Classic Beef Chili with Beans
Rich, smoky, deeply savoury — the chili I've been tweaking for years. Even better on day two.
Chili is one of those recipes where every family has strong opinions. This is mine — beefy, smoky from proper toasted spices, a spoon of cocoa for depth, and beans, because I like them.
It sits on the stove happily for an hour and only gets better. If you're into cozy one-pot suppers, my slow cooker beef stew lives in the same universe.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 700g (1½ lb) ground beef
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 can (400g) kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (400g) black beans, drained
- 1½ cups (360ml) beef stock
- Salt and pepper
- Sour cream, grated cheese, coriander and lime to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and pepper for 6 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Push the vegetables aside, turn the heat up, and brown the beef in the space — 6–8 minutes, breaking it up.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and cocoa. Cook 1 minute until deeply fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, both beans and stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low, and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season generously and serve with all the toppings.
Cooking tips
- Toasting the spices with the tomato paste is the flavour-doubler here. Don't rush it.
- For thicker chili, mash some of the beans against the pot with a spoon.
- Freezes for 3 months in portions. Genuinely tastes better after a night in the fridge.
More like this
If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll find more of my favourite main dishes recipes in the archive, or browse the full collection.
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