
- Old Fashioned Baked Spaghetti and Beef Pie
- Lazy Baked Cheese Ravioli Lasagna
- Creamy Garlic and Parmesan Orzo Pasta with Lemon Zest and Parsley
- 12 Skillet Dinners Whole Family Will Love
Ingredients You’ll Need
Elbow macaroni cooks right in the sauce, so no separate pot needed. Sharp cheddar melts better here than mild — the flavor comes through more clearly against the chili spices. Kidney beans add bulk; black beans work too if that’s what you have.
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Ingredients
2 cups elbow macaroni, dry
1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spoon, cooking until browned and no pink remains, about 7 minutes.
Drain off the excess fat, then add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. - Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using) directly to the beef.
Stir and cook for about 1 minute, letting the spices toast in the pan.
This step matters u002du002d cooking the spices in the fat before adding liquid gives the whole dish a deeper, more developed flavor than just dumping them in with the broth. - Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and kidney beans.
Stir everything together and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the dry elbow macaroni and stir well to submerge it in the liquid.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the macaroni is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. - Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next.
Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar over the top, then cover the pan for 2 minutes to let it melt.
Off-heat melting keeps the cheese smooth u002du002d adding it over direct heat can make it greasy and grainy.
- Scatter fresh chopped cilantro over the top and serve straight from the pan.
Important Recipe Notes
- Toast the spices in the fat — After draining the beef, add the spices and stir them around in the pan for about a minute before adding any liquid. That contact with the hot fat pulls out more flavor than just stirring them into the broth. It’s one of those small steps that actually makes a difference.
- Stir the pasta while it cooks — The macaroni absorbs liquid quickly and can stick to the bottom of the pan, especially near the end of cooking. Stir every 3-4 minutes so nothing scorches underneath.
- Melt the cheese off the heat — Pull the pan from the burner before adding the cheddar. Adding shredded cheese directly into a boiling or very hot liquid causes the fat to separate and the cheese to go grainy and greasy. Off-heat gives you smooth, creamy results.
- Liquid level — If the dish looks too thick before the pasta is fully cooked, add a splash of broth (about 1/4 cup at a time) and stir. The pasta soaks up more liquid than you’d expect, and different pan sizes affect how fast it reduces.
- Cilantro note — Add it only at serving time. Stirring cilantro in while the dish is still very hot wilts it fast and mutes the flavor. Scatter it on top right before you bring the pan to the table.
- Storage — Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days covered. The pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits, so leftovers will be thicker. Add a splash of broth when reheating and stir well.
How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe
Serving:
Serve straight from the skillet with fresh cilantro on top. Sour cream and a squeeze of lime on the side are good add-ons if you want to dress it up slightly.
Storage:
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days. The pasta soaks up liquid as it sits, so reheat with a splash of beef broth or water and stir well to loosen it up.
Freezes fine for up to 2 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Customization:
Ground turkey or chicken swap straight in for the beef. Black beans, pinto beans, or a mix work in place of kidney beans.
For more heat, increase the cayenne or add a diced jalapeño with the onion. To make it richer, stir in a tablespoon of cream cheese along with the cheddar at the end.
Homemade Chili Mac and Cheese with Cilantro
Course: Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
2 cups elbow macaroni, dry
1 lb ground beef
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Brown ground beef with onion in olive oil. Drain fat, add garlic.
- Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir and toast 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and beans. Bring to a boil. Add dry macaroni, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheddar in batches. Top with remaining cheddar, cover 2 minutes to melt.
- Top with fresh cilantro and serve straight from the pan.
Notes
- For the best flavor, brown the ground beef well before adding the sauce and seasonings. This gives the chili mac a richer, deeper taste instead of making it feel flat.
- Do not overcook the pasta. Since the macaroni keeps soaking up liquid as it sits, cook it just until tender. If the chili mac gets too thick, stir in a splash of broth, water, or milk before serving.
- This recipe is easy to stretch for a bigger family. Add an extra can of beans, corn, diced tomatoes, or a little more pasta with extra broth to make it go further.
