Alright, so I know some people have some super top secret family chili recipe that has been handed down for generations, and I also know chili is one of those things that everyone, or every region, has the “right” way of doing it, but all I know is this chili recipe is delicious! This is another recipe that can be altered depending on your tastes, and depending on what you have on hand. I consider chili to be one of those “everything but the kitchen sink” recipes, where if you have something you need to use before it goes bad, throw it in the chili pot! I put some of those variations below in the tips section. Enjoy!
Details
6-8 servings
20 minutes
60 minutes
Print
Ingredients
1/2 an onion
1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed depending on spice level
1 green pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb ground beef
28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 14.5 oz cans of beans (your choice – see my note below)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt + more to taste
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of cinnamon
Directions
- Dice the pepper, onion, and jalapeño. Heat olive oil in large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in diced veggies and cook until fragrant and softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add in minced garlic and stir, cooking for about a minute more.
- Add ground beef, breaking up meat into chunks. Cook until meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
- While meat is cooking, open all cans and drain liquid from beans (unless using chili beans, keep the liquid with this one). See note in tips below about beans and thicker and thinner chili.
- Add in all other ingredients. Mix well to combine.
- Cover chili and cook on low for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so to make sure the chili isn’t burning on the bottom. Uncover at 45 minutes and simmer for 15 minutes more until some of the liquid has evaporated and chili has thickened. (If soupier-like chili is more your style, skip this part.) You could actually cook this for longer, just make sure you check on so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. The longer you cook it, the more incorporated everything will taste!
- Serve in bowls, with toppings if desired (see note below on toppings).
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- For the beans, I like to use 1 can of black beans, 1 can of kidney beans, and 1 can of Bush’s Baked Beans Chili Beans (basically also kidney beans). You can use whatever you like! You could do black, kidney, or pinto, or your other favorite bean!
- If you like your chili spicier, leave the seeds and ribs on with the jalapeño. You could add cayenne to increase the heat level.
- When I say I think chili is a great everything-but-the-kitchen-sink recipe, I mean it! I have also thrown in leftover sausage, ripe tomatoes from my garden, carrots, other bell peppers, you name it! This is a great way to get rid of a lot of produce that would otherwise go bad, especially if you have a garden.
- If you like your chili more like soup, leave all of the liquid from the cans and do not drain. Add the entire can into the pot. You could also add a can of water.
- For toppings: we love topping ours with cheddar cheese and using bread to sop up the juices, but you could also top with sour cream, Fritos, chives, and avocado!
