Chili con Carne
intro
Rich, slow-simmered spiced beef, tender beans, and tangy tomatoes form this hearty Tex-Mex classic, perfect for cozy, customizable cold-weather family meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
Dice 150g yellow onion and 120g red bell pepper into uniform 1cm pieces, mince 15g garlic, and portion all spices, canned goods, and broth before heating your cookware. Drain and rinse 400g kidney beans thoroughly to wash away starchy, salty canning liquid.
Sear the ground beef
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F stovetop setting). Add 500g ground beef, break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the beef is deeply browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef to a clean plate, leaving rendered fat in the pot.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Reduce stovetop heat to medium (165°C/325°F). Add diced onion and bell pepper to the reserved fat in the pot, cooking for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in minced garlic and 2 tablespoons tomato paste, cooking for 1 additional minute while stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a deep rust red and smells richly fragrant.
Toast spices and deglaze
Add 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the vegetables. Toast the spices for 30 seconds, stirring nonstop, until they release a warm, earthy aroma. Pour in 250ml beef broth, scraping the pot bottom firmly with a wooden spoon to lift all browned, flavorful fond bits.
Simmer the chili base
Return the browned ground beef to the pot, then stir in 800g crushed tomatoes until fully combined. Bring the mixture to a gentle rolling boil, then reduce heat to low (120°C/250°F). Set the pot lid slightly ajar to let steam escape, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning on the pot bottom.
Add beans and finish
Stir the drained, rinsed kidney beans into the simmering chili, then continue cooking uncovered for 10 more minutes on low heat, until the chili thickens to a rich, stew-like consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt or cayenne to preference before serving.
Tips
2.Avoid cranking the heat to speed up simmering: boiling chili too hard will make the beef tough and cause the tomato base to scorch on the pot bottom, ruining the dish’s flavor.
3.Chili tastes even better after resting: store cooled chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, as the spices meld and deepen in flavor as it chills, making it ideal for easy meal prep.
OMG this chili is a total game changer! I made it for our Sunday family dinner last night and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. It was so easy to throw together too, I was shocked how much depth of flavor it had after under an hour of cook time. 10/10 will be making this for our next neighborhood potluck for sure!
SO good. I meal prepped this on Sunday and ate it for lunch all week, it somehow got better every day. I added a little extra jalapeño for heat and it was perfect. Super straightforward recipe, no weird hard to find ingredients which is a huge win for weeknight cooking.
Made this over the campfire last weekend on our fall camping trip and it was the perfect hearty meal after a long hike! I did skip the beans because my partner hates them, and it still turned out amazing. Will this freeze well? I want to make a big batch to have on hand for cold nights.
I brought this to my office chili cookoff last week and WON first place! People kept coming up to me asking for the recipe all night, I had to send the link to half my department. I topped mine with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and a handful of Fritos, chef’s kiss.
As a broke college student with basically zero cooking skills, this was so easy to follow! I didn’t burn anything, it tasted like actual restaurant chili, and it was way cheaper than buying takeout all week. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who can barely boil water.
So happy to find a chili recipe that doesn’t have any weird hidden gluten! I used gluten free beef broth and it turned out absolutely perfect. My whole family ate it without even noticing it was GF, win win.
Made this for our Sunday football watch party and it was gone in 20 minutes flat. I set up a little topping bar with diced onions, jalapeños, cheese, sour cream, and cornbread on the side and everyone raved. Will be on repeat for every game day for the rest of the season.
Hi! This looks amazing, I’m a total beginner and want to make this for my partner’s birthday dinner this weekend. Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef? I know he prefers turkey and I don’t want to mess it up!
This is my new go-to meal prep recipe! It makes such a big batch, my husband and I both get 4 servings out of it for the work week, and it’s so hearty we don’t end up snacking on junk mid-afternoon. I added a can of corn this time around and it was a great addition!