25 Leftover Chili Ideas to Transform Your Leftovers

So you made too much chili. Now what? Here are 25 easy Leftover Chili Recipes that will transform day-old chili (or 3-day old chili) into something totally new and delicious that your family will keep asking for! This list has both indulgent and healthy leftover chili ideas, easy 5-minute dinner hacks and more involved recipes. A little something for everyone!

Graphic with text: 25 easy leftover chili recipes for dinner

Now, there is nothing wrong with leftover chili. My sausage chili, sweet potato chili, and chili without beans all taste even better the next day. But here are 25 genius ways to use up chili and wow your family with new dishes.

Each of the ideas below has a quick recipe description, so you can keep this page up and cook right from here if you're a seasoned cook. No need to go clicking through to anywhere else!

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More recipe roundups you might be interested to use up leftovers: Leftover Carnitas Ideas

1. Chili Tater Tot Casserole

Put your chili in a baking pan, top with frozen tater tots, and bake according to the package instructions until the tater tots are golden and crispy and the chili is heated through. Optional: put some shredded cheese on top of the tater tots and pop back into the oven until melted.

2. Chili Sloppy Joes

If your chili is very soupy, use a slotted spoon to spoon it out, or simmer it for a while until it thickens. Ladle onto burger buns, add a slice of cheese, and enjoy!

3. Chili Mac

Chili mac (mac and cheese and chili combined) is a classic for a reason. You don't have to make it from scratch! Just make mac and cheese, combine it with chili and it's ready to serve! Chili is also a great topping for a mac and cheese bar.

4. Cheesy Chili Rice Casserole

Preheat oven to 350F, combine leftover chili with cooked rice, top with shredded cheddar and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

5. Chili Zucchini Boats

Finally, a healthy recipe for leftover chili! Cut small zucchinis in half, scoop out the seeds in the middle to make a "boat," and roast at 350F for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the zucchini from the oven, top with chili, add cheese if you like, and continue baking for 10-20 minutes, or until the zucchini is cooked to your liking.

6. Chili Soup

Simply add some beef broth to your chili, stir everything together and heat it through. You'll have a delicious bowl of flavorful beefy tomatoey soup without having to make it from scratch! Serve with a little sour cream stirred in.

More leftover ideas so your food never goes to waste: Leftover Corned Beef Recipes

7. Chili Walking Tacos

Open a single serving size bag of Fritos corn chips, spoon some warm chili, and top with shredded cheese. Boom, dinner on the table in 5 minutes with these walking chili tacos.

8. Chili Dogs

Another 5 minute idea to transform old chili: Make hot dogs, spoon chili on top, and sprinkle some diced onion to serve. Delicious and a classic for a reason!

9. Chili Salad

Make a salad of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, olives, then use a slotted spoon to add chili on top. The chili adds all the seasoning your salad needs. No need to add dressing! You can add shredded cheese, tortilla strips, diced scallions or other toppings on your chili salad.

10. Chili Cheese Dip

Melt 1 pound of Velveeta, stir in ½ - 1 cup chili (to taste), then stir ½ cup sour cream for additional creaminess. Heat everything through (microwave or 10 minutes in the oven) and dip tortilla chips, crusty bread, crackers, or whatever you want!

11. Chili Cornbread Casserole

A small 8-ounce box of cornbread mix is perfect for this. You'll likely need 1 egg and ⅓ cup milk, but check the box for directions. Simply transfer your leftover chili to an 8x8 or 8x13 inch baking pan, prepare the cornbread batter according to the instructions, then scoop the cornbread batter over the chili. Preheat the oven and bake according to the instructions on the box (typically 400F for 15-20 minutes). Allow to cool a bit, then serve hot.

I also have from-scratch cornbread recipes, if you want to check them out: leek jalapeño cornbread, cheddar sage cornbread.

12. Chili Goulash

Transform chili into a totally new dish. Combine ½ box uncooked elbow macaroni with 1 can petit diced tomatoes, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup beef broth. Add leftover chili (preferably at least 2 cups) and simmer until the macaroni is cooked. Check on it every few minutes to see whether it needs additional liquid. Add flavorings like a bit of Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, a little garlic powder, salt, pepper as needed. When the macaroni is cooked, stir in ½ - 1 cup shredded cheddar before serving.

13. Chili Nachos

One of the easiest ways to repurpose chili is to make chili nachos! Spread out tortilla chips on a large baking sheet, spoon chili on top, sprinkle generously with grated cheese, and bake until heated through. Add whatever other toppings you like, like dollops of sour cream, guacamole, fresh avocado, sliced olives, scallions, diced onions, nacho cheese, sliced jalapeños, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.

14. Chili Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern/Israeli dish of eggs poached in a flavorful spiced tomato sauce. I have a recipe for shakshuka with feta here and it is amazing. In this version, you'll transfer chili to a skillet and heat it through. A soupy chili works best here, and if yours is very thick you might want to stir in a half or a whole can of seasoned tomato sauce.

Once the chili is heated through, make 5-6 welts in the chili and crack and egg into each welt. Season the eggs with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and simmer over low heat for a few minutes until the eggs are cooked through to your liking (typically there is a runny egg yolk in shakshuka!). Top with fresh herbs and serve!

15. Chili Grilled Cheese

Spoon a little chili in between 2 layers of cheese in your grilled cheese. Don't use very soupy chili, use a slotted spoon to scoop up the solid bits. The melted cheese will hold the chili together in the sandwich, and the chili will add amazing flavor and texture to your grilled cheese. An easy lunch. Win-win-win all around!

16. Chili Tacos

Again, scoop out the solid parts of your chili with a slotted spoon. Serve over toasted tortillas with your favorite toppings, such as a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, cilantro and scallions or diced onion, and a squeeze of lime juice. Easy!

17. Chili Cheese Fries

Bake or air fry frozen fries according to the package instructions. Scoop chili on top, and sprinkle with shredded cheese or scoop nacho cheese on top. Bake for another few minutes until the chili is heated through and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

18. Chili Stuffed Peppers

Start by roasting halved peppers (seeds removed) at 400F for 20 minutes. Mix chili 1:1 with cooked rice. Stuff into the roasted peppers. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until everything is heated through. Let cool a little, then enjoy!

19. Chili Quesadillas

Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the solid parts of the chili. Add to one side of a medium-large tortilla, add shredded cheese, fold in half, then cook in a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat until the cheese is melted and the chili is hot. Keep an eye on the tortilla to make sure it doesn't burn, lower the heat if it is browning faster than the cheese is melting. Slice into thirds, serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa for dipping.

20. Chili Baked Potatoes

Cut a cooked baked potato in half, add a pat of butter and use a fork to fluff up the cooked potato. Scoop chili over the potato. Other toppings that would go great here are your typical chili toppings (sour cream, jalapeño, cilantro, green onions or white onions, shredded cheese. See here for more baked potato bar topping ideas!

You can also use chili as a filling in a potato skins appetizer or a twice baked potato!

21. Chili Shepherd's Pie

Transfer your chili to a skillet or a baking dish, topped with mashed potato, and bake at 350 until heated through and the top of the potato has a golden brown crust. An easy dinner transformation!

22. Chili Pizza

Use chili instead of pizza sauce for a more flavorful chili, or add the solid parts of chili as a topping on your pizza. Can't go wrong either way!

23. Chili Empanadas

Stuff store-bought empanada wrappers with chili, crimp with a fork, and bake or fry according to the empanada wrapper instructions. You'll need to use a slotted spoon to scoop out the solid parts of the chili, otherwise the empanadas will be too wet and might have a hard time sealing.