Chili con Carne
Who doesn’t love a good chili recipe! Sure to get top notch at any chili competition! This Chili con Carne is loaded with three types of beans, a deep rich vegetable and tomato base with the perfect amount and blend of spices. Add the ground meat and you have a hearty, delicious Chili that will warm you on cold days as well as be a hit at any summer picnic or cookout!
Chili, Oh, Chili!
Oh, Chili! We all love that rich, hearty stew of vegetables, beans, and beef. It kinda’ makes us feel we’re sitting under the stars out west cooking a pot of this stuff over an open fire. Yes, that cowboy life that, no matter who we are or what country we’re from, we find it to be cool!
Well, maybe not all of us, but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. I, for one, probably would never have made it as a cowboy, lol!
Chili con Carne is simply “Chili with Meat,” the most common meat being ground beef. Most people when saying “Chili” actually mean Chili con Carne.
The most common thought is chili was definitely conjured up out west, probably in Texas. Some say Mexico. But Chili con Carne has become one of those family tradition meals. Many families have their own version that gets past down generation to generation. Today, there’s so many varieties that people love – white chili, bean-less chili, meatless vegan/vegetarian chili, I’ve even seen an Asian chili.
My Chili con Carne
Much like chili itself, my recipe has undergone a drastic evolutionary process over the years. The best I ever made was pretty much this same recipe, but the meat was venison sausage. I made a gigantic batch of it and no one ever knew it was venison . . . until at the end of the evening when I told them.
What Makes This Chili Recipe Stand Out From the Rest?
To make any good stew (and, yes, chili is a kind of stew, I don’t care what anyone says), you need to build flavor from the base up. Therefore, the vegetables need to be sautéed first, bringing out their flavor. You need to season them with salt and pepper.
The ground beef also needs to be adequately seasoned while you’re browning it. I can’t emphasize this enough, unseasoned meat will ruin an otherwise excellent dish. Also, I retain some of the grease, I don’t drain it all off. It adds to the flavor.
Tomato paste also needs to be cooked. When cooked, it releases a sweetness and gets rid of the bitterness you get straight out of the can. Try this as an experiment one time: take a small amount tomato paste in a spoon and set it aside. Cook the tomato paste in some oil and then taste both one after the other. You will see the difference right away!
One big thing about my chili is I use Dark Chili Powder, and lots of it! It has a deeper bolder flavor. Regular chili powder is okay, however, you simply can’t get the same depth with regular chili powder. It also has a bite of spicy heat to it, too. I’ve seen chili recipes with 2 tablespoons of chili powder. I tried that. What a let down. You can’t get chili flavor without chili powder.
A-1 and liquid smoke – both are added in very small amounts. But, when I first added them to my recipe, my wife picked up on them right away. She loved it! So, their presence or their lack will make a difference.
Ingredients for Chili con Carne
- Canola Oil
- Bell Peppers, varying colors – I use green, yellow, and red or orange
- Onions – I use sweet onions, but yellow or Vidalia would work well, too
- Garlic cloves
- Ground Meat – beef, turkey, chicken, sausage, venison, etc.
- Tomato Paste
- Tomato Sauce
- Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes
- Black Beans*
- Small Red Beans*
- Small White Beans*
- Beef Stock
- Worcestershire Sauce
- A-1 Steak Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Dark Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Parsley
*Pro Tip – Rinsing the canned beans reduces gas and sodium. Do your guest (and yourself) a favor and be sure to always rinse your canned beans!
Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef – you can easily sub ground turkey or chicken for the beef. My wife likes it better with turkey so I often will make it that way.
Beans – there’s virtually an endless supply of options here. You can use 1 type of bean or a variety. I use the 3 listed here because these three beans are similar is size and look nice.
Bell Peppers – I like to use a variety of colors again for look. So you can use just 1 color or a variety.
Chili con Carne Cooking Instructions
- Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked, drain the meat and set aside.
- While the meat is cooking, add canola oil to a large stock pot over medium heat.
- Stir in bell peppers and cook 3-4 minutes. Add onions and some salt and cook until all vegetables are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Now add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beef stock and stir to mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil.
- Add in the remaining ingredients – black, red and white beans, Worcestershire sauce, A-1, liquid smoke, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper – and thoroughly stir everything together. Bring back to a boil.
- Add the cooked ground meat and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes and taste. You may need to add a bit more salt or water these tend to get absorbed into the meat and beans.
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Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!
Chili con Carne
Ingredients
- 2 Tablspoons Canola Oil
- 3 Bell Peppers varying colors – diced small
- 2 cup Sweet Onions – diced small
- 3 Garlic cloves - minced
- 3 pounds Ground Beef, 80/20
- 1 12 oz can Tomato Paste
- 2 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
- 2 15 oz cans Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes
- 1 15.5 oz can Black Beans rinsed
- 1 15.5oz can Small Red Beans rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz can Small White Beans rinsed
- 3 cups Beef Stock
- ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablspoon A-1 Steak Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- ½ cup Dark Chili Powder
- ¼ cup Paprika
- 2 Tablspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Tablspoons Onion Powder
- 1 Tablspoons Cumin
- 1 Tablspoons Oregano
- 1 Tablspoons Parsley
- Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
Instructions
-
Brown the ground meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked, drain the meat and set aside.
-
While the meat is cooking, add canola oil to a large stock pot over medium heat.
-
Stir in bell peppers and cook 3-4 minutes. Add onions and some salt and cook until all vegetables are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
-
Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beef stock and stir to mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil.
-
Add in the remaining ingredients – black, red and white beans, Worcestershire sauce, A-1, liquid smoke, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper – and thoroughly stir everything together. Bring back to a boil.
-
Add the cooked ground meat and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes and taste. You may need to add a bit more salt or water these tend to get absorbed into the meat and beans.
Recipe Notes
*Pro Tip - Rinsing the canned beans reduces gas and sodium. Do your guest (and yourself) a favor and be sure to always rinse your canned beans!
Ground Beef - you can easily sub ground turkey or chicken for the beef. My wife likes it better with turkey so I often will make it that way.
Beans - there's virtually an endless supply of options here. You can use 1 type of bean or a variety. I use the 3 listed here because these three beans are similar is size and look nice.
Bell Peppers - I like to use a variety of colors again for look. So you can use just 1 color or a variety.
Best ever! Add cheese on top and chips on the side for a yummy party dip!